Neu!

Neu! formed in 1971 with Michael Rother on guitar and Klaus Dinger on drums, both coming from an earlier stint in Kraftwerk. They put out four studio albums between 1972 and 1986, starting with their self-titled debut. That record included 'After Eight,' a track built around a steady motorik beat and layered guitar textures that became something of a blueprint for their sound.

Their music was sparse and repetitive, often riding on Dinger's steady drum patterns and Rother's atmospheric guitar work. It didn't fit neatly into rock or pop categories at the time, which made commercial success elusive. The band broke up in 1975, though Rother and Dinger briefly reunited for a live performance in 1996.

After the split, both musicians worked on solo material. Dinger died in 2002, while Rother has kept recording and performing. Their relatively small catalog, just those four studio albums, eventually found listeners in other musicians and later generations interested in minimalist, rhythm-driven music.