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He was trailblazer in the electronic genre with the group the pioneering act transformed the sound of pop and impacting musicians including Bowie, New Order, Coldplay, and Run-DMC.

Currently, his synth gear and musical instruments utilized by the musician for producing some of the band’s best-known songs in the 1970s and 1980s could fetch hundreds of thousands of dollars when they are sold at auction next month.

First Listen into Final Solo Project

Compositions for a solo project that Schneider was working on just before he died due to cancer aged 73 back in 2020 can be heard for the first time through a clip about the auction.

Wide Array of Personal Belongings

In addition to the compact synthesizer, his flute and robotic voice devices – that he employed creating mechanical-sounding vocals – fans have the opportunity to buy approximately 500 his personal effects in the sale.

Among them are his collection of more than 100 brass and woodwind instruments, several snapshots, eyewear, the passport he used while touring through the late '70s and Volkswagen vehicle, given a gray finish.

His Panasonic Panaracer bicycle, which he rode in Kraftwerk’s Tour de France music video and shown in the release's graphics, will also go under the hammer later this month.

Sale Information

The projected worth for the auction ranges from $450,000 to $650,000.

Kraftwerk were groundbreaking – among the earliest acts that used synthesisers producing sounds entirely new to listeners.

Fellow musicians considered their music astonishing. It revealed an innovative direction within sound pioneered by the band. It encouraged numerous artists to move in the direction of using synthesised electronic music.

Featured Lots

• One voice modulator probably utilized on albums in productions The Man Machine in 1978 and early '80s work is expected to sell a high estimate.
• An EMS Synthi AKS likely employed in early work the famous record is valued at $15K–$20K.
• The flute, an Orsi G alto played by him alongside electronic gear until 1974, is valued at $8,000 to $10,000.

Quirky and Personal Items

For smaller budgets, an assortment with dozens of snapshots he captured featuring his wind collection is on sale for $100 to $200.

Other quirky objects, like a clear, colorful bass plus a distinctive fly sculpture, displayed on Schneider’s studio wall, may go for a few hundred.

The musician's green-tinted shades along with instant photos of him wearing them could sell for $300–$500.

Estate’s Statement

His view was that gear deserves activity and enjoyed by others – not sitting idle or gathering dust in storage. His desire was his tools to be passed to enthusiasts who appreciate them: artists, gatherers and admirers by the art of sound.

Ongoing Legacy

Considering Kraftwerk’s influence, one noted musician commented: Initially, they inspired us. Autobahn was an album that had us sit up and say: what is this?. They were doing unique material … entirely original – they were consciously rejecting earlier approaches.”