Wolfgang Flür Times
Wolfgang Flür's Times arrives as a collision of legacy and reinvention, trading on Kraftwerk signifiers while attempting modernized synthpop ambition. Across professional reviews critics clock a mixed but engaged response to the record, with particular praise for collaborations that push Flür beyond mere nostalgia.
The critical consensus is measured: Times earned a 62/100 consensus score across 2 professional reviews, where reviewers consistently note the album's dense production and its dialogue with Düsseldorf electronic heritage. Reviewers praised “Global Youth” in both its iterations, crediting Boris Blank and Emil Schult for chugging, controlled-chaos textures and a seven-minute scope that functions as the album's centerpiece. “Cinema (feat. Fabrice Lig)” also emerges as a standout track, Lauder Than War and PopMatters observing Fabrice Lig's contribution as turning the cut into a sturdy synthpop moment. By contrast, songs such as “Sexersizer” earn mixed reactions, singled out as emblematic of the album's uneven flirtation with past templates.
Nuance across reviews matters: some critics celebrate how guest artists - from Juan Atkins on “Posh (feat. Juan Atkins)” to Fabrice Lig - serve Flür's vision without overwhelming it, framing the record as forward-looking despite frequent nostalgia. Other critics find parts of the record slip into affectionate pastiche, arguing that the legacy-versus-independence tension leaves several tracks less memorable.
For readers seeking whether Times is worth listening to, the consensus suggests a listen for the standout tracks and for anyone interested in how a former Kraftwerk percussionist reinterprets that history; the album rewards engagement more than casual plays.
Critics' Top Tracks
The standout songs that made critics take notice
Global Youth
1 mention
"This reaches a peak during the seven-minute odyssey Global Youth"— Louder Than War
Sexersizer
1 mention
"The synthetic bump ‘n’ grind of Sexersiser is where the album most resembles the work of Flür’s ex-colleagues"— Louder Than War
Cinema (feat. Fabrice Lig)
1 mention
"helps make “Cinema” into smooth synthpop"— PopMatters
This reaches a peak during the seven-minute odyssey Global Youth
Track Ratings
How critics rated each track, relative to this album (0-100). Only tracks that made critics feel something are rated.
Posh (feat. Juan Atkins)
Planet In Fever (feat. U96 & Emil Schult)
Cinema (feat. Fabrice Lig)
Far Away
Future (feat. NEWMEN)
Über_All (feat. Peter Hook)
Magazine (feat. Imppu Rework)
Property (feat. Anthony Rother)
Times
Global Youth (feat. Boris Blank & Emil Schult)
Sexersizer (feat. U96)
Hildebrandlied (feat. U96)
Monday To The Moon (feat. Peter Hook)
What Critics Are Saying
Deep insights from 3 critics who reviewed this album
Critic's Take
In his late 70s Wolfgang Flür presents Times as a collaboration-heavy attempt to revisit the Kraftwerk playbook, and the best tracks notably “Cinema” and “Global Youth” earn their standing by nudging the template forward rather than merely copying it. John Bergstrom writes in clipped, clear-eyed sentences that praise Fabrice Lig’s contribution for making “Cinema” sound like a sturdy synthpop album track while crediting Boris Blank for giving “Global Youth” chugging, controlled-chaos energy. The review frames these as the album’s stronger moments amid too many nostalgia exercises like “Sexersizer”, which he calls the worst example. Ultimately the critic presents Times as valuable chiefly because Flür keeps the Kraftwerk ethos alive, even if much of the record feels like well-crafted pastiche.
Key Points
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“Cinema” is best because Fabrice Lig turns it into smooth synthpop that updates the template.
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The album’s core strength is Flür’s authenticity and his ability to assemble guests who occasionally nudge the Kraftwerk legacy forward.
Themes
Critic's Take
In this review Robert Plummer hears Wolfgang Flür pushing beyond the past on Times, where tracks like “Global Youth” and “Sexersizer” emerge as the album's high points. Plummer frames the record as denser and more deeply layered than Kraftwerk, praising the seven-minute odyssey of “Global Youth” and the digitised, nearly familiar thrust of “Sexersizer”. He admires how guest stars serve Flür's vision rather than dominate it, which helps explain why these songs stand out on a set lacking singalong choruses. The result, he argues, is a landmark, forward-looking collection that transcends the weight of the past.
Key Points
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The best song, “Global Youth”, is best for its seven-minute odyssey of processed vocals and shimmering sequencers.
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The album's core strength is dense, layered production that lets guest stars serve Flür's vision while pushing beyond Kraftwerk's limitations.