Klaus Dinger, Rest In Peace

I was mixing a Hiss Golden Messenger song today before I heard the news that Klaus Dinger passed away. The song features the signature Dinger beat (as many of the Hiss Golden Messenger songs do). For the recording of this new song I recall MC and I asking the drummer Terry knew "the Dinger" (the same question we ask to any new drummer we play with) and sitting him down to some Neu! and Michael Rother to introduce him to the perplexingly simple drum style.

I'm sad that this influential character is no longer with us.

Klaus Dinger (white clad on the right) is forever immortalized for his ingenious contribution to music, the "Neu!" beat, which he pioneered in Kraftwerk, stretched out endlessly in Neu!, and also ruled in La Dusseldorf. As Brian Eno said "There were three great beats in the 70s. Fela Kuti's Afrobeat, James Brown's funk, and Klaus Dinger's Neu! beat."

Klaus- may you always wear the big white overalls in the sky.