Fear not: that rumoured new Kraftwerk album is on its way. 

Just over a year ago, bandleader Ralf Hütter suggested that a new Kraftwerk studio album would arrive “soon”. For those still checking their watches 14 months on, here’s some heartening news: Hütter has once again confirmed that a new Kraftwerk LP is definitely in the works.

In an interview with The Guardian – not something that comes along with alarming regularity, incidentally – bandleader Ralf Hütter has confirmed that the band are focusing on producing a new album. When asked whether the band’s ninth studio LP was in the works, he replied, categorically, “oh yes”. With reference to band’s recent album-by-album renditions of their back catalogue, Hütter said:

“Now this is done, one to eight. Now we can concentrate on number nine.”

Asked whether there was a timetable for when the record might emerge, Hütter replied “Of course. It’s music nonstop!”. The interview, conducted during the Australian leg of their world tour, also sees Hütter discuss the band’s current technological set-up (“Nowadays basically Kraftwerk is a space lab”) and being banned from playing in China (“we supported the Free Tibet movement 15 years ago in America, so perhaps that is why we are forbidden”).

Kraftwerk’s last studio album was 2003’s Tour De France soundtracks, although the band released a lavish box set edition of the 2009’s The Catalogue collection last year. The band headline Barcelona’s Sonar Festival this weekend; head here to see our 20 favourite acts playing at – and nearby – the festival. Dance music legend Francois K recently went in-depth on Kraftwerk’s masterful 1981 LP Computer World as part of our On Record feature.