In a recent interview with Insomniac, Hollywood super-manager Jerry Heller shed some light on his early interest and interest with electronic music’s grandfathers of Kraftwerk. As a renowned mover of trendsetting artists, Heller’s resume began in the 60s and 70s with Van Morrison, Pink Floyd, and many more forward-thinking musicians of the time. This was all before his massive shift to break hip hop’s first super group NWA who went to define a generation.

Well before Dre and Ice Cube made their impact on America, Jerry Heller had his sights on German the innovators and generally nerdy guys of Kraftwerk. Heller put the group’s first American tour in 1975 on his American Express card, paying for their flights, hotel rooms and expenses. After proving a mismatch for the US market at the time, Kraftwerk’s early shows were empty rooms compared to the neon-clad massive festivals of today’s EDM landscape.

“They weren’t musical instruments,” Heller spoke on their grear. “It was certainly the precursor to what we now know as electronic music.

As if we needed it, Heller’s interest in the group is yet another example of Kraftwerk’s influence on the sounds of future genres. Still on the road 40 years later, Kraftwerk is a live bit of electronic history. Look for them finishing off a massive 3D tour early next year.

Check the orignal interview on the Insomniac site.