02.09.1950
Born in Hamburg

1950-1969
Michael Rother grew up and went to school in Munich, Wilmslow/England and Karachi/Pakistan - A-levels (Abitur) in Duesseldorf.

1965-1971
Guitarist in the band "Spirits of Sound", Dusseldorf. For a time, the SoS also included Wolfgang Riechmann ("Wunderbar", 1978) and Wolfgang Fluer (later "Kraftwerk").

1969-1971
Civilian service at the St. Alexius hospital, Neuss

1971
Member of "Kraftwerk". Concerts and tv appearances (incl. "Beat Club", released on DVD in 2001) in the line-up Florian Schneider/ Klaus Dinger/Michael Rother. Unfinished recording sessions for the second Kraftwerk album with Conny Plank as co-producer. The recordings so far have not been released.

1971-1975
"NEU!?, band project with Klaus Dinger. Three LP releases and one single, all co-produced by Conny Plank.

1973-1976
"Harmonia", band project with Dieter Moebius and Hans-Joachim Roedelius. Two lp releases, the second co-produced by Conny Plank and featuring Mani Neumaier ("Guru Guru") on drums. Several tours in Germany and abroad.

1976
Recording sessions with Brian Eno in Harmonia?s studio in Forst by the river Weser. The material was released in 1997 on the album ?Tracks & Traces? under the project name "Harmonia 76".

1977
Release of the first solo album: "Flammende Herzen" with Jaki Liebezeit (?Can?) on drums. Co-produced by Conny Plank.
David Bowie invites Rother to Berlin to join the recordings for his new album "Heroes" with Brian Eno. The collaboration does not take place because both Bowie and Rother were tricked to believe the other one had changed his mind about their collaboration. The misunderstandings were only cleared up in 2001 when Bowie and Rother exchanged emails.

1978
Berlinale premiere of "Flammende Herzen", a movie shot to Rother's music which won the Silver Bear. Directed by Walter Bockmayer, Rolf Buehrmann ("Jane bleibt Jane", "Looping", "Geierwally" etc).
Release of the second solo album: "Sterntaler".

1978 & 1979
Voted "Musician of the Year" (national) by the readers of Germany?s leading music magazine "Sounds".

1979
Release of the third solo album: "Katzenmusik" - once again co-produced by Conny Plank and featuring Jaki Liebezeit on drums.

1979-1980
Michael Rother installs his own music studio in Forst/Weser.

1980-1981
Film and stage music, i.e. for Lessing's "Minna von Barnhelm", directed by Hans-Guenter Heyme at the Staatstheater in Stuttgart.

1982
Release of the fourth solo album: "Fernwaerme". Produced by Rother in his own studio and featuring Jaki Liebezeit on drums.

1983
Release of the fifth solo album: "Lust", the first album on which Rother plays all of the instruments himself and introducing the Fairlight Music Computer. 1985
Release of the sixth solo album: "Suessherz und Tiefenschaerfe".
Two video clips are shot for the songs "Suessherz" and "Glitzerglanz".

1985-1986
Recording sessions for the fourth NEU! album with Klaus Dinger. The album was left unfinished by Rother and Dinger and the tapes sealed for later evaluation. The sessions were not continued but the material was issued in Japan by Klaus Dinger in an illegal version in 1995 along with a cassette tape recording of a NEU! rehearsal for concerts in 1972 which was never meant to be released by Rother.

1987
Release of the seventh solo album: "Traumreisen".

1988-1992
Recordings for two unfinished solo albums. The songs were released i n 1993 and 1994 as bonus tracks on the seven original albums and the compilation "Radio".

1990
Involvement in the project "Station 17" in which handicapped residents of the Alsterdorfer Anstalten, Hamburg, made music with professional musicians. Rother's contribution to the first "Station 17" album was the song "Morning Sun". The track was later also released on Rother?s compilation ?Radio?.

1992-1993
Remix projects with Joachim Rudolph, J. of Barcelona and Fischerman?s Friend.

1993-1994 Foundation of the "Random Records" label and release of Michael Rother?s album back catalogue featuring a total of 25 new songs from 1988 to 1992 as bonus tracks.

1996 Release of the eighth solo album: "Esperanza".
Production of a video clip to the song "Silver Sands" with Thomas Beckmann. Involvement in the "Phase 2" theatre project initiated by the Japanese artist Noritoshi Hirakawa at Frankfurt's Theater am Turm (TAT). Rother appears as a "street musician".

1997
First production phase of the ninth solo album (finally to be released in 2004). Rother records vocals by English singer/musician Sophie Williams in his studio in Hamburg.
Release of the album "Tracks & Traces" from the Harmonia 76 group project with recordings from the 1976 sessions by Roedelius, Moebius, Rother and Eno

1997/1998
Album project "A Homage to NEU!? by international musicians. Rother's new song "Neutronics 98" for this compilation is his "tribute to Conny Plank".

1998
Harmonia 76 "Tracks & Traces" is nominated for the AFIM Indie Award in the USA .
Involvement in the EMI project "L.M.O." (artists for landmine victims). Rother contributes two new songs to the charity project: "Buzzing Sound" and "Turbo".
In September first live appearance by Rother after 22 years of absence from the stage at "Komm '98" in D?sseldorf in the line-up Rother/Moebius/Beckmann.
In October and November Rother & Moebius tour the USA and Canada.

1999
First meeting of Michael Rother and German musican/artist Herbert Groenemeyer. Rother records vocals by Groenemeyer for his solo album in his studio in Forst.
Herbert Groenemeyer's compilation "POP 2000" presenting 50 years of German pop music features Rother's song "Flammende Herzen" as well as "Hallogallo" and "Hero", two NEU! songs legally available on CD for the first time.
In December, Japan tour as Rother & Moebius.

2000
In January and February Rother & Moebius tour Germany and England where they are supprted by ?Dead Voices On Air?.
In April a contract is concluded between NEU! and Groenland smoothing the way for the re-release of the three "classic" NEU! albums on Herbert Groenemeyer's label.
In September Anton Corbijn photographs NEU!
Rother & Moebius appear in London at the "Music for the 3rd Millennium" festival in October. A live recording of Rother?s song "Esperanza" is released on the compilation "Music for the 3rd Millenium, Vol. 2".

2001
In February re-mastering of the three NEU! albums by Tim Young with active participation by NEU! and Herbert Groenemeyer at the Metropolis Studio, London.
The song "Rueckstossgondoliero performed by Schneider/Dinger/Rother as "Kraftwerk" in their 1971 TV appearance in "Beat Club" is released on DVD.
In May release of the three NEU albums in Germany and England (EMI) and in the USA (Astralwerks), in July release in Japan by EMI/Toshiba, later on P-Vine Records.
In August release of a live version of Rother?s track "Wolkenwelt" performed ?98 by Rother/ Moebius/Beckmann on the compilation "Hidden Treasures/the fourth dimension".
In Octo ber Rother&Moebius concert at the Genoa-Benefiz festival in Oberhausen.

2002
Live appearance together with Dieter Moebius at the music & theatre festival "Forstival".
Several live shows with Air Liquide and FM Einheit (ex Einstuerzende Neubauten) in Cologne at the "Ende - Neu" closing show of the Josef-Haubrich artmuseum as well as at the "Electro Bunker" Open Air Festival during the Popkomm Music Fair and at the Fabrik in Hamburg.
In Novemer Rother performs live together with Air Liquide, FM Einheit and Helmut Zerlett at the "Electricity Festival" in Saarbruecken.

2003
Collaboration with German musician Asmus Tietchens. Rother uses basic recordings by Tietchens for his new track ?Aroma Club B3? featured on Rother?s 2004 album.
In March first meeting of Michael Rother and John Frusciante. Jam Session with the Red Hot Chili Peppers joined by Omar Rodriguez (The Mars Volta) at the RHCP concert in Hamburg.
In autumn premiere of Quentin Tarantino?s film ?Kill Bill? (Part 1) and release of the soundtrack, both featuring NEU!?s track ?Super 16?.

2004
In February re-release of Harmonia?s first album ?Musik von Harmonia? on cd and vinyl. The cd version has a booklet with previously unpublished historic photos of Harmonia and liner notes by Asmus Tietchens.
In April two live shows as Rother & Moebius at the )toon) festival in Haarlem/Amsterdam and in Antwerpes at ?Seats ?n Beats #14?. The line up at both concerts included Nu Dub Players (Bernd Friedmann, Joseph Suchy, Jaki Liebezeit) and Hans-Joachim Roedelius.
In May release of Michael Rother?s ninth solo album called ?Remember [The Great Adventure]?. The album features vocals by Sophie Williams (Mrs Pilgrimm) and Herbert Groenemeyer as well as instrumental contributions by Andi Toma (Mouse on Mars), Jake Mandell, Asmus Tietchens and Thomas Beckmann.
In July first meeting of Michael Rother with the US band The Secret Machines in Hamburg. TSM release a cover version of Harmonia?s track ?Deluxe (Immer wieder)? on a vinyl version of their single ?Nowhere again?. Rother joins the band on stage at their first German live show in Hamburg?s club ?Molotow?.
In August two live apperances in San Francisco and Los Angeles. John Frusciante (Red Hot Chili Peppers) on guitar and Josh Klinghoffer on drums join Rother to perform music from his solo nine albums.

In September release of the Hematic Sunsets album ?Zu Gast im Aroma Club?. Rother contributes his track ?Frauen im Kugelschreiber?, created in a collaboration with Asmus Tietchens.
In October re-release of Harmonia?s 1975 album ?Deluxe? on cd. Just like Harmonia?s first album ?Musik von Harmonia? this re-release also features the original music plus previously unpublished historic photos of the band and liner notes by Asmus Tietchens.

November 29th, 2004