Electronic legends Kraftwerk win Grammy for high-tech package

Kraftwerk took Best Dance/Electronic Album — the first award in competition from the US-based Recording Academy for the influential German band, which has earned lifetime achievement and Hall of Fame recognitions.

“3-D The Catalogue” won the Grammy in a diverse field of nominations that included US indie electronic duos Sylvan Esso and Odesza and rising English producer Mura Masa.

Kraftwerk, who famously said that they wanted to make music more as machines than as men, created “3-D The Catalogue” out of a series of retrospective performances at museums including the Museum of Modern Art in New York.

The album was remastered off the performances to provide just the sound without extraneous crowd noise, unlike traditional live albums. Audiences were given 3-D glasses to enhance their experience.

“3-D The Catalogue” had several versions including a package with eight CDs. One CD was designed to provide all-encompassing surround sound over headphones, featuring some of Kraftwerk’s classic tracks such as “The Robots,” “Pocket Calculator” and “Trans Europe Express.”

Kraftwerk did not appear in New York to accept the award, which was presented before the main televised Grammy ceremony.