Ultravox's "Sleepwalk": How German Krautrock Shaped a Synth-Pop Revolution and the Eighties dance music.

The Twelve Inch 154 : Sleepwalk (Ultravox)

There was a fleeting moment between punk’s decline and synth-pop’s rise when, as Gary Numan put it, “what had been was fading and the next thing hadn’t arrived.” This creative void became fertile ground for innovation, and few bands navigated it as compellingly as Ultravox.

Before they became synonymous with sleek, synth-driven anthems, Ultravox was a glam-rock outfit struggling to find an identity. Yet, within a few short years, they would pioneer the New Romantic sound—without ever truly belonging to the movement. Their pivot from guitars to synthesizers wasn’t just a trend shift; it was a conscious embrace of a new European musical identity, deeply influenced by Germany’s Krautrock scene.

This is the story of Sleepwalk, the first dance hit from the new Ultravox, and how Germany, Krautrock, and the legendary producer Conny Plank played a crucial but often overlooked role in shaping the future of dance music.