Teutonic men machines Kraftwerk have announced that founder member Florian Schneider has left the group.

A statement on the Kraftwerk website revealed the news and praised Schneider with a precise tribute: "Florian Schneider leaves Kraftwerk after a 40 years partnership with Ralf Hütter. This partnership has generated an incredible music and huge advances in music technology.

"Florian is a great musician, always seeking the perfect sound through technology. Refined and perfected sounds and vocoders to impossible levels of perfection.

"Our thanks for the state of art that led to Kraftwerk's music all these years. And our wishes for success Florian's new projects as well as to this new Kraftwerk."

The split news isn't a massive surprise to Kraftwerk afficionados, as Schneider has been absent from the outfit's recent live outings. A rumour at the end of 2008 had suggested that he had quit the band on November 21st.