One record at a time: 18. Karl Bartos - Off The Record

The next LP on the shelf is the second (and seemingly final) album by Karl Bartos. I ordered both the CD and vinyl of this album when it was released in 2013 not realising the vinyl also had a CD included. So now I have two CDs of this album. Whilst the vinyl pressing was limited to one thousand numbered copies, it doesn't command a high value on the second hand market. The fact that this album isn't highly sought after gives you an indication as to why Karl doesn't seem to release any music any more: nobody buys it.

This album is a collection of tracks that were recorded over many years but never released. Some were written whilst Karl was a member of Kraftwerk, some whilst recording as Elektric Music and some with the group Electronic. Accompanying the discs is a large booklet which provides a wealth of information about each song in Karl's own words.

The single "Atomium" is an ode to the iconic building in Brussels and features the now familiar computer voice effects Karl employs. Next up is the fabulous "Nachtfahrt" which could have been culled from any Kraftwerk album circa 1979-1983. This track is the clearest indication that the sound of Kraftwerk in the early eighties was heavily influenced by Karl. The Mellotron infused "International Velvet" is a tribute to artist Isabelle Dufresne that derives its melody from a Kraftwerk soundcheck in 1981 (I told you the booklet was good). "Without a trace of emotion" sounds like an out-take from the Elektric Music album "Esperanto" - and that's a good thing. The next rack is a short piece called "The Binary Code" which was included on a cover disc of a magazine. One of my personal favourite tracks is "Musica Ex Machina" which is based on the initial idea for the Electronic track "Imitation of Life". Whilst there are some  similarities between the two songs, this is definitely a different composition from the one released by Messrs Sumner and Marr.

"The Tuning of the World" is melancholy, brittle and strangely affecting. The instrumental "Instant Bayreuth" continues with the slower pace of the preceding track and is recognisable as being recorded on analogue equipment. I'm less enamoured with "Vox Humana" which is a series of drum patterns from an old beatbox with scattered electronic sounds and vocal snippets. The familiar Kraftwerk Polymoog organ is coupled with the rhythm pattern from "Numbers" to create "Rhythmus" - but it doesn't quite hit the mark. "Silence" is actually 6 seconds of very quiet ambient noise which is followed by the the final track "Hausmusik". Don't expect a 'hands in the air' piano tinged dance stomper, this a song about the music people make at home and it wouldn't have sounded out of place on the Depeche Mode album "A Broken Frame". A good album that is highly recommended for Kraftwerk aficionados who will find the music, and the accompanying booklet, both fascinating and entertaining. 4/5

One record at a time: 17. Karl Bartos - Communication

As an admirer of Karftwerk (I'm not a 'fan' in the truest sense of the word), I found it only natural to buy the Karl Bartos album "Communication" when it came out in 2003. I really enjoyed this record as it was one of few truly electronic albums being released at the time. This was also one of the first CDs I remember which contained a link to download additional tracks - which I duly did over my shiny new 1 mbps broadband connection. As a bonus the CD also came in a funky 'drawer' card sleeve (no doubt it has a proper title but I have no idea what it is). I wasn't an avid consumer of vinyl in 2003 (apart from Pet Shop Boys releases) so I had to wait until the album was re-released in 2016 to acquire this remastered LP. 

Things kick off with the single "The Camera" which is a traditional Kraftwerk/Electric Music jaunt with cliched lyrics about taking a picture of the world. "I'm the Message" is a good track that uses the same computer voice that we will hear on the majority of tracks. "15 Minutes of Fame" is another single and is one of the highlights of the album for me (I must track down the CD single some time). "Reality" is a bit more contemporary and provides a nice change of timbre. The first (of many) digs at former bandmates starts with the catchy "Electronic Apeman" which remains a good song below the veneer of cynicism. The second barb is delivered with "Life" where Karl tells us he has to get on with his life; which seems a bit late to say it was recorded more than 10 years after he left Kraftwerk. But there you go.

As we flip over the vinyl I'm beginning to tire a little of Karl's continued use of the same sounds. This album employs the same sonic palette as the first Elektric Music album and, whilst it is strongly derivative of Kraftwerk, it gets a bit wearing. Don't misunderstand, it's not that I dislike the sounds, its the lack of variety that gets a little boring. Which is a bit depressing as all of the remaining songs seem to use the same patches and voice effects. I like this album but a little variety wouldn't have gone amiss. 3/5