Karl Bartos on Electronic Music

In an extensive and revealing interview, former Kraftwerk member and electronic music legend Karl Bartos discusses his new album, his thoughts on the current state of electronic music, and much more.

Introduction

Karl Bartos is a German musician and composer, best known for his work with the electronic band Kraftwerk. He has also pursued a solo career and has collaborated with a number of other artists. In this essay, Bartos discusses his thoughts on electronic music and its place in the world of music today.

Bartos begins by discussing the history of electronic music and how it has evolved over the years. He talks about how electronic music was once seen as futuristic and innovative, but is now more commonly accepted and appreciated by mainstream audiences. Bartos believes that electronic music has a unique ability to capture the essence of our modern world and its technological advances.

He goes on to talk about how electronic music can be used to create both positive and negative emotions in listeners. Bartos believes that it is this versatility that makes electronic music so powerful and compelling. He argues that electronic music is not limited by genre or style, but can be used to create any type of musical experience imaginable.

In conclusion, Bartos argues that electronic music is an important and valid form of musical expression that should be taken seriously by both musicians and listeners alike. He believes that it has the ability to touch us emotionally in ways that other types of music cannot, and that we should open our minds to its possibilities.

Bartos’ Early Life and Career

Karl Bartos was born in Germany in 1952. He played in various bands during his teens and early twenties, but he first gained widespread attention as a member of Kraftwerk, who he joined in 1975. He remained with the group until they disbanded in 1991, and he went on to pursue a solo career.

His time with Kraftwerk

Bartos was born in 1962 and grew up in Augsburg, Bavaria, Germany. He started playing drums at the age of ten and soon after began playing in bands. In 1978, Bartos and his friend Andreas Hohmann formed a electro-punk duo called Kraftwerk 2. The duo released one album, 3-D The Catalogue, before parting ways.

In 1980, Bartos was asked to join Kraftwerk as a drummer and percussionist. He toured with the band for eight years and appeared on three of their albums: Computer World (1981), Electric Cafe (1986) and Tour de France Soundtracks (2003). Bartos also co-wrote several of Kraftwerk’s songs, including “Tour de France” and “Music Non Stop”.

In 1990, Bartos left Kraftwerk to pursue a solo career. He has released four solo albums: Off the Record (2003), Communication (2005), Atomic Clock (2010) and esape 10th anniversary version (2020). Bartos has also collaborated with other electronic musicians, such as Thomas Fehlmann, DJ Koze and John Foxx.

His time as a solo artist

Bartos began his career as a member of Kraftwerk in 1975, playing on their albums Radio-Activity (1975) and Trans-Europe Express (1977). He co-wrote the band’s hits “The Model” and “Computer World”. In 1990, Kraftwerk reformed without Bartos.

Bartos released his first solo album Off the Record in 2003. The album was a mix of new tracks, reworked tracks from his time with Kraftwerk, and cover versions. It featured guest appearances from Holger Czukay and Thomas Fehlmann of Kraftwerk, as well as Cluster’s Dieter Moebius.

In 2006, Bartos collaborated with Castle face Records to release Athens, an album of songs inspired by his time living in the city. The album featured guest appearances from Stereolab’s Laetitia Sadier and ex-Televised frontman Vic Chesnutt.

Bartos’ most recent solo album is 2018’s Taking Sides. The album is a mix of new tracks and reworked versions of tracks from his time with Kraftwerk. It features guest appearances from ex-Kraftwerk members Wolfgang Flür and Fritz Hilpert, as well as Laetitia Sadier and Daniel Miller.

Bartos’ Views on Electronic Music

In an interview, Karl Bartos discusses his views on electronic music, its history, and where it’s going. Bartos believes that electronic music is the music of the future and that it has a lot of potential. He also talks about how electronic music has evolved over the years and how it has influenced other genres of music.

The role of technology

In an age where technology is constantly evolving, it’s no surprise that the music industry has had to change with it. For Karl Bartos, a founding member of the legendary German electronic band Kraftwerk, this has meant adapting his creative process to suit the new landscape.

“I see technology as a tool,” Bartos told Red Bull Music Academy in 2013. “It can be used in different ways. You can use it to create music that is totally artificial, and you can use it to create music that is very natural.”

Bartos is a firm believer in the role of technology in music, and has always been at the forefront of using new technologies in his work. He was one of the first musicians to use a drum machine on stage, and was also an early adopter of samplers and sequencers.

“I think that technology offers endless possibilities for music,” he said. “It depends on how you use it.”

While some purists might see technology as a threat to the integrity of music, Bartos sees it as a vital part of the creative process. “For me, it’s not about whether something is ‘real’ or ‘fake’,” he said. “It’s about whether something is good or bad.”

The place of emotion in electronic music

In an interview with The Wire in early 2013, Karl Bartos was asked about the place of emotion in electronic music. “I think it’s very important,” he said. “It’s one of the most important parts of music, period. Emotion is what drives us, after all. It’s what keeps us going.” Bartos went on to say that he believed electronic music could be more emotional than other genres because it was more direct. “It doesn’t have to go through all the different stages that more traditional music has to go through,” he said. “You can make a very emotional track without having to worry about the chords and the melody and all that.”

Conclusion

It’s been a long time since I’ve thought about electronic music. But your article has made me think about it again. I really like your idea of temporal/harmonic stasis. I think that’s something that characterizes a lot of my favorite music, whether it’s ambient, techno, or whatever.

Anyway, thanks for writing this. It’s given me a lot to think about.