The Sound of the Machine: My Life in Kraftwerk and Beyond
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- čas přidán 27. 06. 2024
- This event took place on the 19 of July 2022. The information below is correct as of the publication date.
Some of the most beautiful, era-defining music has been co-composed by Karl Bartos. Kraftwerk’s electronic classics The Robots, Computer Love, Neon Lights, Tour De France and 1982 number one single The Model all contain his deft musical touch.
At this event and in his new book The Sound of the Machine, Bartos speaks candidly for the first time and with wit and humour about his life in a band widely acknowledged as being one of the most important in modern music.
Karl Bartos is joined in conversation by music writer Jude Rogers to recall what it was like to be in the legendary Kling Klang studios during recording and the process and the joy of three people composing and recording together. He looks back to his post-war childhood, the amazement he felt on first hearing The Beatles, his first bands, his parallel career as a musician and teacher, his years with Kraftwerk and as a solo artist and his hopes and fears for today’s musical culture.
The event includes a special performance by the Ebony Steel Band, who marked their 50th anniversary in 2019 by releasing the acclaimed Pan Machine album of classic Kraftwerk tracks arranged for steel drums. These seminal electronic songs are played by Ebony’s 9-piece line-up, creating a joyous metal-on-metal instrumental interpretation of Kraftwerk’s visionary music.
Karl Bartos is best known as one-quarter of the classic Kraftwerk line-up between 1974 and 1990. This was the era of their greatest recordings: the albums The Man-Machine (1978) and Computer World (1981), their UK Number 1 The Model, and hits The Robots, Number, Pocket Calculator, Tour de France and Musique Non Stop. Many of these timeless melodies and rhythms were conceived in his home studio. In the last three decades, Karl Bartos has been a prolific independent producer and writer, for his project Electric Music, as a solo artist, as a teacher and also together with fellow friends and musicians - Bernard Sumner (New Order), Johnny Marr (The Smiths) and Andy McCluskey (OMD).
Jude Rogers is a writer, especially on music and the author of the acclaimed new book, The Sound of Being Human: How Music Shapes our Lives, published in April 2022. She has written for the Guardian, the Observer, the Sunday Times, the Times Saturday Review, Daily Telegraph, New Statesman, MOJO, Q, NME, The Quietus and The Gentlewoman. Jude’s favourite anecdotes include Chrissie Hynde spontaneously painting her portrait; sharing a Pret fish salad in New York with Björk; Robert Plant making her a cup of PG Tips in Nashville while singing a Welsh hymn, and Lady Gaga feeding her whisky backstage at the O2.
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My daughter is so obsessed with kraftwerk!! And she just loves Karl bartos in general she has been listening to kraftwerk since she was 1 and a half and is 13 now❤😊
Brilliant and love that start with that band
I would love Karl and Wolfgang to record an original song together, it would be amazing.
WHaaaaaat... I'm half West Indian and Half German, grew up with Kraftwerk and Calypso/Soca.. since 1970.. to see/hear the Steel Pan version of The Kraftwerk Tracks.. made me tear up... honestly BLOWN AWAAAAAAAAAAY. (P.S. I see the audience is playing their part as "the robots" ;))) ).
That was crazy! How could they all be so motionless?!?
Just discovered this, absolutely love kraftwerk on the steel drums,love the way the musicans have to move to perform such a contrast to kraftwerks performance, unbelievable ❤❤❤
Karl Bartos was for Kraftwerk, what was Alan Wilder for Depeche Mode
Korrekt! How very clever of you! 👍🏻
Fantastic pro quality recording of the whole event, was there and this is a brilliant way of archiving the night!
Karl Bartos: brilliant, as always. Thanks for broadcasting this.
Thank You for all you do Karl Bartos!
I discovered Computer World album around age 10-11 ('84-'85, can't recall exactly) and was hooked instantly. Still this day shapes and forms my music and influences me!
The only little disappointment was for me, that Uwe Schmidt aka Senior Coconut was not mentioned ...he did amazing cover version of most of the Kraftwerk songs!
Electro Latin 😂
Uwe Schmidt?
Karl is a very well spoken and genuine, warm person. All of the guys from Kraftwerk have interesting personalities. Rest in peace to Florian, it's still a sore spot for me. This is a brilliant interview, very insightful 😄 🌟❤️
Actually he is not that modest, warm person. I remember him stopping his concert in Lille and asking a lady who was taking a photograph of him.. He had repeatedly asked" Lady, where are you from? "...
Beautiful introduction. I've already order my copy. I can't wait
I was in London only af few days before but could not be their. It’s great that we can the experience here…:-)
Communication great album from Karl.
Just finished reading the book... thanks for this upload 😎
Thank you so much for this!
That's a good tight drummer they've got there.
Karl is humble and articulate.
Karl COULD return to Düsseldorf. Kraftwerk (Ralf Hütter, that is) moved to Meerbusch Osterath.
Therefore Karl and Wolfgang COULD work and be great together again.
I love this man
Karl looks like my dad
But Wolfgang says in his book that it was he who introduced Karl to Ralf and Florian.
They remeber things differently in more points than that. For example Karl writes that Wolfgang didnt want to join the 91 tour (being approached) while Wolfgang writes he was never approached.
hey musicians in red, you are sou beautiful!!!!!
closed caption!faltou legendas.
Every moment when composing is different, you may have a certain way nailed down how to compose, but it's not a fixed thing and it's definitively not a given. It's very easy to take for granted since it was easy the last 10 times it will obviously also be the 11th time, sort of. Everything matters and adds up to the end result. New technology force new ways of working, and suddenly the basis are no longer the same. That's why Lennon McCartney wasn't as great as solo artists probably.
I think Electric cafe is an absolute master piece and it is *because* of Ralf refusing to settle for mediocre. The nagging feeling that it's not yet good enough made him keep redoing the album and that's what made the album so great. The album may have gotten a better reception with another melody driven track on it, Tour de France was supposed to be included but it really didn't fit once the overall theme got there.
Thinking about the themes I can't help thinking that Music non stop is an visualization of iTunes and Spotify and Electric cafe is the internet, a place where people can meet, which may include Sex object as well. Techno pop is a style of music of the future, it's theme and mode driven and sounds of our surroundings make up the songs, kind of like Autobahn, it's almost tribal even. The connectivity between humans in the track The telephone call may not be fully realized to iPhone, but it's well on it's way. It's pretty damn impressive.
Wanst it a royalty thing that made him quit Kraftwerk also? For not lack of concerts as they were about to do the 91 tour.
1:05:35 Sarcasm alert!
Karl Is A Nice Guy, But A Bit Too Submissive Towards Some Other Acts. He Also Makes The Group Too Transparent. Ralf And Florian Never Did That And Never Publicly Confirmed His View Of Things.
Florain died before doing interviews on Kraftwerk.
i'd leave the room if an interviewer finishes their sentence with "tell me about xyz...". this is not an interogation, treat your guests respectfully.