KARLBARTOS.COM

HOME LIVE MUSIC BIOGRAPHY CONTACT IMPRINT
CV

 
1970 - 1976 Studies at the Rhineland State Conservatory of Music, Robert Schumann Institute, in Düsseldorf (main subject: percussion); advanced performer´s degree in percussion
 
1974 - 1990 Member and songwriter of the German electronic band KW from Düsseldorf; various record releases and tours:
 
1975 “Autobahn” - USA- and Europe- tour
 
  “Radio-Activity” - album
 
1977 “Trans-Europe Express” - album
 
1978 “The Man-Machine” - album
 
1976 - 1978 Various tours in Europe
 
1981 “Computer World” - album and world tour
 
1984 “Tour de France” - maxi-single
 
1986 “Electric Cafe”/“Techno Pop” - album
 
1990 Italy tour
 
1991 “The Mix”
 
1992
Crosstalk
Foundation of the solo-project ELECTRIC MUSIC
 
Remix: “Planet Rock”, Africa Bambaataa/Tommy Boy (USA)
 
Coverversion: “Baby Come Back”, The Equals, which was the only German production on the NME-Sample “RubyTrax” (GB).
 
Producer of “What Would I Be Without IBM” + “To Be Free”, for the album “Peace And Love Inc”, Information Society/ Warner Bros.(USA)
 
Single: “Crosstalk”, Electric Music/SPV (D)
 
1993
TV
Esperanto
Lifestyle
Single: “TV”, “Television” and “TV2” , Electric Music/SPV (D)
 
Album: “Esperanto”, ElectricMusic/SPV (D), East West (GB)
 
Single: “Lifestyle”, Electric Music/SPV (D)
 
1994 “Virtual Summer Tour” - Scandinavia (Copenhagen, Lund, Stockholm, Arvika-Festival)
 
1994 - 1995
Raise the pressure
Working in Manchester with the British band Electronic (Bernard Sumner - New Order, Johnny Marr - ex-The Smiths), Songwriting 9 tracks on their album “Raise The Pressure” (EMI, release: 1996)
 
1995 Foreword to the illustrated book of Martin Pesch and Markus Weisbeck “Techno Style - Musik, Grafik, Mode und Partykultur der Techno-Bewegung”

(Techno Style - music, grafics, fashion and party culture of the techno scene) published by Edition Olms, Zürich
 
1996
OMD Universal
Songwriting: "The Moon and the Sun" + "Mathew Street" for the album “Universal”, OMD/Virgin (GB)
 
1997 Remix: “Coma”, Superior/Virgin (GB)
 
1998
Sunshine
Electric Music
Call on me
Producing/songwriting: Album “The Mobile Homes”, The Mobile Homes/SPV (D), Arcade (S)
 
Single: “You Make The Sunshine”, The MobileHomes/ SPV (D) + Arcade (S) - this track has been used as commercial by the Swedish Airline SAS
 
Single: “Sunshine”, Electric Music/SPV (D)
 
Album: “Electric Music”, Electric Music/SPV
 
Single: “Call On Me”, Electric Music/SPV (D)
 
Coverversion: “Tour de France” for the so called sampler of Warner Special Marketing
 
Remix: “Little Computer People”, Anthony Rother/Alphabet City - release: spring 2000
 
1999 Remix: “Return”, Deine Lakaien/Columbia (D)
 
  Release of the single “The Young Urban Professional” and the album “Electric Music” in GB (Jammin) and Japan (Nippon Crown) Producer/songwriter of the album “Love & Violence” of the German artist “Flatz”/Sony (D) - release: summer 2000
 
  DJ-performance at the “Kickzone”-Festival at swimming stadion Müngersdorf, Cologne during the PopKomm ´99
 
2000
15 minutes of fame
AudioVision live - club tour and festivals
 
Single: “15 Minutes of Fame”, Orbit/Virgin
 
2001 AudioVision live - Scandinavian-club-tour
 
2002 Production of new material
 
2003
Communication
First presentation of Karl Bartos´ new material at the Magical Maydaze Festival - Miami (USA) 
 
Vinyl-single: “I´m The Message” (Home Rec./Sony) Distribution: Kompakt
 
Release of the Karl Bartos album “Communication”(SONY-Music) in: Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Belgium, France, Greece, Italy, Portugal, Denmark, Finland, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Hungary, Poland, United Kingdom, Ireland, Canada
 
Showcase of the new album at the ICA (Institute of Contemporary Arts), London
 
AudioVision live - concerts in the UK, Greece, Germany
 
2004 In 2004 he co-founded the master program “Sound Studies – Acoustic Communication” at the Berlin University of the Arts where he was a visiting professor teaching Auditory Media Design until 2009.
 
2005
Camera obscura
Single: “Camera Obscura”. This first release on Karl Bartos´ label AudioVision is related to the track “The Camera”, taken from 2003’s critically acclaimed album “Communication” 
 
2006 Soundtrack: “Moebius Redux - A Life in Pictures” starring the French painter Jean “Moebius” Giraud. The film has been released on January 30th, 2007 in Berlin 
2007 - 2012 Audiovision Live – worldwide concerts
2013
Atomium
Off the record
Single: "Atomium" is the first single taken from the forthcoming album "Off the Record" (Bureau B/Indigo)

Album: "Off the Record" – worldwide release

Press screening in Robert Morat Galerie / Hamburg & Rough Trade East / London

Premiere of the new audio-visual live show at Brussels Summer Festival
2014
Off the record Tour 2014
January: "Off the Record"-Tour
2015
November: Exclusive Live Shows - DASA/Dortmund, Berghain/Berlin, Haus Leipzig/Leipzig
November: Exclusive Live Shows - DASA/Dortmund, Berghain/Berlin, Haus Leipzig/Leipzig
2016
Communication 2016
Re-release Album „Communication“ mit Bonus Track „Camera Obscura“
Life 7“ „Life“
Dr. Rockit Mix 12“ Matthew Herbert’s Dr. Rockit Mix „I’m the Message“
2017
Autobiography „Der Klang der Maschine“
Autobiography „Der Klang der Maschine“ (Eichborn Verlag) - published in Germany, Austria, Swiss
2021
Hall of Fame 2021
Inducted in the Rock’n’Roll Hall of Fame - Early Influenece Award / Kraftwerk
2022
The sound of the Machine
2022 Autobiography „The sound of the Machine - My Life in Kraftwerk and Beyond“ (Omnibus Press) – English version published worldwide