| 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
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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![]() ![]()
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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
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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
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Songwriting: "The Moon and the Sun" + "Mathew Street" for the album “Universal”, OMD/Virgin (GB) |
| 1997 | Remix: “Coma”, Superior/Virgin (GB) |
1998
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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January: "Off the Record"-Tour |
2015
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November: Exclusive Live Shows - DASA/Dortmund, Berghain/Berlin, Haus Leipzig/Leipzig |
2016
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Re-release Album „Communication“ mit Bonus Track „Camera Obscura“ |
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7“ „Life“ |
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12“ Matthew Herbert’s Dr. Rockit Mix „I’m the Message“ |
2017
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Autobiography „Der Klang der Maschine“ (Eichborn Verlag) - published in Germany, Austria, Swiss |
2021
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Inducted in the Rock’n’Roll Hall of Fame - Early Influenece Award / Kraftwerk |
2022
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Autobiography „The sound of the Machine - My Life in Kraftwerk and Beyond“ (Omnibus Press) – English version published worldwide |
2024
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Premiere of the Karl Bartos’ film music and sound design for the silent movie „The Cabinet of Dr Caligari“ at Alte Oper Frankfurt, further concerts: Laeiszhalle/Hamburg, Prinzregententheater/Munich, Feierabendhaus/Ludwigshafen, Babylon/Berlin, Gartenbaukino/Vienna |
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Release soundtrack album / dvd „The Cabinet of Dr Caligari“ |
2025
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„The Cabinet of Dr Caligari“ concert at Deutsche Oper am Rhein / Düsseldorf |
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Re-issue album „Communication“ |