Brian Carney Meets Karl Bartos

Montage and recording Benjamin Schoos. Thanks to Bureau B , Valérie and Pierre for their precious help.

Karl Bartos is well-known as one-quarter of the « classic » Kraftwerk line-up. Many of their most influential rhythms and memorable melodies were actually conceived in his home studio. They would later be used on an unstoppable succession of hits from the Düsseldorf band as they ascended to the lofty heights of popular music culture.

As a major contributor to « The Man-Machine » (1978) and « Computer World » (1981) Bartos has had a decisive influence on Kraftwerk’s music. Rolling Stone author Mike Rubin says of this years: « there’s something timeless and universal about their songwriting of this period. »

The Kraftwerk team went on to achieve worldwide success and cult status: in 1982 « The Model » became a UK number 1. The track has become a classic in the history of music, along with « The Robots », « Metropolis », « Neon Lights », « Numbers », « Pocket Calculator », « Home Computer », « Tour de France », « Musique Non Stop » and « The Telephone Call ». Kraftwerk have been one of the most sampled artists of all time, and there have been countless cover versions of their songs. Almost all of the group’s best-known tracks date back to the « classic » line-up. In 2012 Kraftwerk performed a retrospective of this repertoire in the Museum of Modern Art, New York.