Karl Bartos - Off the Record (2013)

By iurgi -

Karl Bartos joined Kraftwerk in 1975 and left the band in 1990. He is credited in some of the best Kraftwerk songs and was an integral part of the best years of the band. This new release is made up of old songs that Karl apparently found in a diary he had written at the time. So yeah, it sounds retro. 

Most of the songs of the album don't break with Kraftwerk and explore similar sounds and territories. The single, Atomium (see the video below) is an example of this, a song that could've easily been in a Kraftwerk release. 

The album is uneven and it some forgetful moments, particularly The Binary Code and Musica Ex Machina right in the middle of the album. But the album doesn't just look at the past and it's at its best when it explores new territories.

My particular highlights are International Velvet and Without a Trace of Emotion which go into more electro-pop territory, The Tuning of the World with its metaphysical questioning, .

Kraftwerk fans should find a lot to like here and whilst uneven the album holds up pretty well with occasional moments of brilliance.

 Rating: Good Vibrations

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Nosound - Afterthoughts (2013)

By iurgi -
Image
Originating from Italy Giancarlo Erra (the heart of Nosound) has been busy creating outstanding music for the last decade but Afterthoughts, contrary to the name of the album is no afterthought at all; I'd say this is the best Nosound album yet.  The band is often seen as progressive rock but Afterthoughts has no complex rhythm changes and structures, instead the music is deceivingly complex in its simplicity and the focus is on atmosphere.  Every single track in the album is there for good reason. The album flows seamlessly from hauntingly beautiful landscape to landscape with melancholic force and occasional, simmering, contained anger. The guitars, drums, percussion, keyboards and cello create hypnotic layers that sound simple and complex, symphonic but organic and grounded, never pompous. I dare say that this will surely have to be one of the best albums this year. An outstanding effort from start to end. The band release Wherever You Are as the single (see the video
Read more

Neuroticfish - A Sign of Life (2015)

By iurgi -
Image
  I’ve been eagerly waiting for this album since last years excellent EP Limited Behaviour and Neuroticfish have not disappointed me. A Sign of Life is an excellent album of very danceable future-pop, an absolute must for fans of future-pop and electronic music. You can listen to the album and support the band on their BandCamp page   here
Read more