Ride Theory reviewed Sound of the Machine by Karl Bartos
Inactivity is in the air for you and me.
5 stars
Lots of insight into Kraftwerk's working methods and how their practices broke down with the advent of digital recording. Kraftwerk's seminal work with "the classic line-up" (Ralf, Karl, Wolfgang, Florian) was created entirely on analog equipment in a collaborative atmosphere, and when digital technology came along, they spent most of the 1980s tinkering and fussing with their studio, barely talking to each other.
You might sum up Bartos's relationship with the founders of the band as: "Get It In Writing!" He was never treated as a peer by Ralf and Florian, and had to fight for authorship rights and payment. On one early tour, he and Wolfgang were only given travelling expenses, on another, Ralf and Florian stayed in four star hotels while Karl and Wolfgang had to share rooms in much less fancy accommodations.
It's a bit long at 600+ pages, with several stretches of philosophical musings that could …
Lots of insight into Kraftwerk's working methods and how their practices broke down with the advent of digital recording. Kraftwerk's seminal work with "the classic line-up" (Ralf, Karl, Wolfgang, Florian) was created entirely on analog equipment in a collaborative atmosphere, and when digital technology came along, they spent most of the 1980s tinkering and fussing with their studio, barely talking to each other.
You might sum up Bartos's relationship with the founders of the band as: "Get It In Writing!" He was never treated as a peer by Ralf and Florian, and had to fight for authorship rights and payment. On one early tour, he and Wolfgang were only given travelling expenses, on another, Ralf and Florian stayed in four star hotels while Karl and Wolfgang had to share rooms in much less fancy accommodations.
It's a bit long at 600+ pages, with several stretches of philosophical musings that could have been edited, but then again, poor Karl was muzzled during his years with Kraftwerk, and he has a lot to say now.
