KARL BARTOS IN CONVERSATION: The Sound of the Machine

Some of the most beautiful, era-defining music has been co-composed by Karl Bartos. ‘The Robots’, ‘Computer Love’, ‘Neon Lights’, ‘Tour De France’ and Kraftwerk’s 1982 number one single ‘The Model’ all contain his deft musical touch. For the first time, in The Sound of the Machine, Bartos speaks candidly and with wit and humour about his life in Kraftwerk, a band widely acknowledged as being one of the most important in modern music.

In The Sound of the Machine, Karl vividly recalls what it was like to be in the Kling Klang studios during recording, describing the process and perfectly capturing the joy and passion of three people composing and recording.

Now, with a successful solo career of 30 years, Karl Bartos recalls his post-war childhood, the amazement he felt on first hearing The Beatles, his first bands, his parallel career as a musician and teacher, his years with Kraftwerk, and his hopes and fears for today’s musical culture.

We have two ticket options available: * Event Only and *Event with Discounted Book Combo deal - books will be available for collection at the Festival.

Our event will be followed by a dedicated signing event with Karl. RRP books will also be available for purchase on the day.

Karl’s in conversation host will be Martin James. Martin is Professor of Creative and Cultural Industries at Solent University.

Martin’s interests include: music cities and future cities; hidden histories of late twentieth-century alternative music - specifically punk, post-punk and electronic music; and also music journalism in the UK and US printed and online music presses. His current research projects explore the cultural economy of key cities, the role of music in future cultural growth, and the place of music archive in the creation of a cultural city identity.

Martin is an internationally acclaimed music critic with expertise in cultural histories of popular music. Martin has published books on the cultural histories of electronic music scenes as well as a number of music biographies that have been translated into fifteen languages.

Karl Bartos image courtesy of Al Overdrive

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

INNSIDE Manchester, 1 First Street, Manchester, United Kingdom