Mini-Composer - another Kraftwerk related app

Hot on the heels of Kling Klang Maschine No1 comes MINI-COMPOSER, another Kraftwerk related app for the iPhone and iPad. This one was developed by former Kraftwerk member Karl Bartos and software developer Masayuki Akamatsu.



The app, desctibed as a "simple music app for fun [that] implements the basic waves of a synthesizer with a 16 step sequencer", is available for free - with an urge to donate money to the earthquake and tsunami victims in Japan - from the app store.

Kraftwerk - The Movie (?)

Wolfgang Müller, former Kraftwerk member and author of the autobiography "I Was a Robot", has motion picture plans. According to his website, www.yamomusic.de, Wolfgang will meet with producer Hannes Stöhr on new years eve, to discuss the possibilities of transferring the book onto the silver screen.

And though I acknowledge that it it rather unlikely that it will happen, I still want to grasp the opportunity to suggest some leading actors. I want Udo Kier to play Ralf Hütter (give him a wig). Furthermore, I want to see Claes Månsson as Florian Schneider (shave him) and Pee-wee Herman as Karl Bartos. I assume Wolfgang Flür will be playing himself.

Karl Bartos autobiography in the making

As it appears from this recent news post at karlbartos.com, Karl Bartos has started preparations for writing his autobiography.

Two new photographs are posted with the article, showing Karl and Wolfgang Flür meeting up, and the news post also mentions Karl visiting Kraftwerk's former Kling Klang studio, to meet "some other guy". Could that "other guy" be Florian Schneider, letting Karl in while Ralf Hütter is out on tour?

Karl

I was just tipped off about these photographs of ex-Kraftwerk member Karl Bartos' show in Budapest yesterday.

Notice the crowded mess of computers, cables and general "stuff" on that table, and compare that to the complete strictness of the current Kraftwerk setup.

Karl needs some help.

This is Mathias Black, by the way.



No... wait. Isn't that LG Petrov (front, left), in his confirmation outfit?

Related:
Kraftwerk on tour - without Florian.
White Cube.

White Cube

Karl Bartos, one of the four people still identified by most as "Kraftwerk" (even though he left the band 17 years ago) has opened the White Cube section of his web site to a project called Crosstalk, named after his first post-Kraftwerk release.

Crosstalk contains remixes, covers, mash-ups, video work and a pdf, created by artists from all over the world, all somehow related to Mr Bartos. It's not all good, but some of it might be.

Rheingold is (looking) back

It appears Rheingold have woken up. And in the process they have covered themselves, as well as a number of other interesting acts from the Düsseldorf past. Listen to this.

Rheingold, a German NDW band active during the early 80's, probably most renowned for their electronic hit "Fan Fan Fanatisch" from 1984, has been quiet for a long time. Their last complete album was released somewhere around 23 years ago.

But last week they popped up from nowhere again, on several music download sites (such as Juno, Emusic) with a brand new concept album, "Electric City - Düsseldorfer Schule".



The album contains one new Rheingold track, "Alte Shule" (old school), but apart from that, it's a cover album from start to end. Every song is a cover of a song by a band from the Düsseldorf area, including La Düsseldorf, Kraftwerk, Fehlfarben, Michael Rother and Propaganda, as well as their own "Dr. Mabuse" from 1985. This is the complete track list:

• La Düsseldorf – “Geld Regiert Die Welt" (1978)
• Fehlfarben - "Es Geht Voran" (1980)
• Rheingold - "3Klangsdimensionen" (1980)
• Electric Music - "Crosstalk" (1992)
• Propaganda - "Dr. Mabuse" (1985)
• Michael Rother - "Karussell" (1976)
• Karl Bartos - "Life" 2003)
• Kraftwerk - "Autobahn" (1974)
• Rheingold - "Alte Schule" (2007)

The label behind the release is a bit of a mystery to me. It's called 3Klang Records. There was a 3-Klang Records (note the hyphen) in the early 90's, that re-released some other German classics in a similar genre (DAF, Grauzone and a few others). I don't know if this is the same label or not. If it is - what the hell have they been doing for the last 15 years?