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Karl Bartos, renowned as an essential member and songwriter of Kraftwerk during their most innovative years, is reissuing his solo album 'Communication' on Hamburg’s Bureau B. First released in 2003, 13 years after leaving the legendary electronic group, the re-release arrives at a moment when its central theme, the transformation of culture through electronic media, feels more relevant than ever.

When Bartos departed Kraftwerk in 1990, he left behind a catalogue that had redefined electronic music: 'The Model', 'The Robots', 'Numbers', 'Pocket Calculator' and many more bear his imprint as co-writer and melody-maker. With the sharp witted electro-pop of 'Communication', the Kraftwerk legend extended that legacy, turning his focus toward a rapidly evolving media landscape at the turn of the millennium. At the time, the album’s exploration of celebrity culture, digital imagery, and the early internet felt like a glimpse into the future. Today, it reads as sharp cultural analysis of a reality that has since become ordinary.

Two decades later, this reissue allows 'Communication' to be reconsidered on its own terms. The questions Bartos posed, about image saturation, reality fragmentation, and identity commodification, resonate more strongly in the age of smartphones, social media, and streaming platforms than they did in the early 2000s. 

TRACK LISTING

1. The Camera
2. I'm The Message
3. 15 Minutes Of Fame
4. Reality
5. Electronic Apeman
6. Life 
7. Cyberspace 
8. Interview 
9. Ultraviolet 
10. Camera Obscura 
11. Another Reality