Off the Record (Karl Bartos album)

Last updated
Off the Record
Karl Bartos - Off the Record.jpg
Studio album by
Released15 March 2013
Recorded1977–1993, [1] 2010–2012
Genre Synth-pop
Length39:45
Label Bureau B
Producer Karl Bartos
Karl Bartos chronology
Communication
(2003)
Off the Record
(2013)
Singles from Off the Record
  1. "Atomium"
    Released: 1 February 2013
  2. "Without a Trace of Emotion"
    Released: 18 March 2013
Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic 64/100 [2]
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svg [3]
Beats per Minute 62% [4]
Clash 6/10 [5]
Drowned in Sound 5/10 [6]
Exclaim! 7/10 [7]
The Independent Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [8]
Pitchfork Media 5.4/10 [9]
Popmatters Disc Plain yellow dark.svgDisc Plain yellow dark.svgDisc Plain yellow dark.svgDisc Plain yellow dark.svgDisc Plain yellow dark.svgDisc Plain yellow dark.svgPlain Disc 40%25 grey or 20%25 black.svgPlain Disc 40%25 grey or 20%25 black.svgPlain Disc 40%25 grey or 20%25 black.svgPlain Disc 40%25 grey or 20%25 black.svg [10]
Record Collector Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [11]
Rolling Stone Russia Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [12]

Off the Record is the second solo studio album by German musician and composer Karl Bartos (formerly of Kraftwerk). It was released on 15 March 2013, through Bureau B Records. It is Bartos' first solo album in ten years, though much of the material on Off the Record predates that on 2003's Communication . [13] [14] [15]

Contents

Singles

"Atomium" was released as a single on 1 February 2013.

"Without a Trace of Emotion" was released as a promo-single on 18 March 2013.

Track listing

All tracks are written by Karl Bartos except "Musica Ex Machina", written by Bartos, Johnny Marr and Bernard Sumner.

No.TitleLength
1."Atomium"3:16
2."Nachtfahrt"3:30
3."International Velvet"4:38
4."Without a Trace of Emotion"3:28
5."The Binary Code"1:42
6."Musica Ex Machina"5:16
7."The Tuning of the World"3:33
8."Instant Bayeruth"3:36
9."Vox Humana"2:56
10."Rhythmus"4:17
11."Silence"0:06
12."Hausmusik"3:30

Notes

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart (2013)Peak
position
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia) [16] 161
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100) [17] 44
Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan) [18] 47
UK Dance Albums (OCC) [19] 38
UK Independent Albums (OCC) [20] 29

References

  1. Bartos, Karl (4 March 2013). "Remake/Remodel: Karl Bartos Interviewed". The Quietus (Interview). Interviewed by Matt Lindsay. London. Retrieved 13 April 2020.
  2. "Off the Record – Karl Bartos". Metacritic. CBS Interactive . Retrieved 27 February 2015.
  3. Allmusic review
  4. Pickard, Joshua (10 April 2013). "Album Review: Karl Bartos – Off The Record". Beats per Minute . Retrieved 27 February 2015.
  5. Oliver, Matt (12 March 2013). "Karl Bartos – Off The Record". Clash . Music Republic Ltd. Retrieved 27 February 2015.
  6. Falcone, Jon (18 March 2013). "Album Review: Karl Bartos – Off the Record". Drowned in Sound . Silentway. Archived from the original on 31 January 2015. Retrieved 27 February 2015.
  7. Ranta, Alan (20 March 2013). "Karl Bartos Off the Record". Exclaim! . Retrieved 27 February 2015.
  8. Gilly, Andy (15 March 2013). "Album review: Karl Bartos, Off the Record (Bureau B)". The Independent . Retrieved 27 February 2015.
  9. Neyland, Nick (25 March 2013). "Karl Bartos: Off the Record". Pitchfork Media . Retrieved 27 February 2015.
  10. Faulkner, Brent (20 March 2013). "Karl Bartos Off the Record". Popmatters . Retrieved 27 February 2015.
  11. Rathbone, Oregano. "Off The Record". Record Collector . Diamond Publishing . Retrieved 27 February 2015.
  12. Bukharin, Andrew (7 June 2013). "Karl Bartos – "Off The Record"". Rolling Stone Russia (in Russian). Archived from the original on 2 April 2015. Retrieved 27 February 2015.
  13. Tuffrey, Laurie (26 November 2012). "Karl Bartos Announces New Album". The Quietus . Retrieved 17 March 2013.
  14. Roffman, Michael (27 November 2012). "Former Kraftwerk member Karl Bartos announces solo album, Off the Record". Consequence of Sound . Retrieved 17 March 2013.
  15. Longley, Martin (4 March 2013). "Karl Bartos - 'Off the Record' - Review". BBC . Retrieved March 17, 2013.
  16. "Ultratop.be – Karl Bartos – Off the Record" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved 1 April 2013.
  17. "Offiziellecharts.de – Karl Bartos – Off the Record" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 7 April 2013.
  18. "Swedishcharts.com – Karl Bartos – Off the Record". Hung Medien. Retrieved 1 April 2013.
  19. "Official Dance Albums Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 17 July 2025.
  20. "Official Independent Albums Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 17 July 2025.