Search - Elektric Music :: Esperanto

Kraftwerk, OMD, the nineties and great synthpop

Raleigh | Raleigh, NC | 06/01/2001

(3 out of 5 stars)

"Bartos of Kraftwerk fame created this "band" to explore some of the same electronic ideas mined by Kraftwerk in the 1970's. Joining him on two songs are Andy McCluskey, a big Kraftwerk fan, and co-founder of '80's great Orchestral Man?uvres in the Dark. "Esperanto," named after an artificial language, sounds a lot like Kraftwerk doing modern day electronica. In fact, this almost a concept album in the subject matter of its songs: reality, communication, fame and technology. The title track features vocoder-like voices, modulated and singing in Esperanto! "Information," and "Crosstalk" and "Overdrive" are in the same vein: hard-hitting, almost industrial, Kraftwerk-sounding danceable instrumentals. The first of two standouts is "Kissing the Machine," which features McCluskey on vocals singing over a sweet, robotic melody. "TV," the best track, is the best reason to buy this cd: synth hooks and samples of broadcasts, the new generation of keyboard-players and know-twiddlers could stand to listen to this track a few hundred times and learn from their elders."

It's Kraftwerk with OMD mixed in!! What a surprise!

Raleigh | 10/23/1999

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This is a fine, unsung, unknown album. Karl Bartos was a member of Kraftwerk and he left that band to do this on his own. It is a fine album in its own right - sort of Kraftwerk lite!! But he went one better - he recruited Andy McCluskey - a founder of Orchestral Maneouvres in the Dark (OMD) and probably Kraftwerk's number one fan - to do some singing. The result is magic! If you are a fan of Kraftwerk or OMD you MUST buy this one!!"