Off the Record, Bureau B ***

It is more than 20 years since Karl Bartos was a man-machine, but former band Kraftwerk casts a very long shadow. Although he has released some fine albums since (1993's Esperanto, under the Elektric Music handle, is worth exploring), it is Bartos's time with the Dusseldorf electronic dons that dominates his narrative. You can hear traces of Kraftwerk's synthetic, influential synth-pop on Off the Record, which is no bad thing in one way, although the futuristic tones that Bartos employs occasionally sound a little off the mark by today's standards. Atomium is full of dramatic flourishes and vocal pomp, while Musica Ex Machina, written with Electronica's Bernard Sumner and Johnny Marr, and The Tuning of the World are soulful in the most icy way possible. Bartos and his machines are still capable of turning you on. karlbartos.de

Download: Atomium, The Tuning of the World