An oft-overlooked electronic maven, Karl Bartos may always be associated with KRAFTWERK that he was a member of for decade and a half, yet the German artist’s expertise, steeped in expressionism, is much deeper than that tenure, one aspect of the veteran’s creative perspective manifesting itself in his translating of classic cinema into sonic experience. Sourcing inspiration from Fritz Lang’s “Metropolis” for the aforementioned foursome’s piece of the same title which landed on “The Man-Machine” in 1978, Bartos expanded his approach recently to score Robert Wiene’s 1920 flick “The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari” whose original soundtrack, written by Giuseppe Becce, vanished in mists of time.
It’s not the first attempt to provide music for the movie – BE-BOP DELUXE’s Bill Nelson submitted his version in 1981, and Spanish ensemble TOUNDRA did that in 2020 – yet Karl went for an immersive aural experience, interspersing melodies which, in part, hark back to his early days as a composer, with sound effects, all synced with screen action. The results will be available for listening on February 9th but they’re ready for preview right now – watch the video below.
The Cabinet Of Dr. Caligari
1. Prologue
2. Scary Memories
3. Atonal Floating
4. Full Of Life
5. In The Town Hall
6. At The Funfair
7. A Mysterious Crime
8. At The Funfair 2
9. The Cabinet Of Dr. Caligari
10. Jane’s Theme
11. March Grotesque 2
12. Jane’s Theme 2
13. Shadows
14. Tragic Message
15. Suspicion
16. Tragic Message 2
17. The Plan
18. A Dark Figure
19. Caligari’s Theme
20. Arrest Of The Suspect
21. Caligari’s Theme 2
22. Worried Jane
23. Interrogation
24. Jane’s Fear
25. Francis’s Observation
26. Cesare’s Attack And Escape
27. Safe And Sound
28. Francis At A Loss
29. Caligari’s Deception
30. Lunatic Asylum
31. In Search Of The Truth
32. Out In The Field
33. The Director Rants And Rages
34. Scary Memories 2
35. Who’s Mad Here?
36. Francis Rants And Rages
37. Epilogue
