The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari

Karl Bartos joined Kraftwerk during their Autobahn tour and played a crucial role in the band as they laid the groundwork for synth pop, electro, and techno. He helped write many of the groups most iconic and best-loved songs, including "The Model," "Computer Love," and "Metropolis," a haunting tune inspired by Fritz Langs 1927 dystopian classic of the same name. Decades after leaving the band and sporadically issuing efforts ranging from Kraftwerk-style electropop to guitar-driven pop-rock (as Elektric Music), Bartos decided to compose a score for another key work of the German Expressionist cinema movement, Robert Wienes 1920 horror touchstone The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari. Telling the tale of a respected yet mad hypnotist who drives a somnambulist to commit murders, the dark, visually striking film is often interpreted as a commentary on German societys obedience to authority. Bartos 75-minute score is obviously meant to be heard while watching the film itself (its in the public domain, so its easy to view online for free), so that all of the tracks sync up with the corresponding scenes. As such, the track titles generally spell out the moods of the individual pieces. Both parts of "At the Funfair" sound like playful circus music, the "Scary Memories" are appropriately spooky, tracks like "Arrest of the Suspect" and "Interrogation" are tense and suspicious, "Cesares Attack and Escape" gets dramatic and alarming, and so forth. It all fits the film to a tee, and makes for a riveting audiovisual experience. Moments that stand out include the buzzy synths and excited crowd chatter of the "Funfair" tracks, and the hypnotic, post-minimalist rhythms and choral arpeggios of "Lunatic Asylum" and the title theme. Bartos score to The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari is a treat for film buffs. ~ Paul Simpson