Robert Karasek

2012-02-08T01:00:00.001-08:00

Waiting for Simon K. from ENDEAVOUR to come over and personally demo the EVO for me...

2012-01-15T01:15:00.001-08:00

Haven't heard of GestureSpark yet ? Shame on you ... http://ping.fm/BrDdZ

2012-01-07T01:56:00.001-08:00

NAMM Show ... Here we go... Rumor #1 - CASIO to reveal new synth... http://bit.ly/ynMeat

2011-12-31T19:08:00.001-08:00

4:04am.... The final curtain for 2011 in 2012... Weird but true... :)) time for bed now... In general, gooood music has been played... :))

Surprise....

2011-10-27T05:38:00.000-07:00

How COOL is THAT !!!!
This guy just sent me this video today !!
He's jamming along to a track I created almost 3 years ago for presenting the fabulous Pianoteq software.
Dank u wel, Arjen! :-)

and here's my original track... sounds way better with guitar, eh ?!: -)

Rocking in Austria...

2011-10-24T01:50:00.000-07:00

Back at home!
Hatte wieder mal ein fantastisches Wochenende in Österreich!
ABBA-Show gespielt, Publikum + Stimmung, After-Show Party - hat alles gepasst!
Jetzt: Terrasse, einen leckeren Tee trinken und die letzten Sonnenstrahlen genießen :-) Over & out!

==
Back at home! Had a fantastic weekend in Austria!
ABBA-Tribute Show, Audience, After-Show Party - it was a blast!
Now: Sitting on my terrace, drinking delicious tea and enjoying the final sun rays ! Over & out!

2011-10-21T19:17:00.001-07:00

8:00am minus 4:00am = 4 hours sleep. Would be nice to have a PHAT "dislike" button :) off to austria in a few hours for a show!

2011-10-17T17:06:00.001-07:00

2:03am... Bed. Sleep. Now.

2011-09-28T14:18:00.001-07:00

In preparation phase + talks for Musikmesse Frankfurt 2012 already... crazyness all over...

2011-09-27T16:37:00.001-07:00

note to myself: NEVER drink too much coffee in the late evening/night!!!

Pressestimmen: ABBA Tribute Show

2011-09-24T02:23:00.000-07:00

Das geht runter wie Öl :-)
Hier einige Pressestimmen zu unserer ABBA-Tribute Show am vergangenen Wochenende. Es war ein gigantischer Abend!

PS: wir hoffen, in nächster Zeit auch wieder vermehrt öffentliche Termine spielen zu können. Im Moment sind wir sehr stark im Bereich Firmen-Veranstaltungen/Galas unterwegs.
Aber: der nächste öffentliche Termin ist der 01.10.2011 in Merzenich! Kommt vorbei :-)

(http://www.wittich.de)

"Mamma Mia", was für ein Abend!

Samstagabend, 17. Sept. 2011, 22:42 Uhr, Mehrzweckhalle Wabern - Aus, Ende, Vorbei! Die Große Abba-Nacht des FC Edertal Niedermöllrich klingt vor über 750 Fans mit dem Mega-Hit ´Thank you for the music` der Kultband ABBA A LIFE aus. Der Abend mit Europas Top-Coverband, die in Wabern eines der letzten Konzerte unter ihrem alten Namen gab, war der absolute Hammer.

Viele Fans schienen dies gewusst zu haben, denn die Profi-Show bürgt seit fast zwei Jahrzehnten für Top-Qualität. "Das ist der beste Abba-Sound, den eine Band live auf die Bühne bringt. In dieser Perfektion haben das selbst Abba zu ihrer Zeit in den 70´ern nicht geschafft", zeigte sich z.B. Annedore Becker aus Neukirchen-Nausis begeistert. Sie war zusammen mit drei Bekannten extra wegen ABBA A LIFE nach Wabern gekommen. Der typische ABBA-Sound begeistert nach wie vor Millionen von Anhängern weltweit. Zukünftig wird ABBA A LIFE alle Fans unter dem neuen Namen SWEDEN4EVER begrüßen.

In der über 2-stündigen Show zogen Swen Poth an der Gitarre, Robert Karasek am Keyboard, Erik Schüssler am Schlagzeug sowie die beiden Sängerinnen Petra Dickes und Birgit Sohns alle Register ihres Könnens.

Wer bei den weltbekannten ABBA-Songs die Augen schloss und nur der Musik lauschte, der konnte denken, die vier Schweden würden ausgerechnet in Wabern ihre sensationelle Wiedervereinigung feiern - so gut traf ABBA A LIFE den Sound der legendären vier Schweden.

Auch die Verantwortlichen beim FC Edertal zeigten sich trotz einiger kleinerer Probleme zu Beginn in Sachen Bestuhlungsaufbau mit dem Abend zufrieden. So war auch das Feedback von ABBA A LIFE am Tag nach dem Konzert eine große Wertschätzung an alle anwesenden Fans: "Uns hat´s riesigen Spaß gemacht", so Manager Franz Dickes wörtlich. Dem kann sich der FC Edertal als Veranstalter nur anschließen.

===

(http://www.heimat-nachrichten.de )

Man hatte tatsächlich meinen können, die schwedische Erfolgsband sei eigens für das Festival in der Zuckergemeinde wieder auferstanden. Täuschend echt imitierte die Revivalband „Abba a Life“ das Original und begeisterte die Fans genauso wie die Musiklegenden vor über 30 Jahren.

Halle platzte gerammelt voll

Mit diesem Konzert hatte der veranstaltende FC Edertal-Niedermöllrich voll ins Schwarze getroffen, denn mit rund 700 Gästen platzte die Waberner Mehrzweckhalle aus allen Nähten. Das knapp zweistündige Programm ließ auch keine musikalischen Wünsche offen. „Ob Knowing me, Knowing you“, das legendäre „Mamma Mia“ oder „Fernando“: Die Gruppe hatte alle bekannten Songs der vier Schweden auf Lager.

Alles schien so echt: Jedes Detail der Kostüme, die Haare und das Styling der beiden Sängerinnen Agnetha und Anni-Frid, die in Wirklichkeit Petra Dickes und Birgit Sohns heißen und vor allem das, weshalb Abba überhaupt so berühmt wurde: Die Stimmen.

Mit Federboa um den Hals, die Augen hinter einer großen Sonnenbrille versteckt und tief gezogenem Hut auf dem Kopf tauchte Anni-Frid nach der Pause wieder auf. Kam doch nun das unsterbliche „Money, Money, Money“. Ein Klassiker, der ebenso wenig fehlen durfte wie „Dancing Queen“.

„Abba a Life“ wäre auch nicht so täuschend echt, wenn sie das Konzert nicht mit „Thank you for the Music“ beendet hätten. Und es wäre nicht wie in den Siebzigern gewesen, wenn die Zuhörer keine Zugaben gefordert hätten und Abba gar nicht mehr gehen lassen wollten.

==

( http://www.hna.de )

Der Geist von Abba lebt

Wabern. Die Abbamania grassierte am Wochenende in Wabern. Zum Konzert der Gruppe „Sweden 4 ever“ in der Mehrzweckhalle waren viele Gäste in bunt-poppigen Kostümen und Langhaarperücken gekommen.

Sie lebten mit der Musik der schwedischen Band ABBA, die von 1972 bis 1982 Musikgeschichte geschrieben hat. Während die Originale nur zehn Jahre zusammen waren, in denen sie fast 400 Millionen Tonträger verkauften, ist die Abba-Revival-Band bereits seit 19 Jahren auf Tour, wir Franz Dickes vom Management sagt.

Aus rechtlichen Gründen nennt sich die Gruppe nicht mehr „Abba A Life“, sondern „Sweden 4 Ever“. Von Freigericht aus ziehen die Musiker zu ihren Konzerten durch Europa. Nach Wabern waren mehr als 750 Fans gekommen, um sich in die 70er-Jahre versetzen zu lassen. Die meisten der Besucher dürften die Abba-Zeit miterlebt haben

Mehr als zwei Stunden lang begeisterten Swen Poth an der Gitarre, Robert Karasek am Keyboard, Erik Schüssler am Schlagzeug sowie die beiden Sängerinnen Petra Dickes und Birgit Sohns mit den Abba-Klassikern. Von „Angel Eyes“ über „Fernando“ und „Mamma Mia“ bis „Waterloo“ reichte das Repertoire.

Arno Herbold (FC Niedermöllrich) war voll zufrieden mit der großen Abba-Sause in Wabern. Im kommenden Jahr wird „Sweden 4 Ever“ Anfang Juni in Neukirchen-Nausis zu erleben sein.
===

Website: www.sweden4ever.de

2011-09-09T16:36:00.001-07:00

back @home. happy! it was a good gig! Now, a glass of wine, off to bed - in a few hours off to the next gig, 5 hours drive by car. yeeehaa!

Travelling is fun ????

2011-09-06T06:56:00.001-07:00

well, musicians are on the road all the time... driving (or being driven) from city to city...
you sure get to see a lot in the world... thats nice. agreed.
but keep in mind - there are days you could freak out...
see below... happened a few weeks ago... ;))

at 11:44am via HTC Sense
I like sports cars.. and their sound... But not while we're driving 1st gear in a traffic jam for 30min already... Pissed off.... Still 271km to go...

at 1:35pm via HTC Sense
Burning car. Traffic jam/stop, pt.2. Still 133km to go...

at 2:41pm via HTC Sense
Traffic jam, pt.3.. and only 41km left. Btw: 31 degrees.

at 3:22pm via HTC Sense
Arrived at the location... Cheers! — at Theater Gut Nederling.

Roland JP-8000

2011-09-06T02:34:00.001-07:00

New gear just arrived!
Finally, I have a JP-8000 again and will never sell it again! :)

HONDA City - Spot

2011-09-04T07:27:00.001-07:00

Wow ! 20,000+ views in 3 month!
Not bad... Thanx!

(Music Edit for HONDA City (Brazil)

2011-09-01T23:04:00.001-07:00

8am sharp. And Mr Karasek is in the studio on time. :)

2011-09-01T10:00:00.001-07:00

30min until showtime with fantastic musicians Aquilla and Ulli. At Winemarket Mainz.should be biiiig fun...

2011-08-30T15:53:00.001-07:00

LATER WITH JOOLS ... MIAMI VICE.... what a great night-TV-program :)))

Bar

2011-08-28T06:01:00.001-07:00

Playing a gig... — at Hotel Landgasthof Happinger Hof .
Picture was taken at 11pm. We were not done yet, but the bar is awesome.... Cheers.

Footprints in the sand...

2011-08-19T06:03:00.000-07:00

I was fortunate enough to play 2 live-shows with the tribute show act at a corporate event for a worldwide-operating company.
Get some impressions below...
(as always this is a collection of my FACEBOOK/Twitter-postings)

[Tuesday at 2:51pm via HTC Sense]
Soundcheck... Nice stage, eh?! Great venue, great show, great musicians... Should be fun...

[Wednesday at 12:13am via HTC Sense]
Work is done. We did a perfect job IMO. Now, let the (really cool) dj do his work.... Cheers

[Wednesday at 1:51am via HTC Sense]
Still partying hard ;)

[Wednesday at 11:01am via HTC Sense]
Good morning world! Kickass event and live show yesterday. Tonight again. Stay tuned... But now, cappuccino and carpe diem...

[Thursday at 1:26am via HTC Sense]
2nd day @corporate event... The really tough people are still dancing to DJ's music. Btw: our live show was kickin' again... :)

[Thursday at 1:04pm via HTC Sense]
The bad side of performing at such great venues like the last 2 days: desert sand & dust galore on/in my gear. Now, it's cleaning-time...

2011-08-15T01:28:00.000-07:00

"crazy" & "insane" gig-weekend. day-off today. beauuutiful weather. but need to stop by the music store, get my new backup keyboard and rehearsal in the evening. showtime tomorrow and wednesday.

2011-08-12T09:11:00.001-07:00

F*ck! F*ck! F*ck! F*ck! Masterkeyboard broke down -seems to be a serious issue! Why does it always happen when you're having a show! Damn!

2011-08-12T03:42:00.001-07:00

Now, soundcheck and quick rehearsal... Business as usual... The weekend is upon us:))

2011-08-08T11:23:00.001-07:00

on the road. but able to do some business though! smartphones, laptop, ftp, mobile connections make it possible. i love today's technology

Mund-Propaganda

2011-08-03T12:39:00.000-07:00

Wer muss denn dann noch Geld für Promotion ausgeben... Danke Wolfgang :))

Last weekend...

2011-08-01T06:13:00.000-07:00

Arrived at the location. Way too early. So, time for cappuccino and enjoying the sun...

Ok... Still waiting... So, let's have a beer with my guitarist. Cheers...:)

This gig ended at 4:20am ...

2011-07-27T04:38:00.001-07:00

"Receptor expert Robert Karasek explains the mixer to a customer from Austria" (scroll down to the pic... )

http://www.museresearch.com/musings/2011_may.html

2011-07-23T20:53:00.001-07:00

5:54am .... Gig ended a bit later than planned... So what.... Bedtime!

2011-07-19T00:43:00.001-07:00

LinkedIn - anyone ? http://ping.fm/FKlU4

2011-07-17T14:25:00.001-07:00

Congrats JAPAN!
FIFA Women's World Cup 2011 - Champion!
Thanks both USA & JAPAN for such an amazing final!

2011-07-08T23:44:00.001-07:00

Pleased that "Song Will Never Change" has been selected for use in an upcoming iTunes fund-raising campaign for the Canadian Cancer Society.

JazzOpen Stuttgart 2011 & Michael Bolton

2011-07-05T12:00:00.000-07:00

after the busy days non-stop (see this entry), I finished with the JazzOpen Stuttgart 2011. after all the work I enjoyed the MICHAEL BOLTON concert!!! Amazing!
After the show, I had a small-talk with his guitar player and my "birthday-kid" got her personal HAPYY BIRTHDAY signing from Michael, a gentle hand-shake, birthday-wishes.

Read my Facebook-entries during the evening here:

7:10pm via HTC Sense
Where am i ? :)) blue sky in..... ?

7:26pm via Android
Work is done.... now, ENJOYING JazzOpen Stuttgart with Yasmine Tourist, Joana Zimmer and last but not least: Michael Bolton and his fabulous live-band!! — with Iris Filbrich and Ryan Parrino-Guitarist at Mercedes-Benz Museum.

via HTC Sense
Yessssss!!

via HTC Sense
So, perfect seats, i'd say :))) WHEN A MAN LOVES A WOMAN - performance...

via Ping.fm
3 encores. Wow, what a show. Michael Bolton is KICKIN some serious asses! Killer live band!! Amazing!

4:31am via Ping.fm
4:31am. Finally, in bed... over & out :)

Busy as hell...

2011-06-29T03:32:00.001-07:00

Tomorrow, Frankfurt (FIFA Women World Cup), Friday: Straubing (Abi-Ball), Saturday: Frasdorf (Wedding-Gala), Sunday: Ansbach (Rock-Night) Monday: Stuttgart (JazzOpen AND -my personal highlight: Michael Bolton concert). Cheers! :-)

Artist Spotlight on Muse Research

2011-06-26T11:51:00.000-07:00

See the feature here: Muse Research

2011-06-21T13:30:00.001-07:00

Listening to Michael Bolton's latest album "GEMS". Michael & his gang raised the bar damn high - once again. Super tasteful arrangements!

New RECEPTOR 2+ ProMax in my keyboard rig

2011-05-27T06:10:00.000-07:00

The eagle has landed!
Finally, my next Muse Research RECEPTOR unit has arrived from the US - it's the latest & best-in-class RECEPTOR 2+ ProMax with tons of fab plugins! Wonderful !!

Eurovision Song Contest 2011

2011-05-20T06:01:00.000-07:00

Eurovision Song Contest 2011 in Düsseldorf/Germany was a blast !
The ESPRIT Arena had 31,000+ people. The audience was in a fantastic mood.
The stage and the big LED-screen (width: 60 meters!) was super most impressive. I'm sure it's hard to beat THAT !

All artists in the final-show were superb. Almost no entry of which I might have to say: THIS IS A NO GO!
I'm happy for Azerbaijan. I liked the song & the visuals. And my prediction said: Azerbaijan might be a winner. So, better believe me next time :))

Personally, I totally dig this one, as well... Fantastic voice, tasteful visuals... Amaury Vassili - France

Also, this entry was super-nicely done. music & visual perfectly matched!
Paradise Oskar - Finland

Short comments on these final-show entries:

Austria: Great composition and fab female singer
Azerbaijan: winner song, top notch production (sweden producer team).
Bosnia & Herzegovina: good groove
Denmark: "typical" ESC-anthem, good one
Estonia: ouch... the peaks were painful... but catchy song though..
Finland: catchy tune, great visuals.
France: one of my faves in advance. fabulous singer, composition and live-performance (visuals!). goose-bumps.
Georgia: nice song, awful clothes.
Germany: good song - but not for ESC. interesting performance though!
Greece: I hated the rapper, the voice of the singer is full of passion. great.
Hungary: was rocking the stage. strong voice.
Iceland: lovely
Ireland: the twins in lady gaga style. love it or hate it :-))
Italy: I'm so happy that this entry ended up 2nd place!
Lithuania: disney-ish composition.
Moldova: yes, that made my day. so refreshing!!! :)
Romania: lame.
Russia: super-lame!
Serbia: 60's are back.nice one.
Slovenia: christina aguilera. strong voice. but didn't impress me at all...
Spain: they just don't get to send good songs/artists to ESC.
Sweden: singer out of tune, but obviously good looking. song was ok.
Switzerland: charming. nothing more, nothing less.
Ukraine: good song, but nobody listened to the song due to the sand-painter in the background ;)
United Kingdom: oooh.. bad. out of tune, strange performance ...

...just search on YOUTUBE for the videos. type "ESC 2011" and the country you want to watch...

Worth to mention: the opener was FREAKING AWESOME !!!!!!! lots of surprising elements:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8a7QxPTWILo

... also, the show by Jan Delay. Pure funky music and he rocked the stage!

(Dear America. In case you're confused about what Eurovision is... think of your Superbowl half time show... but lasting for 10 hours ;)

MUSIKMESSE Frankfurt 2011

2011-05-10T04:14:00.000-07:00

So, it's 1 month now and finally, kinda have some "spare time" to write some lines (my car is at the garage for annual inspection).

Same procedure as every year:
I was attending MUSIKMESSE Frankfurt and it was wonderful meeting (foreign) friends & business contacts, hearing outstanding musicians at demo-shows (shows my own limits in skills every year - depressing every year haha…).

I was glad being asked by Bryan L. from MUSE RESEARCH to help him out in in the booth. It was a pleasure and good for MUSE to have a german-speaking guy in the booth :-)) (Bryan, my friend, your german is excellent anyway ;)
Other than this, it was fantastic to have the booth with other legendary companies and meeting/talking to those legendary people (MOOG, Mellotron, John Bowen…).
Made my week !!!
Also, I met some artists using RECEPTOR, too.
Worth to mention: Sunrise Avenue stopped by and we talked, had been invited to their shows on the fairground and at the concert. Backstage, behind the scenes… these guys are really down to earth and musically top-notch. Yup, I'm a fan ! :-)

You see, this year's MUSIKMESSE was kicking again and hope to have a good time next year again… Let's meet up ;)

Cheers!

PS: just got my confirmation that my new RECEPTOR 2+ Pro Max is being shipped! whoohoooo ! will be amazing to have an additional unti in my rig:)

Music school Reloaded ...

2011-03-15T01:30:00.000-07:00

We refurbished our rooms in my music school.
Looks all good now. Our students really dig the new, bright & friendly vibe.

view from my office desk :-))

Come over and say "Hi".
www.bottundschoettner.de
www.musikschule-aschaffenburg.de

Goodbye "Helau & Alaaf"

2011-03-15T01:24:00.000-07:00

I survived Carnival - somehow :-)
Read THIS article to understand what FASCHING in Germany really is: :))

Personal best: 28 jobs from January-March, 9th.
... culminating in the last week of carnival: Thursday - Wednesday non-stop.

Lots of fun & crazy people.

Now, looking forward to the open air season ... soon to begin...

Featured Artist: Xhun Audio

2011-01-19T13:14:00.000-08:00

Check out/buy this software! Sounds really good! Great MOOG LittlePhatty emulation!

I'm listed as featured artist - read my testimonials:
www.xhun-audio.com/site/xhun.php?page=welcome#Testimonials"

Website: www.xhun-audio.com

When does man freeze to death ?!

2011-01-06T06:44:00.000-08:00

hi folks!

first off: happy new year! may all your wishes come true!

now, a little report from chapter 666: My Touring Madness

played a gig @POLARFETE ... close to the Alpes (wonderful landscape)
well, we literally had polar-istic temperatures… !! we were suffering… ;)
anyway, we survived...

next morning: driving back home. instead of 3,5 hours I was driving 5+ hours…
due to the weather… motorway in super-icy condition…

but the good thing: I enjoyed driving while (finally) listening to some albums on my USB-stick (yes, my car has a USB slot ;)
=> Defunkt, Dio, Deep Purple and Robert Miles (good old times, ha! :)

see: there's always an up- and downside :))

cheers & be cool! :)

Oooops...

2010-12-05T07:53:00.001-08:00

It's been a while since my last post.

Lots of things have been happening in the summertime.

Played tons of shows. Wonderful events & locations in and outside Germany!
Met lots of new business people & musicians.
Well, I guess, that's what you call "keep things rolling" :))

As for 2011, I'm pretty much optimistic. booked 85% already. don't know how & why. but thankfully, it's a fact;)
So, we'll see each other on a stage... in a club... corporate event ... show production... jam session... studio...

Wish you a wonderful christmas time!

best
Robert

PS: please be sure to follow me on FACEBOOK or REVERBNATION... that's where the real magic happens ;)

J.B.O. @Volksbank Arena

2010-05-17T00:13:00.000-07:00

I was rocking the keys for THE KOCHS @Volksbank Arena.
Support Act: J.B.O. :))

Smallest stage on earth ...

2010-05-09T01:22:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, I was playing on the world-smallest 'stage' ... damn... even my living room is waaay bigger :))
I promised you a picture of the (literally) smallest 'stage' I've ever played :)
Who dares to guess how many musicians had been involved!? :D

BUT: professionally though :-))

Senza Limiti is an Italo Pop&Rock Band with finest music by Italian Artists! Lots of gooooood music & arrangements!

Rock Of Fame

2010-04-05T09:01:00.000-07:00

A Night To Remember!
I'm back home from the ROCK OF FAME live show. Wow, we blew them away. Tons of high quality & top notch rock music... Journey, Queen, Gary Moore, Scorpions, Whitesnake, Tina Turner, Deep Purple, Foreigner, Van Halen, Bon Jovi, Judas Priest, Survivor, AC/DC, Nightwish, Rammstein and and and....

CD: The Art Of Pop - Ralf Jung

2010-03-26T13:56:00.000-07:00

You can hear me playing on the latest recording: "The Art Of Pop" by Ralf Jung.
Feat. Greg Bissonette (drums) & Martin Motink (bass)

24-7

Hidden Passion

Wierdly Good

Fleischeslust

Modern Keyboard Method

2010-02-15T00:19:00.000-08:00

My new Keyboard-Education Books (Vol. 1-3) are done & OUT NOW!!!
(German language only as for now).
--
Mein eigenes Lehrbuch für Tastenspieler ist fertig!
Modern Keyboard Method (Band 1-3).

Die erste Auflage ist vollendet und ab sofort erhältlich!
Weitere Informationen unter: Modern Keyboard Method

Hier klicken für Promo-Video

Time to Say Goodbye...

2010-02-15T00:08:00.000-08:00

Did my last show with the Marillion Tribute Show.
Now, off to the new projects...

Seasons End - Marillion Tribute Show

2010-01-25T12:43:00.001-08:00

The premiere performance for "Seasons End - Marillion Tribute Show" was rocking and so intense! Great vibes!
Looking forward to more shows... not only because of the HUGE preparation-effort in learning the stuff, programming my live-gear setup and re-programming the sounds to get as close as possible to Mark Kelly's sounds for Marillion.
If anyone is interested in detailed info about my setup, sounds etc - hit me up)

Stay brave !

Kurzweil PC3X

2009-12-27T14:32:00.000-08:00

... is finally in my studio - and I LOVE it!!! :)

Modern Keyboard Method

2009-12-11T03:19:00.000-08:00

My new Keyboard-Education Books are done & OUT NOW!!!
(German language only as for now).
--
Mein eigenes Lehrbuch für Tastenspieler ist fertig!
Modern Keyboard Method.

Die erste Auflage ist vollendet und ab sofort erhältlich!
Weitere Informationen unter: Modern Keyboard Method

FALCO is back...

2009-11-24T00:02:00.000-08:00

... ok, there'll be "new old" materials published.
Rietta has done some vocal jobs on some songs. you'll love her voice.

other than that, I had some pretty nice shows lately.
would love to mention the show in Denzlingen (had one of my best steaks ever).
and we were rockin' the house in Bad Säckingen: GLORIA THEATER. amazing show & audience.

oh, and I was having "fun" at "Schweden Woche" in Frankfurt City.... outdoor. (highs of 5°C :)))) that was MY waterloo ;)

2010 seems to be a promising year so far...
still have to keep more info under my hat. but stay tuned...

Custom-made In-Ear by "Compact Monitors"

2009-11-03T02:49:00.000-08:00

I just got my new & custom-made In-Ear by german manufacturer "compact monitors".
Top class dual driver InEar with exceptional dynamic and sound.
Two drivers (one for the low/mid frequencies and one for the high frequencies) in each earpiece will give you an extraordinary performance with crystal clear high frequencies combined with tight and precise bass
Due to the specially selected drivers this InEar creates a headroom at the low end that usually would not be expected from a dual driver.

The In Ears of compact monitors are unique and individual items, produced exactly the way you want them to be.

Technology: Two-Way-System
Sensitivity: 122dB SPL at 1 mW
Frequency: 20 Hz - 18 kHz
Impedance: 28 Ohm ( at 1 kHz )

Thanx to Joe.Hannes, Marcel & also to the team of Hörgeräte Pietschmann.

Artist Allstars Award 2010

2009-11-02T02:38:00.000-08:00

Two of my show productions are being nominated for Artist Allstars Award 2010

1) Kick It Like FALCO
2) ABBA A LIFE

Let's keep fingers crossed ...

PS: do watch the movie THIS IS IT ! it's brilliant ! R.I.P. MJ!

Feature on Sonicprojects-Website

2009-09-14T02:40:00.000-07:00

... thanx Peter@Sonicprojects! Rock on!

Click here...

Michael Jackson's THIS IS IT in theaters!!!

2009-09-13T23:47:00.000-07:00

Don't Miss That !!!
Michael Jackson's This Is It in HD

Sonicprojects OP-X Pro

2009-09-11T10:05:00.001-07:00

Hi folks!

I was looking for OBERHEIM emulations for ages!
Now, I found OP-X by sonicprojects!

OP-X is a beast!
The sound engine does a brilliant job - warm, fat.. all you want to expect & hear from an OBERHEIM-plugin.
The filters are top notch.
Easy use of controllers in realtime.
Typical original characteristics were included.

In brief: Fantastic VST - an instrument I don't wanna miss especially when touring with my show productions.

Thanx, sonicprojects !
PS: works fine with my RECEPTOR!

MAGIC OF COLORS - Nacht Der Lichter 2009

2009-08-10T13:43:00.000-07:00

Yet another firework & multimedia show these days.
Big shout out to designer + director Manuel Wolf !!

Well done... there's a lot to improve though IMO :)
Always do strive for more !

Twitter

2009-07-21T23:42:00.000-07:00

Follow me on Twitter: http://twitter.com/robertkarasek

PIANOTEQ.com

2009-07-17T02:30:00.000-07:00

...once again, I've helped out my friends @PIANOTEQ with some short demonstration song contributions.
See the Feature here on Pianoteq Website Website...

Listen: Jungle Rock | Rock Intro

R.I.P. Michael Jackson

2009-06-25T23:42:00.000-07:00

The greatest enteratiner !
May he rest in peace !
My condolences to his family !

Billy Jean Clip/Bucharest

Altstadtfest 2009 in Kamen

2009-06-22T13:45:00.000-07:00

What an exciting event !
Btw: it had been raining like hell and stage was flooded - but hay... that's rock'n roll,eh ?! :)

More pics ?! - click here...

LUKOM Parkfest 2009

2009-06-22T13:33:00.000-07:00

...yup, I've been there @Friedrich-Eber-Park!

International German Gymnastics Festival 2009

2009-06-02T02:38:00.000-07:00

A night to remember!!!

Had been doing a live show at International German Gymnastics Festival 2009 with a phenomenal audience ! Ten thousands of people were enjoying a big party night!

(Internationales Deutsches Turnfest 2009)

Pianoteq Demo at Musikmesse 2009

2009-04-07T08:45:00.000-07:00

Pianoteq at Frankfurt Musikmesse

"At the Frankfurt Musikmesse on 2 April, Pianoteq 3 was to our delight demonstrated in front of an audience at the TT Audio booth by the TT Audio marketing director Peter Schlossnagel and the pro keyboardist Robert Karasek. We are thankful for their very nice improvised demo and support."

www.pianoteq.com

Musikmesse 2009

2009-04-06T04:24:00.000-07:00

hello biz-partners & friends,
just wanna shoot out a big 'thank you' to all of you for productive meetings + talks during the 4-days trade show MUSIKMESSE 2009!
We'll keep in touch for sure! :)

Marienhof

2009-03-27T11:22:00.000-07:00

hi folks,

as you maybe already know: I've been shooting at Bavaria Studios for popular german soap opera MARIENHOF.
We've been hired to be a rock band and a ABBA live band.
Watch the 2 episodes here:

TV-Report: Music over Internet

2009-03-22T09:25:00.000-07:00

hello my friends,

I've been asked to help out for Germany's leading multimedia tv-magazine "neues" (3Sat).
This particular edition is dealing with the subject: Music(ians) and Internet.

Watch my partner Christian Englert & me communicating over the internet in realtime with a little help from Apple iMac, iDisk, MobileMe, iChat, using the MIDI-network in LOGIC for playing HIS sounds from MY computer - amazing!! :)

(click here to download the summary)

Hüttenwerk

2009-03-21T05:58:00.000-07:00

... yup, have been rockin' the stage again @Hüttenwek.

TOMCAT in the finals of "Coca Cola Soundwave Discovery Tour 2009"!!!

2009-03-06T12:21:00.000-08:00

TOMCAT made it to the TOP50 bands among 6000+ submissions!
YOU can make TOMCAT perform at ROCK AM RING-festival !!
VOTE!!!
MySpace for "Coca Cola Soundwave Discovery Tour 2009"
MySpace-Site for TOMCAT

Trofana Arena

2009-03-02T14:45:00.000-08:00

... Robert goes Après Ski :)
What a wonderful + noble location: Trofana Arena in Ischgl/Austria - one of austria's most wonderful ski-regions.

We have been invited by mastermind DJ Tommy Berg - party people do know who this guy is :)
We shared our backstage-area with Nic ("Einen Stern, der Deinen Namen trägt").

If things turn out well, we'll be back in Ischgl soon again for a huge event !
Stay tuned ;)

PIANOTEQ 3 - Demo-Song contribution!

2009-02-20T04:22:00.000-08:00

Have a listen to my demo-song for the latest PIANOTEQ 3 plugin showing off the new Electric Piano-feature
Click here to get to the website:
PIANOTEQ Website

I'm using PIANOTEQ since their very first beginning and have to say it's by far the most efficient + powerful plugin for pianos !

More demonstration songs feat. the new electric piano on my media player or youtube:
Wanna Move ? (Pianoteq 3)
Search + Paste
'FenderRhodzz' feat. PIANOTEQ 3
..leave a comment :)

New tracks in MusicPlayer

2009-02-03T08:12:00.000-08:00

... follow this link...
will update this player when I have more time... ;)

http://www.robert-karasek.com/media.php

'FenderRhodzz' feat. PIANOTEQ

2009-01-31T11:46:00.000-08:00

Demo-Song for PIANOTEQ !
I'm using Pianoteq for years already!!
Best piano-emulation you can imagine!

Thanx to Niclas Fogwall for superb support!

New Recordings - Eddy Bugnut (CAN)

2009-01-19T01:05:00.000-08:00

Check out the song IN TROUBLE WITH DELILAH in my music player.
I recorded keys & sounds!
www.myspace.com/keyboardrecording

Eddy says:
"hey robert. great job on those keyboard tracks! they were expertly arranged and the parts were perfect for the style. thanks again."
www.myspace.com/eddybugnut

best
robert

New Artist Features

2009-01-17T14:56:00.000-08:00

Michael Sander & One Tribe Nation:
www.myspace.com/onetribenation

Nina Söderquist:
www.myspace.com/ninasoderquist

Natalie Anelly:
www.myspace.com/natalieanelly

Triinu Kivilaan:
www.myspace.com/TriinuKivilaan

Have a listen here: www.kayro-music.com
…or check their websites.

Theater-Shows

2009-01-01T03:26:00.000-08:00

I was playing amazing live shows in some wonderful theaters !
Watch these videos to get an impression.

TV Superstar

2008-12-18T15:21:00.000-08:00

We had been booked for a popular german daily soap called MARIENHOF (ARD) in munich @ legendary Bavaria Studios.

Great experience !! Has been extremely stressful but was fun !
We had a 6 hours outdoor shoot. in december. FREEZING, I can tell ya! :))
The indoor scene at their "FOXY" was easy-going.
2 days at Bavaria Studios I wouldn't want to miss!

Oh, and the janitor "Hausmeister Töppers" is really fun in real life!

Thes episodes will be broadcasted around april 2009!
(episodes #3547 and #3548 - being a rock band and the ABBA tribute band)

Nussloch

2008-12-18T15:11:00.000-08:00

Nussloch - a town made famous by german comedian Mario Barth.
A top-secretly organised surprise party-show made us drive to Nussloch to rock the stages.
... and yes, it's true - women can buy handbags there, too :)))

Moving...

2008-12-18T15:07:00.000-08:00

yup - new appartement with totally new 'equipment' like bed, tables, chairs, fridge, freezer, schrank...
meanwhile, all is set up and there's still lots of room. DAMN!! ;)

PS: ...and great to see, Britney Spears is back! ;)
Same goes for GUNS N'ROSES - Chinese Democracy. Hell, what a great album!
AC/DC's "Black Ice" is top notch, as well... good times recently :)

Charity Concert

2008-12-18T15:04:00.000-08:00

My music school musically supported a benefit concert for a local organisation.
Students, friends and the teacher presented an interesting mixture of classical & modern/popular music.
myself was performing REFLECTION (Disney's MULAN) with vocalist Elinor.
other than that, I was playing the keys with the gospel choir PLENTY GOOD ROOM.
definately a highlight and the audience obviously like it.
not to forget my students: they did well, too ! excellent!

it was a lot of work in advance - preparing, organising, practising, meetings.
but it was fun and the late night pizza was outstanding... ;)

Rockin' @Wiener Hofburg, pt.II

2008-10-17T05:39:00.000-07:00

... here's a compilation of the FALCO-show @Wiener Hofburg in Vienna/Austria. (April 2008). I had been hired for keyboarding...

Girls can rock...!

2008-09-23T08:43:00.000-07:00

I was sharing stages with the newcomer girl rock group FRÄULEIN WUNDER (Universal/Vertigo).
4 girls at age 17-19 were rockin' the concert hall before we entered the stage.
They did a pretty nice job - you can bet their producer Uwe Fahrenkrog-Petersen will make sure there will come more in 2009 !

ABBA Tribute Show

Landesgartenschau 2008

2008-09-01T01:17:00.000-07:00

Amazing show with ABBA A LIFE tribute show at Schleswig-Holstein Regional Garden Festival 2008 with a great audience !
Thanx Schleswig - we had sooo much fun !!!

Other than that: I can absolutely recommend to stop by Schleswig
it's such a beautiful area & you'll enjoy sea, boats, food - and the FLENSBURGER (delicious beer ;) !

Musicproduction with Apple iMac

2008-08-28T09:18:00.000-07:00

... is a BLAST !!!!!

Next to large live-shows, I've been in the studio the past few weeks !
I'm gearing up for a new project & I had to prepare some tracks for the live-shows!
And thanx god there's something like APPLE iMac !!
Super-fast & comfortable work is guaranteed !

**iMac 24" & LOGIC 8 [Cubase4 mouse-pad though ;)

Self-proclaimed 'stage-hands'

2008-07-27T02:14:00.000-07:00

fellow readers !

let me tell you this:
never ever trust 'stage-hands' you don't know (sure thing anyway, eh?!! )
the result before/after the show might be:

- broken connectors
- equipment/system failures
- equipment loss
- cord spaghetti

why am I writing a blog like this ?
'cause I'm totally pissed off what happened to me last night !!!
cheers !

Roze Maandag (Tilburg pt. II)

2008-07-22T09:01:00.001-07:00

Well... the title says it all :))
We also had been doing another show in Tilburg/NL for that famous event Roze Maandag
Extremely funny and a great audience !! Wow !

Thank You Tilburg!
Thank You It's Magic Promotions

Tilburgse Kermis 2008

2008-07-22T09:01:00.000-07:00

I'm back from a mini-tour in the Netherlands.
Besides others, we were doing a show at Tilburgse Kermis 2008 and had lots of fun !

The fair is BIG !!!
Tons of different areas & attractions - party until 6 o'clock in the morning :)
I'll be sure to come back again !!
We were put into the 'Variéte Dorp aan de Spoorlaan" that day in the "OPERA".

Thanx to the tech-guys from Marcos Muziek who really did a perfect job with pro attitude !
... and of course to lovely Linda who always cared for us that day :)
Dank u wel !

Völklinger Hütte

2008-07-13T06:23:00.000-07:00

The Völklingen Ironworks (German: Völklinger Hütte) is located in the German town of Völklingen. In 1994, it was declared by UNESCO as a World Heritage site.

I was doing a concept live-show there @Erz-Rock Festival 2008.
Also big thanx to legendary Manfred Sexauer who perfectly introduced us on stage!
Kickin'!

Salute from jail

2008-07-06T00:54:00.000-07:00

folks,

it's funny as hell: our promoter made us stay at Altes Knasthaus Fronveste in Meiningen/Germany.

a great hotel with an 'evil background' being a jail in former days :)
everything is dedicated to that theme incl interior. smashing !

be sure to visit their website for more pics & info! it's worth :)

Kieler Woche

2008-06-25T01:56:00.001-07:00

Kick It Like FALCO - Europe No1. FALCO Tribute was rocking the stage at KIELER WOCHE (powered by radio station R.SH)

Kiel Week (German: Kieler Woche) is an annual sailing event in Kiel, Germany. It is one of the largest Volksfeste in Northern Europe and the largest sailing event in the world.

Show-opener has been German rock band FURY IN THE SLAUGHTERHOUSE.

Neu-Ulm celebrates the Regional Garden Show

2008-06-25T01:56:00.000-07:00

For 164 days, the Regional Garden Show Neu-Ulm (Landesgartenschau Neu-Ulm) takes away plant lovers, garden friends, open-air fans, cultural interested people, sport enthusiasts and lifestylists into a colourful world of plants, art, culture, sport and entertainment.

I did a live-show at Wiley area with ABBA A LIFE - while having BEST weather conditions !!!!

Alte Oper (Old Opera)

2008-06-13T15:59:00.000-07:00

I just returned from 3-days 'on-the-road' which had its peak level in tonight's show playing in front of the famous Alte Oper (Old Opera) Frankfurt/Germany [Opernplatz].
It's breath-taking watching at that building while performing - could get used to it :)

Crazyness vs. impressive locations

2008-06-10T06:40:00.000-07:00

... you can have it all within a few days :)

... sharing stages with artists like Die Jungen Zillertaler (excellent guys!) and Olaf Henning proved how much people can freak out in front of your stage. Actually pretty frightening :)

Other than that - once again, a really impressive location I played at with the ABBA A LIFE - Tribute Show the other day ! That's the way I like it ;)

FALCO Donauinselfest revisited...

2008-06-05T13:24:00.000-07:00

... sometimes things happen you just can't explain.

You certainly know FALCO's famous & memorable live-concert 'Donauinselfest 1993' in front of roughly 100,000 fans.
The weather was so bad on that evening that part of the stage was flooded, the following cut of the power finishing the performance.

Well...
the same happened to me & the guys of the
Kick It Like FALCO - Europe No1. FALCO Tribute !

We were forced to end the show after a 1 hour performance at the HÄNDELS OPEN festival in Halle/Saale (Germany) - due to the insane weather conditions!
I'll post pics & videos of that event asap !

PS: I'm happy that my one & only true love RECEPTOR survived that evening ;)

Your Majesty....

2008-05-25T07:24:00.000-07:00

I'm still impressed by one of the finest locations I've played recently!!

I've been lucky enough to play a show at Burg Heimerzheim
Please, do visit their website and have a look at some pictures !

Hope to be there again in the near future :)

iMac is landing...

2008-05-06T13:08:00.000-07:00

I purchased the latest iMac (24") - for recording & producing!
...uuhh.. what a powerful beauty!
Consequently, I also kicked CUBASE 4 and switched to LOGIC 8!

No technical problems so far... yeeeha!
I'd say: perfectly prepared for world-takeover ;)

Thanx to my IT-specialist Christian (synthetic project) for advices 24/7 :)

ABBA A LIFE meets ESPERANTO...

2008-04-18T03:59:00.000-07:00

ABBA A LIFE is kicking asses at the ESPERANTO.

http://www.kongresszentrum-fulda.com

I'll be having an exciting show with Germany's finest ABBA Tribute show-production!

Rockin' the world-famous VIENNA HOFBURG

2008-04-18T03:53:00.000-07:00

Hi folks !

On a quick note:

I'm excited 'bout the upcoming weekend - definately a highlight in a musician's carreer once again :)

I'll be performing at the world-famous Vienna Hofburg with the
Kick It Like FALCO - Europe No1. FALCO Tribute !

VIENNA CALLING ! EY! :)

http://www.hofburg.wien.info
http://www.hofburg-wien.at