Karl Koch
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| Karl Koch | |
|---|---|
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Karl Michael Koch |
| Born | September 15, 1969 (age 56) |
| Occupation(s) | Assistant to Weezer, musician, artist |
| Years active | 1991–present |
| Associated acts | Weezer, The Special Goodness, Karlophone, Southern Fried Swing |
| Website | Official website |
Karl Michael Koch (born September 15, 1969) is a general assistant to Weezer, often regarded as the band's "unofficial fifth member." His contributions to the aesthetic and cultural impact of Weezer cannot be overstated.
Koch became acquainted with the musicians who would eventually form Weezer via mutual friend Pat Finn throughout 1990–1992. After moving from his home town in Buffalo, NY to Los Angeles in 1991, he witnessed the formation of Sixty Wrong Sausages and its subsequent transformation into Weezer. When the band signed to Geffen, Koch followed along to document the recording of Weezer (The Blue Album). He remained by their side during subsequent tours and album recording sessions.
From 1992–2000, Koch intermittently assisted the band as a tour manager, guitar/backline tech, driver/roadie, and artist. He co-founded the band's fan club and served as a webmaster for their official website weezer.com. His work garnered attention when he moved his band news column Karl's Corner online, attracting fan engagement and boosting the band's profile following their post-Pinkerton hiatus. Around the same time, his touring duties shifted to focus on concert photography and videography. He has maintained these roles to the present day, additionally managing the band's revived fan club since 2014 and serving as a band archivist.
Since the band's formation, Koch has made a steadfast effort to document and preserve Weezer history. He maintains a "Weezer Vault", containing troves of audio/visual recordings, print media, merchandise, and other ephemera associated with Weezer and its related bands. He has published videos, books, and articles chronicling the band's history, including the 2004 Video Capture Device documentary DVD. He also contributes directly to the Weezerpedia project, which Weezer took ownership of in 2014. Koch presented mid-show intermissions during the Memories Tour in 2010 and 2011 to reminisce on the band's history, and has hosted the "Karl's Corner VIP Experience" on numerous tours since 2018. Koch has assisted to various extents in the development of archival releases of Weezer media, including the deluxe re-issues of the Blue Album and Pinkerton and the Weezine Omnibus collections of fan club material.
Beyond his work with Weezer, Koch has a background in fine art — notably, painting and filmmaking. He has produced music under the moniker Karlophone since 1996 and co-ran the record label Amorphous Records with Pat Finn.
Work with Weezer
- See Karl Koch 2011 Weezerpedia.com autobiography for a version of this section written primarily by Koch.
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Other projects
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Personal life
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Works
Discography
As Karlophone
- 2001 – Press Any Key to Begin
- 2004 – "Desire" (single)
- 2004 – "Dr. Strangelove Sings the Beatles Pt. 1 (Num Num Mix)" (appears on Hello Children: The Peter Sellers RMX)
- 2006 – "How Many Minutes" (appears on Amazon Grace)
- 2006 – "If You Listen" (appears on Beetbox 2: Electric Boogaloo)
- 2007 – I Must Find This Karlophone...
- 2009 – "The Prettiest Girl in the Whole Wide World (Karlophone Remix)" (appears on Weezer Raditude Club: iTunes pass)
With Southern Fried Swing
- 2001 – Free Flight Thru the Universe of Sound
- 2003 – "Angel Wings" (demo)
- 2006 – "The Lesson" (appears on Beetbox 2: Electric Boogaloo)
With Melvin Jones Total Soul Attack Orchestra
- 1998 – "Can't Justify" (demo)
With Weezer/Rivers Cuomo (including non-musical contributions)
- 1994 – Weezer (The Blue Album) (design, spoken word and piano on "Undone - The Sweater Song", handclaps on "Buddy Holly")
- 1996 – Pinkerton (incidental noises on "Across the Sea", cymbal roll on "The Good Life", drumming on "Butterfly")
- 2001 – Christmas CD (photography, artwork)
- 2001 – Weezer (The Green Album) (photography, backing vocals on "Don't Let Go")
- 2002 – The Lion and the Witch (photography)
- 2002 – Maladroit (photography)
- 2005 – Make Believe (photography)
- 2007 – Alone: The Home Recordings of Rivers Cuomo (photography)
- 2008 – Weezer (The Red Album) (photography)
- 2008 – Alone II: The Home Recordings of Rivers Cuomo (design)
- 2010 – Death to False Metal (photography)
Following the Blue Album, Koch is credited on every Weezer album (and the SZNZ EPs) under nonsense titles (e.g., "Boot Knocka" on the Green Album), alongside any other visual or technical role.
Filmography
Music videos
Weezer
| Year | Song | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 2001 | "Photograph" | Officially released |
| 2004 | "Pink Triangle" | Released on Video Capture Device |
| 2004 | "Slob" | Released on Video Capture Device |
| 2009 | "I'm Your Daddy" | Co-director; officially released |
| 2009 | "Kids/Poker Face" | Released online |
| 2017 | "Feels Like Summer" | "Roses N' Weezer" version |
Rivers Cuomo
| Year | Song | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 2007 | "Blast Off" | Officially released |
| 2007 | "Lover in the Snow" | Officially released |
| 2008 | "My Brain Is Working Overtime" | Officially released |
The Special Goodness
| Year | Song | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 2003 | "Life Goes By" | Officially released |
Books
- Raditude (2009) – photobook; not to be confused with the album of the same name
- Weezine Omnibus (2014)
- Weezine Omnibus: Deluxe Edition (2016)
- Tales of Weezer (2021)