A guitarist, violinist and founding member of the German krautrock band Can.

In 1966, Karoli became friends with his guitar teacher Holger Czukay while at school in Switzerland. Between 1967 and 1968, while reading law at university, he played guitar and bass guitar in various jazz and dance bands in Germany and Switzerland.

In 1968, he joined Can as guitarist.

He died in November 2001 after a long battle with cancer.