Märtini Brös

Robots might be sci-fi figures over here, but in Germany they’re folk heroes — and I’m not just talking about Kraftwerk. From the sounds of the title track to the Märtini Brös’ Love the Machines, Teutonic tales must be littered with shiny metal men like the superhero they mythologise on the song "Dataman.” In fact, the mensch-machine has become so ingrained in their culture that the overtly robotic beats of the Märtinis — DJ Clé and Mike Vamp — come off as positively warm. They make electro of the Tiga/Gigolo school, rooted in the ’80s like their previous album Pläy, but with a few busted beats, a bit of the old rock’n’roll and even some acoustic guitar to trip you up. It blips and beeps and shuffles suggestively, all while avoiding the detached vibe the New York electroclashers brought to the table. That hydraulic hiss you hear? It’s just the sound of their hearts beating.