Kraftwerk Die Mensch·maschine

Die Mensch-Maschine is closer to the sound and style that would define early new wave electro-pop - less minimalistic in its arrangements and more complex and danceable in its underlying rhythms. Like its predecessor, Trans-Europe Express, there is the feel of a divided concept album, with some songs devoted to science fiction-esque links between humans and technology, often with electronically processed vocals ("Die Roboter," "Spacelab," and the title track); others take the glamour of urbanization as their subject ("Neonlicht" and "Metropolis"). Plus, there's "Das Modell," a character sketch that falls under the latter category but takes a more cynical view of the title character's glamorous lifestyle…

Kraftwerk is a German band formed in Düsseldorf in 1970 by Ralf Hütter and Florian Schneider. Widely considered as innovators and pioneers of electronic music, they were among the first successful acts to popularize the genre. The group began as part of West Germany's experimental krautrock scene in the early 1970s before fully embracing electronic instrumentation, including synthesizers, drum machines, and vocoders.

The jazz quartet named MenschMaschine borrow from the overflowing pool of fragmentary songs by Kraftwerk, grooves from which so many, such as Jay-Z, still cut samples, and melodies that stick to the ear canal like tar. However, MenschMaschine does much more than simply steal a few good songs.