Michel Friedmann Mensch

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…