German Electronic Music -- Minus the Techno Sound -- has an Unlikely Revival in the U.S.
— -- German electronic music is a genre many listeners associate with monotonous, atonal pulsing beats -- conjuring up images of "Sprockets," the "Saturday Night Live" skit of the 1990s parodying German avant-garde culture.
But recently, the music's been enjoying a new wave of interest in the U.S., thanks to a crop of German bands that have updated the sound with an approach that's closer to pop than techno.
And while these albums have been relegated to pricey import bins in the past, several tiny German labels have signed U.S. distribution deals in the past year, making the music newly accessible.
Below, releases, all available online at sites like Amazon.com.
Lali Puna, "Machines Are Human" (Morr Music)
Lali Puna is at the forefront of the new group of electro-pop bands emerging from Germany. Critics have compared the band's melodic sound, which interlaces vocals and guitar with electronic instruments, to the 1990s British alternative group Stereolab. On this album, the band collaborates with the Korean band Trampauline.
B. Fleischmann, "The Humbucking Coil" (M.M. Records)
The Austrian-born DJ-turned-recording-artist Bernhard Fleischmann first gained notice in Berlin's club and underground-party scene. His third album, released last month, blends typical electronic tools like drum machines and synthesizers with catchy vocal samples. A video and downloads are at www.bfleischmann.com.
Ms. John Soda, "Notes and the Like" (Caroline Distribution)
A longtime fixture in Germany's electronic-music scene, this Weilheim duo has produced two well-received electronic-pop records in recent years. The group's third full-length release offers soft-spoken vocals and folksy instrumentation, combined with digital sounds. Videos and downloads are at www.msjohnsoda.com.
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