This week, EHS Daily Advisor hosted Technology NOW, a two-day online summit examining the impact of technology on EHS. The Song of the Week jumps back to the 1970s for a futuristic exploration of technology by German electronic music pioneers Kraftwerk.
“The Robots” (or “Die Roboter”) was released in 1978 on the group’s seventh album, The Man-Machine. The song is about robots who are subservient workers for humans, and the band has often “transformed” into robots when playing the song in concert. The main lyrics of the song are sung through a vocoder, creating a mechanical sound.
Kraftwerk is identified with “The Robots,” which reached #39 on the U.S. Dance Club Songs chart. A 1991 remix of the song also had some success, reaching #42 on the U.S. Hot Dance Club Play chart. The band continues to tour, celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2023.