Digitalism

You'd be forgiven for thinking that Digitalism are French. From their overdriven chug to appearances on Parisian tastemaker label Kitsune to songs like "Zdarlight," titled in homage to French house mainstay Philippe Zdar, Digitalism fit right in with the "new French touch" of peers like Justice and Mr. Oizo. In fact, the duo hails from Hamburg, Germany -- a city better known for its house and hip-hop. But Jens Moelle and Ismail Tufekci, who began recording as a duo in 2004, use their outsider position to their advantage, building on the style of their French peers with a deft melodic sensibility and a willingness to experiment. Digitalism's music has admirable range, from the pumping filter-disco of "Zdarlight" to dance-rock rave-ups like "I Want I Want" and "Idealistic"; its common denominator is its boundless energy, tinged by a hint of melancholy. These are teenage kids with a reluctantly grown-up perspective.