The Germans do love their machines. And Mouse on Mars are no exception – the Teutonic duo's third album of instrumental electronica is a marvel of impeccably manicured synthetic timbres. So much so that when familiar organic sounds come in – the arid snap of a snare drum, a bass string's elastic twang – it's like hearing them anew. But this isn't dance music; better to appreciate elegant but playful tracks like "Tamagnocchi" and "Tux and Damask" with headphones or perhaps while cruising down the autobahn, where one can get the feeling that the world is a place of beauty and order. That feeling, of course, lasts only as long as the CD does. (RS 778)

MICHAEL AZERRAD