HERE COME THE ROBOTS

Although the chatbot didn't make the effort to apologize, it didn't stop uttering meaningless things and that was when Tamela D'Amico snapped the laptop shut and did what she is known for: converting her rage into a song.

What turns out to be the inspiration for the song "Here Come The Robots" is her collaboration with Wolfgang Lohr, a Berlin producer. D'Amico and Lohr’s previous work included "Boring 20s", which took time to create a buzz.

The song in itself refers to the Metropolis theme, an age-old fear of machines. Yet D'Amico is not expressing doom through her music. She focuses on creating a dance soundtrack that makes the robots work instead of plotting against humans.

The premise holds a joke within it. It's a song that talks about artificial intelligence, which is entirely produced by human beings. Lohr's production is very much retrofuturist, as the sharp brass sounds are combined effortlessly with the drive of the four-on-the-floor bass, while D’Amico’s vocals add warmth to the lyrics even when they become cold and clinical.

The artist has had an exceptional and varied career. Starting as a jazz singer with the musical background coming from Capitol Records, she has moved from being an actress to becoming a filmmaker and now an electro-swing provocateur. What connects all these dots is not some genre but her experience of storytelling.

Although “Here Come The Robots” will not ease anyone’s anxiety about technology, it does pose a very profound question of whether, if robots are coming anyway, we should consider making some dancing machines.

They do not sleep. They merely rewind. Maybe this is as comforting for the listeners as it gets.