Eclectic rockers Hot4Robot have dropped a live, unplugged version of their single “Just Human,” a genre-defying track from the band’s self-titled 2021 debut album. The song, marked by an unconventional time signature, understated groove, and sonorous vocal hook, explores the human desire to transcend the limitations of the physical world by embracing technology.
The brainchild of solo artists Alex Radus and Dave Cahill, alongside keyboardist Robbie Sko and drummer Andy Janowick, Hot4Robot blends alternative and new wave influences with good, old-fashioned pop-rock songcraft. The original version of “Just Human” is awash in bursts of electric guitar and ’80s-coded pedal effects, while the live rendition—recorded at legendary listening room Godfrey Daniels in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania—strips the song down to its most fundamental human elements.
“As originally envisioned, ‘Just Human’ was intended to be epic and soaring, meant to reflect its weighty subject matter,” Radus tells Slant. “What was fascinating about reimagining the song is that the acoustic format gave it an unexpected intimacy and vulnerability that conveyed the message even better.”
Watch the official video below:
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