Dials twisted and faders cranked, Sex Machines, the new track by Dutch sibling duo Pol, is about “a relationship that has been depleted of everything – love, care, intimacy – except lust,” explain the band. “A sad, robotic dynamic is all that’s left.”

That sense of emotional vacancy underscores the track. Built on hypnotic synths, mechanical rhythms and an analogue Korg seduction, Sex Machines spins desire into something tense and machine-like in its repetition. It’s the sound of two people going through the motions long after the feeling has left the room. The band’s first-ever music video pushes that tension even further; shot in the style of grainy VHS and digicam street-interview footage, it gives the song’s themes a warped, voyeuristic edge with a dose of sexual deviancy.

Exclusively premiering the video here, Ruben and Matthij take us inside Sex Machines, while looking ahead to the next chapter of Pol.

Alex James Taylor: Congrats on the new track. Can you take us through the story behind the track and how it was made?
Pol: Sex Machines formed very naturally during a writing session. When we made the drums and decided the tempo of the track, the high BPM immediately felt like something interesting. This track really just wanted to move, it wanted to go fast and blast forward. Once we found the first guitar hook, which opens the song and also runs through the verses, the vocal melodies came quite naturally, and so did the words “sex” and “machines.” Everything immediately seemed to belong together. When we had the first demo (essentially just an intro, the first verse and the first chorus), the story of the song had already started to take shape. We tend to listen to where a song wants to go rather than forcing a story onto it, and with Sex Machines it felt like the different pieces were already pointing in the same direction. Sex Machines is about a relationship that has been depleted of everything – love, care, etc – except lust. A sad, robotic dynamic is all that is left. Whilst producing the track, we tried to convey this machine-like state through the instruments. For example, having a drum machine and pulsating synth bass pushing the track forward, instead of opting for more organic sounds.

AJT: Are there any specific references that fed into the track?
P: Like any artist, we of course have a broad scheme of references that are always in our heads, the same went for Sex Machines. One particular artist we have been listening to is Pete Shelley, especially his Homosapien album. We love his work. Also, DEVO and Kraftwerk were influencing us.

“We liked the idea of ‘strangers’ singing the song, similarly to how the two ex-lovers in the lyrics are acting like strangers.”

AJT: Take us into the ideas behind the video.
P: We feel that Pol is always naturally progressing and growing, and for this first music video we wanted to expand on what we have put out so far. It started off with the idea of doing an interview-style video with a diverse cast of characters. We liked the idea of ‘strangers’ singing the song, similarly to how the two ex-lovers in the lyrics are acting like strangers. We shared the idea with director Rémi Lamandé, who brought the full script to life. Filming it was great fun, we were so lucky to be supported by an incredible team of producers, tech staff, hair and make-up, models and extras.

AJT: Are there any specific references that fed into the video?
P: Visually, we are always full of ideas and references while we create. We really got our inspiration for this track from everywhere; however, most were actual news channel street interviews. That was the core idea on which we expanded. Visually, we also liked the idea of taking the feel away from the distinct new wave sound of the production by not only filming on VHS but also on Digital Cam and iPhone. We wanted to create this strange moment between the familiar energy of the music and the contrasting world of the visuals. It is within this clash that the tension builds, gradually turning the video into something unpredictable and fun.

AJT: Is this track the start of something new?
P: It marks the start of a new chapter of Pol.