Photo courtesy of French Horn Rebellion.

Make sure to get your Kanye stunnas on, because the machines are taking over Norris East Lawn this 4/20. The electro-dance, Northwestern-student-featuring group French Horn Rebellion will be opening for Stars at a free benefit concert this Sunday to raise awareness of human trafficking. Some of the catchiest songs on their self-titled debut album, particularly “Up All Night” and “Broken Heart,” have already generated buzz on MTVu, and Niteskool produced their music video for “Showdown” in 2007. In the spirit of Passover (which is also happening on 4/20) I pose the question, “What makes this electro-dance group different from every other electro-dance group?” Upon first listening to the album you might recognize the Ghostland Observatory-style beats, Calvin Harris-esque vocals and some common themes of love and heartbreak. But this is not your typical love story.

“French Horn Rebellion” is the story of a classically trained French horn player flirting with the music industry. The concept is driven by front man Robert Perlick-Molinari’s own experience as a music major at Northwestern (he’s a senior). “[It’s about] the duality of a horn player, who usually makes music in orchestra, making this,” Robert says. “That’s not something a horn player should be doing.” The “tragic duality” that Robert refers to is reflected not only in the message, but also in the music. “It should be really fun, ‘cause it’s electronic and it’s really polished,” he says, “but it should be irritating because it’s like, ‘Where’s the musicians here?’ It’s a duality.”

Although much of the composition and recording happens in a one-room home studio, Robert and his brother David make it a point at concerts to produce the music live as much as they can, and DJ as little as possible. For Robert, it’s about connecting with the crowd through tight beats and stage presence. After previewing some of Robert’s onstage dance techniques — from one musician to another — he has my endorsement. Whether or not French Horn Rebellion’s audience is familiar with the story behind the horn player’s guilty flirtation, the songs are bumpin’ and catchy enough to inspire audiences to step out of their comfort zone and have a good time. “It’s about having fun, ultimately,” Robert says, “and by the end of the set, everybody’s dancing. It’s about making love.”