Gina D’Orio and Annika Trost are Cobra Killer, a German duo whose music defies inclusion in any one genre. While the two femme fatale vocalists are often found posing provocatively in photos, it would be a mistake to write them off.

Both are veterans of Berlin’s digital hardcore movement. The genre was spawned by the London-based Digital Hardcore Recordings label, founded by Atari Teenage Riot’s Alec Empire. Gina spent time on vocals in EC8OR, while Annika cut her teeth with Shizuo, who produced perhaps the unlikeliest Cramps cover conceivable. Cobra Killer’s early efforts reflect the abrasive influence of the time they spent in that scene, but they are lent a unique charm by the inclusion of 60′s garage band samples.

A collaboration with Kapajkos, sometimes dubbed as a “punk mandolin quartet,” produced the kitschy, but occasionally beautiful “Das Mandolinenorchester.” On this album, previously recorded Cobra Killer tracks like “Mund Auf Augen Zu,” “Show Me Your Ruler,” and “High is the Pine” are re-imagined with mandolin. “High is the Pine,” an already wistfully evocative tune, sounds sublime in its new incarnation.

Lyrics usually veer towards the absurd; rarely is there an obvious narrative, theme, or other recognizable element to the words. One exception might be “I Like it When it Burns a Bit,” a tune whose meaning requires little imagination.

Their live shows are chaotic affairs, during which Gina and Annika almost always drench themselves in red wine or other liquors. Their onstage antics often show shades of Iggy Pop in his peanut-butter-rolling, chest-cutting days.

Their drunken recording escapades during a recent session were captured and spread online, and while the pointed Spock ears the duo sported didn’t exactly spawn a trend, they did create a buzz among fans.

Cobra Killer are worth a listen by any fan of eclectic, unpredictable, genre-crossing music. Their most recent recording, Uppers and Downers, should attract new fans with stay-in-your-head-all-day tunes like “The Universe is in the Oven” and “Upside Down the Building.” Featured indie fixtures like J. Mascis, Thurston Moore, and Jon Spencer can’t exactly hurt, either.