When it comes to the much talked about sound of Berlin, Modeselektor would be the choice you can bank on. Their “dreck (=crud) elektro” (Arte TV) has made it into the favourites of Mr Radiohead himself - Thom Yorke. For almost 10 years now the duo stands for guaranteed humour-dipped, musically exciting and dance stimulating night-time entertainment, while the rest of Germany is long asleep. In France they might be even better known, as they are constantly invited to play in Paris as well as in the provinces. A total of almost 80 live gigs adorn their last years agenda, and, among numerous remixes, they have released not less than 4 EPs at Ellen Allien’s label BPitch Control. Their latest release was a DVD entitled “Labland”, which they produced together with their old buddies - Germanys most popular visual artists - Pfadfinderei. Modeselektor are Gernot Bronsert and Sebastian Szary, two bon vivants from Berlin, who teamed up in 1996 and who like to eat in restaurants. After annually recurring promises they finally turn the corner with their first album - to take the lead in a post-techno-parade along a gorgeous boulevard of heavy basses. “Hello Mom” works like a sampler for acute def contemporary wicked electronic music blatancy. Modeselektor’s adaptation of urban catchwords like elektro-IDM, booty house, euro-crunk, continental grime, ghettobass, dubstep and such a things even get the most bored know-it-all off the stools. A party-worn, lost looking monkey stares from the cover, as self-mockery has always been an excellence of Modeselektor. It is rather difficult to have a serious word with them, as they are mostly drunk from boozing ideas made up from their addictive creativity. The record starts with a collaboration. TTC from France usually doing juicy hip-hop at Ninja Tune’s spin-off Big Dada, remain thirsty in the dryly euro-crunk shredded track “dancing box”. Next Gernot and Sebastian intone “Die Clubnummer” (the club track) as the acid Gewandhouse orchestra in honor of Kurt “rheumy eye” Masur. “Tetrispack”, with the imaginary fo shizzle ma nizzle by Snoop and Kelis, is a number one for sure - on this record it has to contend with number three. The “rap anthem” queues up along with the “rave anthem” from Modeselektor’s previous “Turn Deaf EP” for a later anthem album. “Kill Bill Vol. 4” illustrates their radio playboyness for a start, in order to turn into a rave monster that works anywhere, they say. “Ziq Zaq” is the name of a Persian restaurant where Modeselektor like to eat, and where they were thinking about the 80iesish 707 sounds of Lexy and K.Paul, which they found killingly funny. With “Vote or Die”, Modeselektor support the political campaign of P.Diddy, because the rapper from New York City “has got a groovy taste and is a jazzy styler”. ”Earth - the UPS edit” is made of arcane stumbling sounds, that wobble just like the planet, where the humans live in brown uniforms and deliver presents to each other. Wise guy Paul St. Hillaire argues about “fake emotions” along with slack bubbling melodies. “In loving memory” is taken from the same titled EP of 2002 and already a classic of great organ church music. The Turkish restaurant “Hasir” contributes a keen snippet of “Saz” (Turkish guitar) for the two big eaters’ soulful oriental bass ballad. The Sri Lankan Sasha Perera, singer of the Berlin-Tel Aviv trio Jahcoozi, is to hear on “Silicon”, a track packed with urban grime. The merrily euphoric finale “I love you” goes out to all the Moms. Modeselektor are already working on the next album which is due in about 8 years.
