divided|back_ MODERAT

Sorry but we will abuse from the word milestone. Two german electronic giants fusioned to one: Moderat are Modeselektor and Apparat. But this is not a new joint. We have to go back in time: Moderat’s formation began back in 2002 when Sascha Ring (aka Apparat) and Gernot Bronsert and Sebastian Szary (aka Modeselektor) recorded an EP for the record label BPitch Control. The making of this release was incredibly exhausting for the three of them, and at the last minute they renamed the EP “Auf Kosten der Gesundheit” (which translates to “At The Cost Of Health”). When it came time to begin working on an album, Moderat suddenly broke up. What follows is an incredible story. Divided they created two milestones in electronic music:

Picture by Melissa Hostetler

A short time later both Modeselektor and Apparat simultaneously worked on their own full-length albums — Modeselektor’s debut, Hello Mom!, and Apparat’s collaboration with Ellen Allien, Orchestra of Bubbles. Each went on to become successful releases and were followed by two career-defining albums for the individual acts. Additionally, since their debut releases, both acts have performed over 1,000 shows at nearly every point of the globe.

Modeselektor’s sophomore album in 2007, Happy Birthday!, set another milestone in German music history including musicians such as Puppetmastaz, Mäximo Park and Thom Yorke. Amongst a slew of remixes for the likes of Thom Yorke and Björk, Modeslektor also went on to tour with Radiohead across Japan in 2008. Apparat, on the other hand, moved forward with his album Walls in 2007, taking a musical path that was more band-oriented and kept him on tour for several years running.

It was a twist of fate that brought about Modeselektor and Apparat’s reunion in the spring of 2008. Szary and Bronsert, both proud fathers, were on their way to the “Stadtbad Mitte” (Berlin-Mitte City Pool) with their children for their regular Monday swimming lessons when they ran into Ring, a devout bachelor who happened to be accompanied by several dubious females. After a battering of verbal abuse, the three gentlemen quickly made peace and decided to get back to work on their collaborative album post haste. Thus, Moderat was reformed.

In recording Moderat’s self-titled album, the three men began by renting studio space at the legendary Berlin Hansa Studios (where Bowie recorded Heroes) in order to record the album in analog with the help of the studio’s vintage tube technology and an old EMI console from 1972, restored especially for Moderat…

Check a first result and

DOWNLOAD THE FREE TRACK “A NEW ERROR” HERE

RELEASE: 20.04.2009

FORMAT: CD / CD+DVD / LP / Digital

CAT NR.: BPC200

EAN CD: 880319409523 (Basic)

880319419928 (Deluxe)

EAN LP: 880319418815

Tracklisting:

01 A New Error

02 Rusty Nails

03 Seamonkey

04 Slow Match (feat. Paul St. Hilaire)

05 3 Minutes Of

06 Nasty Silence

07 Sick With It (feat. Delle aka Eased from Seeed)

08 Porc#1

09 Porc#2

10 Les Grandes Marches

11 Berlin

12 Nr. 22

13 Out Of Sight

14 BeatsWaySick (feat. Busdriver) [Bonus Track – Deluxe Version Only!]

15 Rusty Nails (Shackleton Remix) [Bonus Track – Deluxe Version Only!]

btw. of course Moderat will be at this years Sónar: read more …

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An analogue bubble bath

On april 26 you’ll have one of the greatest electronic acts around served at Ostgut. Don’t miss this L.A. guy: Flying Lotus’ Los Ángeles is already a milestone. Tune in for a review on Steven Ellison’s june 08 release…

Along with the rising profiles of both Scottish producer Rustie and fellow Warp artist Harmonic 313, FlyLo’s migration to the Sheffield label for his first full-length release indicates that this strain of instrumental, broken hip hop is whetting aural appetites. Steven Ellison’s hometown provides the impetus for a narrative of city life where off-kilter beats, cloaked in ambience, set the soundscape. His is an L.A that threatens; the ominous, static fog of opener Brainfeeder seduces, while Roberta Flack is just sublime.

Where David Holmes’ Bow Down To The Exit Sign packed a visceral, urban punch through spoken monologues from corner street dwellers, Ellison’s eschewing of M.Cs smacks of confidence. Without lyrical clutter the imagined city is as much the listener’s creation as the artist’s, a trick that perhaps betrays Ellison’s jazz lineage (his aunt is Alice Coltrane).

Prefuse 73’s shadow looms large over the wonderfully-monikered Beginners Falafel and the crunchy edits of Camel. That aside, Ellison’s deftness of touch, matched with the application of ethereal backdrops that recall EL P’s stone cold work with Cannibal Ox, ensure this street storyboard intensifies with each listen. The rabbit-warren, rhythmic …

For the complete review click tha pic, hon!

Speak english or die?

B2@wp starts … now. Follow and join us doin’ the impossible to get our tenth issue out. An important decision, we’ll only work mainly with a fix staff. We were far too kind to be an open project. U’ll be screwed if ur arse is wide open, so after that experience ..

Download the Malasaña inspired B2 song made by Kreuzberg’s SCHOKOSCHOCK: Killer Woman.mp3