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Review: Modeselektor - Modeselektion Vol.02 [Album]

Monkeytown recordings // "this new mix album is as eclectic as you’d expect from the innovative Berliners"

by ivarmac, July 11th, 2012 and has been Read 875 times.
Last Edited by: Chris MUG5 Maguire July 11th, 2012.

Modeselektor are an electronic duo whose prolific production career dates back to the fall of the Berlin Wall. Broken barriers being a useful theme to ascribe to their music, this new mix album is as eclectic as you’d expect from the innovative Berliners who present their favourite artists of the moment in the second of the Modeselektion volumes.

Modeselektor have never been ones to shy away from the gloomier elements of Dance music and their dark sensibilities are reflected in the tracks on offer. ‘Monolake’ by Hitting The Surface reaches into the grimy, waterlogged synth, bell and pad sounds to pull out a brilliant, twisted groove. Another track to ride the line well is album highlight ‘Activate’. At once awesomely weird and funky with its loopy vocal sampling, it retains an immersive layer of gloom that sets nicely against a hook that drones “Activate, Instigate, Intoxicate” like one of those Daft Punk robot-fellas on an LSD bender.

Listen // 'Activate':
http://soundcloud.com/modeselektor/sound-pellegrino-thermal-team

Its not all doomy electronic though. Tracks like Phon.o's ‘Fukishima’ sound energetic and uplifting thanks to some neat percussion and clever sampling and this can be said about most of the tracks on Modeselktion Vol.02. The balance between light and dark is handled extremely well and, in general, new and unfamiliar sounds are mixed in with delightful results. Prefuse 73's ‘Death By Barber Pt 1’ exemplifies the pioneer spirit, the buzzing of a an electric razor brought in to support a wonky Techno rhythm reminiscent of Flying Lotus or Daedalus.

Listen // 'Observing The Patterns':
http://soundcloud.com/modeselektor/anstam-observing-the-patterns

Not all the tracks are hits. ‘Ruk’ fails to ignite and opts for a downtuned, Deep House style that begins to grate after a few minutes. Sometimes the bevy of discordant sounds become distracting rather than ingrossing with the hyperactive ‘Humoslab’ as an example. These, however, tend to be the exceptions in a solid, thought-provoking compilation that ends on an undisputed gem in Ansam's stately, atmospheric Techno ‘Observing The Patterns’ that ends the tracklist with a bang. It’s about innovation, and Modeselektor deliver it in spades.

Modeselektion Vol.02 is available now.

Tracks to check out:

• Levitate
• Monolake
• Fukishima
• Death By Barber Pt 1
• Observing The Patterns