Moderat
Moderat
Rekindled after a false start in 2002, the Moderat project brings together two of Germany’s most talented sound architects: Modeselektor and Apparat. And much like chocolate and peanut butter before it, it is a rich and sensual pairing that should be enjoyed by many. Technical mavens that they are, the group recorded Moderat through vintage analog gear at Hansa Studios in Berlin, birthplace of albums like Heroes (David Bowie), Achtung Baby (U2), and Some Great Reward (Depeche Mode). The fidelity is top-notch, and the thorough processing of hand-played instrumentation and vocals’especially on tracks like ‘Porc #1′ and ‘Rusty Nails’gives the album a three-dimensional feel that’s missing from so many IDM-styled projects. Elsewhere, bulbous neck snappers like ‘Slow Match’ (featuring Paul St. Hilaire) and ‘Sick With It’ (featuring Frank Dell’ of Seeed) play well against the fluttery techno instrumentals that each artist is known for. This is heady material, but it’s also extremely beautiful and catchy, and picks up right where each of their respective solo careers left off.
[...] German-born and Berlin resident Sascha Ring, also known by his more recognizable name, Apparat, has had one of the most consistent electronic artist careers to date. With his knack for beautiful compositions and sonic artisanship, Apparat has developed a unique style of his own through a synesthetic blend of ambient, downtempo, techno, glitch and even trip-hop elements. Having an exceptionally bright solo career, his work with Modeselektor last year under the name Moderat was more than exceptional, combining parallel electronic interests into one unique and inspired project that demonstrated an extended range of his interests and talents. (Related: It received a perfect score from URB last year, see here.) [...]