About

Modeselektor have been shaping the electronic music scene since the early 2000s with their flamboyant DJ sets and genre-melding productions. The duo of Gernot Bronsert and Sebastian Szary formed in the early 90s while they were involved in the rave scene on the outskirts of Berlin. After moving to the post-wall capital, a close-knit community of artists and friends emerged around them, including multimedia collective Pfadfinderei, who developed the visual concept of the famed Labstyle parties the crew held in various Berlin-Mitte clubs since the late 90s. Amongst other things, they designed Modeselektor’s famous monkey logo and continue to shape their visual identity to this day, be it live shows or record sleeves.

Modeselektor’s first record In Loving Memory was released through Ellen Allien’s BPitch Control in 2001 and many more followed, including the two critically acclaimed and highly influential albums Hello Mom! (2005) and Happy Birthday! (2007). With their energetic live shows and offbeat productions encom-passing multiple electronic styles, they gained popularity far beyond the techno scene. They started playing some of the biggest festivals in the world and were frequently invited to tour with Radiohead, whose singer Thom Yorke more than once appeared on Modeselektor’s albums, as did artists like reg-gae singer Paul St. Hilaire, French rap crew TTC, Maxïmo Park, Miss Platnum or Anti Pop Consortium. Modeselektor remixed solo work by Yorke as well as by Radiohead, Björk, Miss Kittin, Boys Noize, Paul Kalkbrenner, Trentemøller and many more.

Modeselektor's Happy Birthday! is a fun amalgam of the most fun elements of electronica's past, present, and future, from four-on-the-floor rave (albeit not nearly as mindless as that genre can be) to textural IDM of the Plaid / Black Dog school to bouncy hip-hop and electro jams that wouldn't sound out of place while cruisin' in your pimped-out Escalade.

The stiff techno of the duo's native Germany is nowhere to be found — every one of these tracks is loose and groovy, hip-shakin' and head-bobbin' fun, with a serious injection of piss-taking, fun-lovin' humor. After all, this kind of music should be fun. Did we mention they're fun? As diverse as this album is they never forget to bring the party. "Godspeed," "Edgar," and "The White Flash" (featuring Thom Yorke) bring the glitch. "The Dark Side of the Sun" and "2000007" (featuring French rappers TTC) bring the crunk. "Let Your Love Grow" and the title track bring the ragamuffin riddims. And "Déboutonner" and "Hyper Hyper" (featuring Otto von Schirach and a refrain of "we need a bass drum!") bring the acid and the glow sticks.

As the title implies and the music confirms, Modeselektor know how to have a Happy Birthday! — (via AllMusic)

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Label: BPitch Control
Format: 2x Vinyl, LP, Album
Country: Germany
Released: Sep 10, 2007
Genre: Electronic
Style: Glitch, IDM, Electro
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File under: House / Electro / Techno