Trust is a testament to resilience. The past two years have been tough for just about everyone, and while it would have been easy for Catnapp to let feelings of despair soak into her creative process, she refused to succumb to darkness. The Berlin-based Argentinian was determined to make something bright, energetic and uplifting, and nothing—not even a global catastrophe—was going to stop her from rallying people to the dancefloor.

Her new LP is loaded with futuristic pop hooks, yet Trust offers so much more than a simple sugar rush. This a record that defiantly smashes through genre boundaries, hoovering up high-octane bits of hip-hop, R&B, rave and even numetal along the way. Catnapp—an accomplished shapeshifter who’s never been afraid to get weird—is just as comfortable throwing down brash rhymes as she is singing dreamy ballads or unleashing a primal scream, and on Trust, all of those things (and more) frequently happen within the confines of a single song. Call it hyperpop if you must, but pop concentrate might be a more accurate term.

Modeselektor—whose similarly mischievous, genre-hopping exploits are well documented at this point—provided creative guidance and lent a hand in the album’s production, but they aren’t the only guests on Trust. Catnapp’s little brother Wilo does his best Linkin Park impression (and constructed the beat) on “Br34th3,” and fellow Argentinian Methone cooked up the glimmering melodies of album opener “Need This.” French trance/breakbeat/pop specialist Aamourocean contributes some technicolor wizardry to “Stay Unsaved,” while American rapper John Debt provides a little satire, taking on the persona of a cringeworthy music industry phony for the hilarious skit “Skukinunu.” O.L.I.V.I.A. (another Argentinian) helps to close out the album, seductively crooning on the Spanish-language “Despierta,” a song where Catnapp sets aside one of her personal fears and sings in her native tongue for the first time in years.

Trust does border on overload, but again, that’s by design. The LP arrives at a time when attention spans are short, interruptions are constant, multi-tasking has become routine and practically the entire history of music is now accessible at the push of the button. Modern life is hectic, and Trust plays out accordingly, transporting into the fractured headspace of someone who’s listening on headphones as they go about their day. It’s a lot to take in, but thanks to Catnapp and her multifaceted musical prowess, Trust feels more like a high-powered energy boost than another item for the to-do list.


TRACKLISTING:
A1. need this (feat. Methone)
A2. time on me
A3. skukinunu (feat. John Debt)
A4. br34th3 (feat. wilo)
A5. broken
A6. in my closet (feat. Modeselektor)
B1. forget
B2. the way back (feat. Modeselektor)
B3. mess it up
B4. stay unsaved (feat. Aamourocean)
B5. despierta (feat. O.L.I.V.I.A.) More

For bands, a “hiatus” is usually just a polite way of announcing a break-up, but sometimes, a hiatus is just that—a hiatus. Back in 2017, when Moderat announced that they’d be taking an extended break following a final concert in their hometown of Berlin, many assumed that the group was basically calling it quits. After all, they’d already completed a celebrated trilogy of albums, repeatedly broken into the pop charts and performed all around the globe (including MainStage sets at some of the world’s biggest festivals including Coachella, Roskilde, Rock Werchter, Glastonbury, Primavera, Sónar and many many more)—what else was left for the German trio to accomplish? Moderat, however, always knew that they’d find their way back to one another.

10 TRACKS

MORE D4TA, the group’s fourth album, arrives more than six years after its predecessor (2016’s III), yet its contents are quintessentially Moderat. Although the trio’s hiatus was absolutely real—exhausted after years of touring, Apparat (a.k.a. Sascha Ring) and Modeselektor (a.k.a. Gernot Bronsert and Sebastian Szary) spent two years away from one another, focusing instead on their own respective projects—once they decided to resume working together, the music (eventually) started flowing again.

46 MINUTES, 33 SECONDS

It wasn’t an easy process. It’s never been easy for Moderat, an outfit who tellingly titled their debut EP Auf Kosten Der Gesundheit (translation: At the Cost of Health) and then needed seven years to put together a follow-up. Back in those days, the group’s members were essentially remixing each other, but over time, they’ve gradually developed into a proper band, writing together and developing a workflow that’s totally distinct from their other projects. (In a band where all three members are artists, producers and mixing engineers, striking that sort of creative balance is trickier than it might seem.)

494 WORDS

Created largely during a time when touring (and most traveling) was off the table, MORE D4TA is an album that wrestles with feelings of isolation and information overload—issues that have become particularly pronounced over the past two years. Many of its lyrics are rooted in Ring’s frequent trips to Berlin’s Gemäldegalerie museum (often with his infant daughter in tow), where he’d seek refuge in the great paintings of the past while worrying about the future.

490,6 MB

MORE D4TA is rooted in that same collaborative spirit, but long before any of its tracks were laid down, Moderat spent months hanging out and getting musically reacquainted, indulging in extended bouts of experimentation and slowly fleshing out ideas as they dove into modular composition, field recordings and other sonic oddities. That said, MORE D4TA is very much a Moderat album. No matter how far the band ventures into music’s outer realms, they always wind up back in their own unique soundworld, a place where emotive pop and fluttering electronic soundscapes walk hand in hand. What they make isn’t necessarily dance music, but it is something that shines brightest in the dark of night, the group’s rich melodies and Ring’s ethereal vocals emitting a warm, almost bioluminescent glow.

MORE D4TA

Although the LP’s title is an anagram for “Moderat 4,” there’s more to it than cheeky wordplay. In a time where everyone is constantly bombarded with content, and taking part in the cultural conversation requires engaging with digital platforms more interested in harvesting data than celebrating art, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed and disillusioned. MORE D4TA acknowledges that reality, but it also refuses to be cowed by it. Moderat’s new album is ultimately just another addition to the content pile—there’s no escaping that—but the trio still yearns to create and connect. They’re not a conceptual outfit, and never have been: After spending the better part of two decades making music together, they’ve carved out a sound and aesthetic that are all their own, and MORE D4TA showcases a group that’s creatively recharged and fully dedicated to its craft. Maybe bands should take hiatuses—real ones— a little more often.

- Standard LP: 140 gram vinyl, Black inner sleeve

TRACKLISTING:
A1. FAST LAND
A2. EASY PREY
A3. DRUM GLOW
A4. NEON RATS
A5. SOFT EDIT
B1. NUMB BELL
B2. UNDO REDO
B3. DOOM HYPE
B4. MORE LOVE
B5. COPY COPY More

For bands, a “hiatus” is usually just a polite way of announcing a break-up, but sometimes, a hiatus is just that—a hiatus. Back in 2017, when Moderat announced that they’d be taking an extended break following a final concert in their hometown of Berlin, many assumed that the group was basically calling it quits. After all, they’d already completed a celebrated trilogy of albums, repeatedly broken into the pop charts and performed all around the globe (including MainStage sets at some of the world’s biggest festivals including Coachella, Roskilde, Rock Werchter, Glastonbury, Primavera, Sónar and many many more)—what else was left for the German trio to accomplish? Moderat, however, always knew that they’d find their way back to one another.

10 TRACKS

MORE D4TA, the group’s fourth album, arrives more than six years after its predecessor (2016’s III), yet its contents are quintessentially Moderat. Although the trio’s hiatus was absolutely real—exhausted after years of touring, Apparat (a.k.a. Sascha Ring) and Modeselektor (a.k.a. Gernot Bronsert and Sebastian Szary) spent two years away from one another, focusing instead on their own respective projects—once they decided to resume working together, the music (eventually) started flowing again.

46 MINUTES, 33 SECONDS

It wasn’t an easy process. It’s never been easy for Moderat, an outfit who tellingly titled their debut EP Auf Kosten Der Gesundheit (translation: At the Cost of Health) and then needed seven years to put together a follow-up. Back in those days, the group’s members were essentially remixing each other, but over time, they’ve gradually developed into a proper band, writing together and developing a workflow that’s totally distinct from their other projects. (In a band where all three members are artists, producers and mixing engineers, striking that sort of creative balance is trickier than it might seem.)

494 WORDS

Created largely during a time when touring (and most traveling) was off the table, MORE D4TA is an album that wrestles with feelings of isolation and information overload—issues that have become particularly pronounced over the past two years. Many of its lyrics are rooted in Ring’s frequent trips to Berlin’s Gemäldegalerie museum (often with his infant daughter in tow), where he’d seek refuge in the great paintings of the past while worrying about the future.

490,6 MB

MORE D4TA is rooted in that same collaborative spirit, but long before any of its tracks were laid down, Moderat spent months hanging out and getting musically reacquainted, indulging in extended bouts of experimentation and slowly fleshing out ideas as they dove into modular composition, field recordings and other sonic oddities. That said, MORE D4TA is very much a Moderat album. No matter how far the band ventures into music’s outer realms, they always wind up back in their own unique soundworld, a place where emotive pop and fluttering electronic soundscapes walk hand in hand. What they make isn’t necessarily dance music, but it is something that shines brightest in the dark of night, the group’s rich melodies and Ring’s ethereal vocals emitting a warm, almost bioluminescent glow.

MORE D4TA

Although the LP’s title is an anagram for “Moderat 4,” there’s more to it than cheeky wordplay. In a time where everyone is constantly bombarded with content, and taking part in the cultural conversation requires engaging with digital platforms more interested in harvesting data than celebrating art, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed and disillusioned. MORE D4TA acknowledges that reality, but it also refuses to be cowed by it. Moderat’s new album is ultimately just another addition to the content pile—there’s no escaping that—but the trio still yearns to create and connect. They’re not a conceptual outfit, and never have been: After spending the better part of two decades making music together, they’ve carved out a sound and aesthetic that are all their own, and MORE D4TA showcases a group that’s creatively recharged and fully dedicated to its craft. Maybe bands should take hiatuses—real ones— a little more often.

- Deluxe LP: 180 gram heavy vinyl, Leoporello (fold out poster), Printed inner sleeve, Die-cut outer sleeve, Lyrics

TRACKLISTING:
A1. FAST LAND
A2. EASY PREY
A3. DRUM GLOW
A4. NEON RATS
A5. SOFT EDIT
B1. NUMB BELL
B2. UNDO REDO
B3. DOOM HYPE
B4. MORE LOVE
B5. COPY COPY
More

For bands, a “hiatus” is usually just a polite way of announcing a break-up, but sometimes, a hiatus is just that—a hiatus. Back in 2017, when Moderat announced that they’d be taking an extended break following a final concert in their hometown of Berlin, many assumed that the group was basically calling it quits. After all, they’d already completed a celebrated trilogy of albums, repeatedly broken into the pop charts and performed all around the globe (including MainStage sets at some of the world’s biggest festivals including Coachella, Roskilde, Rock Werchter, Glastonbury, Primavera, Sónar and many many more)—what else was left for the German trio to accomplish? Moderat, however, always knew that they’d find their way back to one another.

10 TRACKS

MORE D4TA, the group’s fourth album, arrives more than six years after its predecessor (2016’s III), yet its contents are quintessentially Moderat. Although the trio’s hiatus was absolutely real—exhausted after years of touring, Apparat (a.k.a. Sascha Ring) and Modeselektor (a.k.a. Gernot Bronsert and Sebastian Szary) spent two years away from one another, focusing instead on their own respective projects—once they decided to resume working together, the music (eventually) started flowing again.

46 MINUTES, 33 SECONDS

It wasn’t an easy process. It’s never been easy for Moderat, an outfit who tellingly titled their debut EP Auf Kosten Der Gesundheit (translation: At the Cost of Health) and then needed seven years to put together a follow-up. Back in those days, the group’s members were essentially remixing each other, but over time, they’ve gradually developed into a proper band, writing together and developing a workflow that’s totally distinct from their other projects. (In a band where all three members are artists, producers and mixing engineers, striking that sort of creative balance is trickier than it might seem.)

494 WORDS

Created largely during a time when touring (and most traveling) was off the table, MORE D4TA is an album that wrestles with feelings of isolation and information overload—issues that have become particularly pronounced over the past two years. Many of its lyrics are rooted in Ring’s frequent trips to Berlin’s Gemäldegalerie museum (often with his infant daughter in tow), where he’d seek refuge in the great paintings of the past while worrying about the future.

490,6 MB

MORE D4TA is rooted in that same collaborative spirit, but long before any of its tracks were laid down, Moderat spent months hanging out and getting musically reacquainted, indulging in extended bouts of experimentation and slowly fleshing out ideas as they dove into modular composition, field recordings and other sonic oddities. That said, MORE D4TA is very much a Moderat album. No matter how far the band ventures into music’s outer realms, they always wind up back in their own unique soundworld, a place where emotive pop and fluttering electronic soundscapes walk hand in hand. What they make isn’t necessarily dance music, but it is something that shines brightest in the dark of night, the group’s rich melodies and Ring’s ethereal vocals emitting a warm, almost bioluminescent glow.

MORE D4TA

Although the LP’s title is an anagram for “Moderat 4,” there’s more to it than cheeky wordplay. In a time where everyone is constantly bombarded with content, and taking part in the cultural conversation requires engaging with digital platforms more interested in harvesting data than celebrating art, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed and disillusioned. MORE D4TA acknowledges that reality, but it also refuses to be cowed by it. Moderat’s new album is ultimately just another addition to the content pile—there’s no escaping that—but the trio still yearns to create and connect. They’re not a conceptual outfit, and never have been: After spending the better part of two decades making music together, they’ve carved out a sound and aesthetic that are all their own, and MORE D4TA showcases a group that’s creatively recharged and fully dedicated to its craft. Maybe bands should take hiatuses—real ones— a little more often.

- CD: 6-fold CD cardboard pac including inner sleeve

TRACKLISTING:
1. FAST LAND
2. EASY PREY
3. DRUM GLOW
4. SOFT EDIT
5. UNDO REDO
6. NEON RATS
7. MORE LOVE
8. NUMB BELL
9. DOOM HYPE
10. COPY COPY
More

Back in April, Modeselektor released Extended, a mixtape consisting entirely of their own brand-new material. Up next, the Berlin duo presents their new album EXTLP, filled with 15 full-length versions of selected tracks from the mixtape.

EXTLP is very much rooted in bombastic rave sounds, but there’s much more to this romp than barreling techno and neck-snapping breakbeats. Across its 15 tracks, Modeselektor tear through mutant crunk distortions, glitchy dub meditations, neon synth-pop and more. EXTLP features a star-studded slate of guests from around the globe, including veteran dub vocalist Paul St. Hilaire, sharptongued UK rapper Flohio, avant-pop rulebreaker Catnapp and legendary Einstürzende Neubauten frontman Blixa Bargeld.

Arriving on the heels of Extended mixtape — and the three EPs that immediately followed it — EXTLP is the final piece of what might be the most prolific period of Modeselektor’s entire career. The album is being released in digital, CD and double vinyl formats.

- black double vinyl in cover sleeve with 5mm spine More

Hinter dem Projekt steckt die in Berlin lebende Argentinierin Amparo Battaglia, Produzentin, Rapperin und geborene Performerin, die als wichigste Einflüsse Klassiker wie The Prodigy, Aphex Twin, OutKast oder Beyoncé nennt, deren Produktionen aber auch knietief im heutigen Post-Internet- und Post-Rap-Sound stehen. Diese unterschiedlichen Stränge verbindet sie auf "Break" zu einem prägnanten Sound. "The Mover", eine Kollaboration mit Modeselektor, ist ein langsam brodelndes Stück Bass Music über die Notwendigkeit, Stärke zu zeigen und für sich selbst einzustehen."Fight For A Fight" ist inspiriert von den Repressionen, mit denen die LGBTQ-Community weltweit konfrontiert ist. Der Song entstand nach einem Auftritt beim Pride March 2018 in Buenos Aires und positioniert sich klar im weiterhin notwendigen Kampf gegen das Patriarchat: "My knife is sharp, my mind is bright, you’ll never stop my will to fight!" Catnapp wird mit Electroclash-Acts wie Peaches verglichen, ihre Verschmelzung von modernem Rap und Elektronik erinnert auch an gleichgesinnte KünstlerInnen wie Tommy Genesis. "Break" ist ihr bisher stärkstes musikalisches Statement. More

Ten years, a hundred releases and countless outstanding tracks: Monkeytown Records is celebrating its 10th anniversary with a compilation of new and exklusive productions by the artists that shaped the label in the past and will do so in the future. These artists represent electronic music in all its shades, from more experimental to dancefloor focused approaches. Monkeytown has always tried to combine both spheres simultaneously, never neglecting fun nor freethinking. The 12 tracks from the likes of Shed, Mouse on Mars, FJAAK, Redshape, Anstam and many more showcase and celebrate the label’s continuing mission: to explore new sounds and to seek out new bangers.
Monkeytown was launched in 2009 by Modeselektor. Originally conceived as a means to release music by friends and Modeselektor’s own records, it soon developed into much more. The label and its offshoot 50Weapons became key players in connecting the various strains of dance and bass music, the scenes of Berlin, London and everyone affiliated to these. This compilation unites artist that stick with the label since the very beginning, like Siriusmo or Anstam, and newer family members like Catnapp or FJAAK. Over the years, some renowned producers found their way to Monkeytown, among them Shed and Redshape. These two of course provide the techno and house part of this collection, while Gajek’s kraut-influenced electroacoustic piece or Alex Bank’s blissful opening ambience show that it’s not necessarily all about beats. We got a lot of beats though: Dark Sky and Robot Koch like them rolling and sweetly broken, Mouse on Mars smartly frenzied, and Modeselektor themselves contribute a multidimensional track in honor of the famous Roland Space Echo, the device which lent them their name. There’s also a world premiere inhouse collaboration by Otto von Schirach and Catnapp, a weirdo match made in heaven. Next to releasing great records, the best thing a record label can achieve is to have a sound of its own.

Monkeytown has long become a household name for everyone who loves electronic music. We didn’t invent anything, but we stand for something. Here’s to the future. Cheers! More

Modeselektor shift gear and follow up their previous single „Wealth” with something quite different but just as representative of their musical identity. „I Am Your God / Bronko“ features two sides of raw, deep and abysmal techno - 100% dancefloor material but at the same time so detailed and elaborate to keep you in listening mode for hours.
Taken from their upcoming album „Who Else”, „I Am Your God” fiercely cracks the whip and conjures up a tunnel rave, with a screaming Otto von Schirach starring as an unholy god. „Bronko” carries on the industrial vibe and comes up with an ethereal breakdown. With their hypnotizing quality and meticulous sound design, both tracks exemplify how studio-savvy the duo has become in recent years.
- Limited picture 12" vinyl with fully printed inner and outer sleeves. More

At the forefront of dance music for over a decade, Brighton’s James Connolly has left an indelible mark as a progressive producer; under the name L-Vis 1990, and as his alias Dance System.
Dance System boils dance music down to its core elements and the result is infectious club tools that offer something more; character that will standout in any set. Under this alias, Connolly has released on Clone and Jimmy Edgar’s Ultramajic labels.
More