Modeselektor & Pfadfinderei - Labland

Ok to great on the visuals front, awesome on the music.

Too tired, and too premature yet, to do the amateur review thing I was going to do here. Will get back to this.

Can confirm the bonus material is, as I suspected, just the short Ellen Allien/Pfadfinderei VJ mix from 'Mixmasters' show (shown on ITV in the UK a while ago). Tracklist of: Paul Kalkbrenner - Queer Fellow, Ellen Allien - Bang Bang.

Haven't looked at the Funkstorung bit yet.

I have a Modeselektor video on one of the Visual Niches DVD compilations. It's about as "high tech" as something done by someone using a camcorder, being somewhat diligent using the "pause" button. If this is a representation of the "pioneering" that this "visual music album" will encompass, I'll pass...

which is too bad, as I like the two Modeselektor 12"s I have.

If this kind of hybrid didn't take off in the early 90's when creative borders did feel more open I really can't see it happening now. But I'm still curious, there should be potential in this kind of thing.

That said, this does work well in parts. Doesn't feel as entirely successful or spontaneous as I'd hoped though. It's more fun than 'Gantz Graf' though! If not quite as 'whoo! teh cutting edge'.

And the music I think should stand alone easily, some of it is killer good (still want to listen again) which was all I'd hoped for personally.

First three tracks are an unexpectedly gentle introduction.

"Rapid Eye Movement" - waking up, or possibly never quite sleeping in the first place?

"Coffein" - A gentle start to the day, whatever time that might be in Berlin ;-) nice use of gurgling coffee filter noises, still pretty mellow for their kind of breaks and bass.

"Concrete Jungle" - starts to pick the pace up a bit but its not my favourite track here, still good use of real-world noises (hints of rainforest bamboo clacks for percussion, but it's not intrusive or 'world' music-y).

"Construction Desert" - begins with a subtle low mixed dancehallish sub-bass bassline, and discreet clicks, like finger clicks but a little sharper... then simply doubles it all up (esp. the thumping lower registers), increases the volume and goes on from there messing with the EQ's(?) and moving parts around while maintaining a steady not-quite skanking pace.

"Tits Of My Origin" - A lot of jump-up fun! apparently a remix this one, which explains it's more blatantly dancehall-inspired breaks (are Modeselektor 'breakcore'? or is that label for the more furious and dense kind of thing? I'm not-exactly in touch with coolness or genres at all in this area. Right now I'd settle for pegging these guys as a less-abstracted, more real-world hip-hop Autechre in party mode).

"Grass Grows Greener" - Very light & summery track, kinda naff/obvious use of tennis thwaps (balls) & effects (commentary) though. Similar vibe to 15-Love off the 'Wildplanet' album.

"My Mosque Is My Cathedral" - Catholic/Muslim mash-up! with furious broken jazz breaks. One of the best here. More thought provoking in conjunction with the visuals but just as good alone.

"Nightcreatures" - After some surprisingly chinscratching sounds so far, I'm very in the mood for a burst of energy & some release. And this is so it, sounding like a totally rocking night out raving in minature. Running through all kinds of pleasing tricks - crowd noise, screams, gigantic blasts of synth & crushing 4/4 breakdowns. If you can fight the urge to wave your hands in the air about 6 minutes in you have more self-control than I do! One word: Badarse!

"Bell Lane" - Now this is unexpected, but in keeping with the surprisingly effective 'album' like sequencing so far, here is the sweet, touching, gently emotional closer. This is how I expected Ulrich Schnauss to sound before I heard him. Visuals are of exiting a city, and the background percussion gently incorporates that lovely familiar (but not Trans-Europe-Express intrusive) motorik-train-track effect nicely playing along with the soft guitar strums. It's like a 'Star Guitar' with even more pathos! Surprised I like this so much when I didn't think that much to 'In Loving Memory', a similar kind of Modeselektor track. Carefully reading the credits reveals, this is (cheekily) actually a TimTim creation, and possibly the best thing he's done! Neat.

I feel like I haven't talked enough about the A/V element here, it is pretty good in parts, playing with depth perception, creating a few messages, things to think about, a lot of Berlin fetishisation too. But hell, why not celebrate what you love around you? God knows it's still less cliched than I imagine a similar project based around NY (or wherever) might be. The most exciting bit really, possibly tellingly, is the 'live' portion that goes with 'Nightcreatures' though. I'm not sure it's breaking any barriers overall but it's not as dull as donut's (above) description might imply. Graphically stylish and cleanly excecuted, could almost do to be more pretentious in a IDM-esque fashion to get recognised. I'd be curous to see how well it goes across as a 'live' performance, particularly if they could improvise it much, be entirely spontaneous.

Anyhow, 'tis overall damn good. That's all the amateur reviewing I feel like typing for now! :-)

Do you mean there's some japery on the promo not to be featured on the "official" version?

soulseduction has had (short) samples up for it since forever... I listened quickly, but wasn't as thrilled as I expected (not sure what to make of the guest vocal/songs). As it's 99% certain I'll be getting it upon release anyway, I decided not to pre-empt a (possible) dissapointment.

How long is the running time?

(and ... running time? who cares!! haha, never mind).

Tracks are shorter than the 'official' listing and the whole thing is set up as an interview between a wonderfully nerdish DJ from Long Island who claims to play the best in Eurocrunk and the duo themselves, who are only heard dimly on the other end of the phone speaking in German.

Probably could have benefitted from sticking one of the arse-kicking "Turn Deaf!" e.p. numbers on somewhere. Or a (edited!) version of 'Nightcreatures' off that DVD. Actually I'd swap "Hasir" for "My Mosque Is My Cathedral" too. It's a more interesting, less linear track in the same vein.

I'd lose 'Earth (UPS Edit)' myself, for any of those. That's the only track that feels clearly skippable to me.

To sum up: Good & consistent right through, easily one of the better Bpitch full-lengths (which can be a weak point for them as a label i.e. Kiki, Smash TV) from initial playthroughs.

"It was like a heavy stone on my neck, you know what I mean," laughs Bransert, of the three years it took to complete Hello Mom! (more: http://jam.canoe.ca/Music/2005/10/22/1273293.html)

haha! :-D

I still really like this overall, and love in parts but after having it around for a while, you can kind of tell it wasn't a totally natural birth... The track sequencing feels sorta wrong, too downtempo in the middle by far (although I'd certainly anticipated it for much too long, long enough that I really wanted it to just blast away all the way through), that said there's not much that sounds like 'filler'... but ach! it bugs me how the last track sounds so clearly 'inspired' by that TimTim track off that DVD. I mean it's still good n'all but "Bell Lane" is just superb, he's one of the artists on the label I've been kinda so-so about. I like a few individual tracks a great deal, but his album just felt a little too slight to really defend as 'great' despite his sound being incredibly well defined & subtly original somehow, esp. in that IDM/Folktronic field of thousands. It was heartening to know he might get even better, or even that he was just still out there!

Not sure I could enjoy a full MC Solarr album, but I love that here, sparingly applied. It's some group called TTC here, who I'm certain are French.

I do massively prefer Modeselektor in party/noisy-track mode to skronky-ambient-electronica(+ a bit of dance) mode though.

Also, the vocal sampling on that Jahcoozi remix is incredible... I'm sure someone's done something like it before, but when? To describe it... they kind of chop the original vocals down to small, similar length pieces and then just re-lay them in a different order, without gaps, or delay it seems, but the way it's done is like a whole new rhythm track in itself!

Also, if you're a fan DEFINITELY try and get hold of the new Slices DVD (it's free, many electronic music shops like Juno & Phonica in the UK stock them - just add it to your order, looks like this)
http://images.juno.co.uk/150/CS203448-01A.jpg

It has a totally hilarious, and quite long interview with Modeselektor & their mothers(!) on it... and plenty other good stuff (Kate Wax, Chloe etc) oh and a video for "Earth" off the album (just more Pfadfinderei digital design... it's alright, not that special).

I have never seen this Labland thing. Should I try and track it or is it not worth the effort?

I dunno about the whole thing... it's really accomplished, but not mind-blowing or anything. I'd probably pass in hindsight. I much prefer The CD album, the DVD music is better experienced with the visuals really.

And De:Bug did a cover story on Modeselektor a couple of months ago. They love 'em.

Á la Modeselektor
Berlin duo to release new album this fall

Eurocrunk is about to get a little crunker. Ellen Allien's Bpitch Control label has announced that Modeselektor, the 808-bashing boffins known for lacing techno's pulse with riotous hip-hop swagger, are releasing their second album on September 9. Happy Birthday features collaborations with Radiohead's Thom Yorke, Warp artists Maxïmo Park, and French hip-hop goofballs TTC. Modeselektor have been busy this past year, touring extensively to support 2005's Hello Mom!, releasing an acclaimed, wide-ranging Boogy Bytes mix CD, and moving their vast collection of vintage gear to a new studio. Known for a fiery live set, they're gaining a rep as top selectors as well: they followed up 2006's main-stage live performance at Sónar with a DJ set at this year's festival — right after the Beastie Boys, no less. (PS)

hhmmm!

i was waiting for eurocrunk to get just a little bit crunker

Where's that news from, Fandango?

http://earplug.cc/

(PS) = The Sherburnator ;-)

I hope this is good! was a smidge underwhelmed with Hello Mom! after a while, not too fussed about celebrities on board unless they're bringing something different... didn't like the BoogyBytes at all, but I have faith they can step it up a gear second time around.

Happy Birthday features collaborations with Radiohead's Thom Yorke

gah!

Warp artists Maxïmo Park

GAAAAARRRRGHHHH

their boogybytes was terrible, i thought

:((((((

But you don't even like them anymore anyway? do you?

not now!

ha! this thread just reminded me (haven't had sound on my pc for a month see...) haven't even heard Ms Allien's Thom Yorke remix yet! I'd forgot all about it :D

spoiler alert, i guess: - the thom collab is pretty and understated, and it's actually surprisingly pleasant to hear thom when he undersings. the vocals are mostly processed sighs and whispers, with the repeated reassurance "you have all the time in the world", and other romantic-sounding snippets floating by - "the lights go out and the stars are out". certain parts put me in mind of "calling out of context" arthur russell.

the whole album's out there somewhere as well, by the way

http://www.bpitchcontrol.de/files/aaModeselektor_Cover.jpg