Modeselektor

Biography

Modeselektor is a German electronic music duo consisting of Gernot Bronsert and Sebastian Szary. They have collaborated with acts including Thom Yorke, Otto von Schirach, Siriusmo, Paul St. Hilaire, TTC, Puppetmastaz and Maxïmo Park. They have released several albums in collaboration with the German musician Apparat under the name Moderat.

History

Bronsert and Szary members met in 1992 in Berlin, when Szary was performing live acid house music at illegal underground parties under the moniker Fundamental Knowledge. The group says, "After the Wall came down, everywhere in Germany and especially East Germany there was a lot of chaos, anarchy." They soon began creating music as Modeselektor, a name taken from a function on the Roland Space Echo effects unit.
In 1999, Modeselektor signed their first remix contract and began working with Pfadfinderei, a Berlin-based VJ and design collective. In 2000, Modeselektor met Ellen Allien, making BPitch Control their home label. In 2002, Modeselektor and Apparat formed the supergroup Moderat; in 2003, they released their first EP, followed by four full-length albums between 2009 and 2022. Modeselektor also has collaborations with Pfadfinderei as Pfadselektor, and with Rhythm & Sound's Paul St. Hillaire. They have produced sound installations at the Centre Pompidou in Paris and lectured at the Merz Akademie in Stuttgart. Modeselektor is a favourite group of Radiohead's singer, Thom Yorke.

Their first album, Hello Mom!×Hello Mom!27 May 2005 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 11 tracks · 2 discsDisc 1A1Dancingbox3:59A2The Rapanthem4:42A3Fake Emotion3:23B1Die Clubnummer4:33B2Hasir4:51B3Tetrispack4:16Disc 2C1Vote or Die5:14C2Silikon3:47C3Ziq Zaq5:27D1Kill Bill Vol. 45:13D2I Love You5:17 (2005), was followed by Happy Birthday! (2007), with Yorke, Paul St. Hilaire, TTC, Puppetmastaz and Maxïmo Park as guest vocalists. Other collaborators included Otto von Schirach, Siriusmo, and Apparat. In an interview that same year, the group said regarding their sound: "Happy metal, hard rap, country-ambient, Russian crunk. We don't like it if people tag us as being a certain style or school or scene or whatever. We don't really care about all that."
Modeselektor also appeared as the main characters in Amy Grill's 2009 electronic music documentary, Speaking in Code. Modeselektor are said to be good friends with Siriusmo, and regularly remix and promote his material. In September 2011, Modeselektor released their third LP, Monkeytown×Monkeytown30 September 2011 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 11 tracks1Blue Clouds6:032Pretentious Friends3:343Shipwreck6:154Evil Twin4:015German Clap6:356Berlin4:457Grillwalker4:048Green Light Go4:509Humanized4:2310This6:2611War Cry4:57, featuring contributions from artists including Yorke.
In 2013, Modeselektor's label Monkeytown Records and Telekom Electronic Beats produced the documentary "We Are Modeselektor". In April 2021, Modeselektor released their fourth LP, Extended×Extended9 April 2021 · Studio album · Mixtape/StreetSpotifyYouTube MusicTracklist · 27 tracks1Minibus1:202Dentist1:393Sekt um 123:064Tacken3:205Hood2:016Rainy1:527Hyena Dancehall2:478Butlin’s Minehead Interlude1:029Bangface2:24101000 Kicks0:4511Puls2:1012Soda2:2413Paradiso1:4414Kupfer4:3215U82:0516OHM2:0517The Germs1:2618Stadtschloss1:2519Disc2:5820Movement3:1821Keller1:3722Mean2:4523Klangkrieg3:1224Cthulhu Drums2:4325Bilbao2:3626Lockdown6:3927Devotion Is Such a Strong Word1:01. In February 2022, a book on Modeselektor's album Happy Birthday!×Happy Birthday!10 September 2007 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 18 tracks1Happy Birthday!4:042Godspeed5:47320000074:114Let Your Love Grow5:265EM Ocean1:556Sucker Pin6:107Edgar3:548Hyper Hyper5:179B.M.I.4:3010The Dark Side of the Frog0:5311The Dark Side of the Sun3:3512Déboutonner4:2313The Black Block5:4114The First Rebirth4:4015The White Flash4:5016Late Check-Out0:3817The Wedding Toccata Theme3:5318(I Can’t Sleep) Without Music3:32 was published by Sean Nye for the 33 1/3 Europe series.

Monkeytown Records

Monkeytown Records is a Berlin-based electronic music record label, owned by Modeselektor. The label has released music by Modeselektor, Moderat, WK7, Mouse on Mars, Otto von Schirach, Siriusmo, and Funkstörung, among others.

Studio albums

Hello Mom! (BPitch Control, 2005)
Happy Birthday! (BPitch Control, 2007)
Monkeytown (Monkeytown Records, 2011)
Who Else (Monkeytown Records, 2019)
Extended (Monkeytown Records, 2021)
Mean Friend (Monkeytown Records, 2021)
EXTLP (Monkeytown Records, 2021)
Missed Opportunities (Monkeytown Records, 2021)
Extended Chords (Monkeytown Records, 2021)
DJ-Kicks (2025)

Compilations

Modeselektion Vol. 01 (2010)
Modeselektion Vol. 02 (2012)
Modeselektion Vol. 03 (2014)
Modeselektion Vol. 04 (2018)
Classics Vol. 1 (2026)

DJ mixes

Boogybytes Vol. 3 - Mixed by Modeselektor (BPitch Control, 2007)
Body Language Vol. 8 (Get Physical, 2009)
DJ-Kicks: Modeselektor (!K7 Records, 2025)

Multimedia

Labland (Dalbin, 2005) with Pfadfinderei, DVD
Mdslktr (BPitch Control, 2005), DVD + CD Box Set

Extended plays

Death Medley (BPitch Control, 2002)
In Loving Memory (BPitch Control, 2002)
Ganes De Frau Vol. 1 (BPitch Control, 2003)
Turn Deaf! (BPitch Control, 2004)
Hello Mom! The Remixes (BPitch Control, 2006)
Happy Birthday! Remixes #1 (BPitch Control, 2008)
Happy Birthday! Remixes #2 (BPitch Control, 2008)
Happy Birthday! Remixes #3 (BPitch Control, 2009)

Singles

"Weed wid da Macka" (Shockout, 2006)
"The Dark Side of the Sun×The Dark Side of the Sun3 September 2007 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 4 tracksA1The Dark Side of the Sun (original mix)3:36A2The Dark Side of the Sun (instrumental)3:43A3The Dark Side of the Sun (Needletrasher)0:47BThe Dark Side of the Sun (2000 and One remix)7:23" (BPitch Control, 2007) with Puppetmastaz
"Art & Cash×Art & Cash11 November 2009 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 2 tracks1Art1:522Cash5:26" (Get Physical Music, 2009)
"Shipwreck" with Thom Yorke (Monkeytown Records, 2011)
"Evil Twin" featuring Otto von Schirach (Monkeytown Records, 2012)
"This" with Thom Yorke (Monkeytown Records, 2012)
"Silikon" featuring Sasha Perrera (FIFA 08 soundtrack)
"Trees" / "50 Trees" with Paul St. Hilaire (50weapons)
"Kalif Storch" (2018)
"Wealth×Wealth28 November 2018 · SingleSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 2 tracks1Wealth4:052Wealth (instrumental version)4:05" featuring Flohio (Monkeytown Records, 2018)
"I Am Your God" / "Bronko" (Monkeytown Records, 2019)
"Who" featuring Tommy Cash (Monkeytown Records, 2019)

Remixes

Miss Kittin - "Professional Distortion (Modeselektor's Big Muff Mix)"
Thom Yorke - Skip Divided (Modeselektor Remix)
Björk - Dull Flame Of Desire (Modeselektor's Rmx for Girls)
Björk - Dull Flame Of Desire (Modeselektor's Rmx for Boys)
Boys Noize - Jeffer (Modeselektor Remix)
Bonaparte - Computer in Love (Modeselektor Remix)
Roots Manuva - Witness (Modeselektor's Troublemaker Remix)
Headhunter - Prototype (Modeselektor Remix) [TEMP046]
Radiohead - Good Evening Mrs Magpie Rmx
Trentemøller - Tide (Modeselektor's Last Remix Ever)
Apparat - Holdon (Modeselektor Remix)

Production

TTC - Une bande de mecs sympas (3615 TTC, 2007)
Fettes Brot - Bettina, zieh dir bitte etwas an! (Strom und Drang, 2008)
Bonaparte - Orangutang (My Horse Likes You, 2010)

With Moderat

Auf Kosten der Gesundheit (EP, BPitch Control, 2003)
Moderat (BPitch Control, 2009)
II (Monkeytown Records, 2013)
III (Monkeytown Records, 2016)
More D4ta (Monkeytown Records. 2022)