Audio By Carbonatix
Supergroups aren’t just for bloated ’70s rock stars. In the world of techno, Apparat and Modeselektor are both top-tier acts in their own right. Together they’ve joined forces to become Moderat (due on Saturday, May 23, at Beta) and produced something special. The process of recording the threesome’s first collaboration — Modeselektor is the duo of Sebastian Szary and Gernot Bronsert, while Apparat is the working name of Sascha Ring — was so arduous, the name they finally gave it translates to “at the cost of health,” and it took years for them to regroup for another try. The just-released, self-titled album blends the two groups’ distinctive aesthetics — Modeselektor’s thump and bang and Apparat’s quieter, more subtle sound — resulting in a gorgeous, lush and deep record that embraces a techno aesthetic light-years removed from the cold, sterile sound many associate with the genre. The disc is full of memorable melodies and irresistible rhythms and appears at first blush to be a future classic.
