Monkeytown Germany Vinyl & CDs

Review: Lars "Anstam" Stoewe has long been part of Modeselektor's extended family of artists, releasing his first two albums on their 50 Weapons label. While those first two sets were characterized by a desire to blend punishing dancefloor rhytms with elements of IDM and dark ambience, Names - his third LP - is a largely more considered affair, with shards of light amongst the gathering gloom. Of course, he's not totally abandoned the skittering rhythms and maudlin basslines - see the sweeping chords and intense beats of "I Stopped Counting" and the rushing post-dubstep blast of "Fragments of the Good Old Days" - but these moments are countered by hazy songs and sweet soundscapes, with the superb "The Obvious & The Impeccable" standing out.

Review: Single LP Editrion: While their 50 Weapons imprint may be winding up, Modeselektor's Monkeytown imprint is still in full swing, releasing all sorts of interesting electronic music lately from producers as diverse as Robot Koch, Omar Souleyman and Howling. This time label head honchos Bronsert and Szary team up with good mate Sascha Ring aka Apparat for another session as well.. Moderat, of course! Highlights include the bittersweet and bass heavy pop inflections of "Bad Kingdom" featuring Ring's powerful vocals, the epically future beats of "Let In The Light" or "Ilona" and the upbeat dusty deep house of "Milk". Superb production on display throughout the album and don't forget to check out the killer remixes by Skee Mask and Benjamin Damage (amongst others) available soon as well.

Review: Given the hype that surrounded the release of the first Moderat set back in 2009, we can surely expect more of the same for this second outing from Apparat and Modeselektor. Those familiar with the first album's woozy blend of IDM, Thom Yorke indebted vocal dreaminess, porchlight techno and post-dubstep rhythms will immediately feel right at home. Online reviews have focused largely on II's atmospheric warmth, and the way in which the Berlin-based trio seems to have refined their sound. Both are valid critiques; certainly, there's a maturity and musical complexity to the album that betters much of their previous works. It's not much of a dancefloor set, but that's entirely the point; this is locked-in headphone listening for the wide-eyed generation.

Review: Is there a more forward-thinking and proudly distinctive outfit in contemporary electronic music than Modeselektor? Certainly, the German duo's latest album - their first studio set for eight years - suggests that they have few competitors for this crown. Underground but accessible, diverse but consistent thanks to the pair's fuzzy-but-polished production, the set sees them showcase a range of cuts that expertly meld club-friendly beats and sounds - think grime, techno, post-electro, acid house and the punchy-but-rubbery rhythms of UK funky - with skewed pop hooks, oddball vocals, hazy electronics and a big dollop of experimental intent. As you'd expect, the results are little less than superb.

Review: Depending on how you look at it, this is either Omar's seventh album (officially)... Or his five-hundred and seventh (including the wedding recordings he's made which have since been bootlegged and sold across Syria and beyond). Constantly fusing cultures, his open-armed approach to both community and songwriting reaches a new peak with tracks such as the stomping tech-twists and loopy designs of "Tawwalt El Gheba" and the frenetic, sweaty melting pot "Leil El Bareh". As disparate as the elements seem on paper, Omar's vocals and his band (many of whom he's written and performed with since the early '90s) create a consistency that ties everything together with powerful musicianship that transcends all national, culture and genre boundaries.