Tokyo Indie

Modeselektor have staged a quiet assault on electronic music since their debut album “Hello Mom!” dropped in 2005 on Ellen Allien’s seminal Bpitch Control label. Since then, their reputation has steadily grown both through their own canon of work and their side project Moderat (a collaboration with Apparat); being rubber stamped along the way by luminaries such as Thom Yorke and Bjork. Their unique brand of electronic music – which the band refuse to pigeon-hole – skitters between big-room techno, low-end bass and fuzzed up indie all stirred together with a big pinch of fun. They return to Japan at the end of this month for the Electraglide festival – their second visit of 2013. We thought we’d touch base with Gernot Bronsert and Sebastian Szary to see what they have in store for us.

Hi guys, we last saw you in Japan at Fuji Rock festival this summer. Your set was one of my festival highlights, how was it for you?

Hello Japan… It was a pleasure for us to play at Fuji Rock Festival this year because it was the first time for us as Modeselektor. The festival is very well organized and is located in a beautiful landscape. The lineup was amazing, a really good mixture of Japanese, Asian and artists from all over the world.

You are back again this November for the Electraglide festival, are we to expect a similar performance, or something a bit different?

Yeah, we will come back as Modeselektor with an “intense“ DJ-set, which is not only DJ-like. We will include a few live-elements in there like drum machines, little synths and of course — a lot of Modeselektor and Moderat tracks.

Who else on the bill at Electraglide are you looking forward to seeing?

You know, time is limited because of traveling — but we will try to see a lot of artists from that lineup, like James Blake, Nosaj Thing, Sheerwood + Pinch, Machinedrum and many more. The best situation you can also have is to meet artists in the backstage-area, have beer and a nice talk.

You play in Japan regularly, but what is the one thing in Japan that always surprises you?

Maybe it´s not really surprising, but to drive by car (by myself) in Japan, especially in Tokyo or another mega-city like Osaka or Yokohama, would make me nervous.

What is the big track at the moment that you are likely to drop into your set?

It´s really nice to play a special version of Moderat’s “Bad Kingdom“. I can´t say that much about it, but “Bad Kingdom“ is a masterpiece we did. Very emotional!!!

You have collaborated with a huge number of influential musicians, who would you like to work with next?

I think it´s always nice to collaborate with Sascha (Apparat)… It´s a nice trio of electronic musicians.

It’s a Sunday morning; it’s your day off, what are Modeselektor up to?

It sounds like a coffee grinder, it smells like fresh coffee and croissant…yummy yummy.

For Japanese fans who may not have heard of you, tell us why they should come and see Modeselektor at Electraglide.

Tell them this: There are two still young East German boys who like to play music with a lot of bass and will give extra champagne for the first rows in the crowd!!!

With a promise like that, how can you not be at Electraglide this year?! Tickets are priced at 8800yen (advance) and are available on the Electragide website.The event takes place in Makuhari Messe on November 29th – we’ll see you down the front ready for that champagne!

Words: Mark Birtles

Translation: Noemi Minami

November 22, 2013