Modeselektor on early Berlin raves, their new studio, and making music to walk your dog to
From basement raves to techno legends
Electronic duo Modeselektor recently sat down to discuss their long-awaited DJ-Kicks mix, their journey through Berlin's underground scene, and the evolution of their creative partnership spanning decades.
The pair reminisces about the raw energy of Berlin's early '90s techno scene, when illegal warehouse parties and abandoned factories served as the birthplace of a movement. "There were more freedom doing like freestyle raves, parties, clubs," they recall, contrasting it with today's world of permits and social media promotion. They describe their first visit to Berlin's legendary Tresor Club as transformative, the basement's darkness, fog, and strobe lights creating an atmosphere they immediately wanted to recreate in their suburban hometown.
The birth of a partnership built on trust
Their collaboration began in the most organic way possible, one had the gear, the other showed up to jam. "I spent all my money on gear. And then he was sitting in his garage with all his gear alone," they explain. What started as impromptu sessions evolved into a musical partnership based on deep trust and complementary creative approaches. While one gravitates toward "sound design and arty stuff," the other remains focused on the dancefloor, constantly seeking those "overlapping moments from both worlds."
A studio as a portal to inspiration
Their new industrial studio space represents a significant upgrade from years spent in "studios full of empty beer bottles and overloaded ash trays." They've learned that the room itself is "half of the process," a portal that can connect them to what they playfully call "the techno gods and the dance hall gods."
Creating the DJ-Kicks mix with found sounds and happy accidents
The DJ-Kicks compilation had been on their bucket list since the series began. Their approach combined careful track selection with spontaneous discoveries, including field recordings from Kingston, Jamaica, captured during a session with local MCs the night Vybz Kartel was released from jail. They also unearthed forgotten tracks from their hard drives, giving them "a second chance" years after their creation.
The creative process revealed their contrasting yet complementary tastes, they admit to enjoying "converting MP3 to MP3 to MP3 in the lowest resolution" for that over-modulated sound, while the other tries to "control this chaos a little bit" to keep things accessible.
Music to walk your dog
When asked to categorize their DJ-Kicks mix, Modeselektor offers a refreshingly unpretentious description. They wanted something that could entertain listeners "while cleaning up, driving a car, um having a good time at home," finding the sweet spot between demanding attention and providing atmosphere.
Their solution? "Gassi music," named after the German word for walking your dog. As they put it simply: "Music to walk your dog."
This perfectly encapsulates Modeselektor's approach after all these years, serious about their craft but never taking themselves too seriously, creating electronic music that works equally well in a Berlin warehouse or on a leisurely stroll through the forest with your four-legged friend.
DJ-Kicks: Modeselektor 2LP vinyl, CD, and digital download are available now on Bandcamp.
