Moderate: II DLX

LP Record Moderat are Apparat (Sascha Ring) and Modeselektor (Gernot Bronsert and Sebastian Szary). On one side, a thoughtful sound tinkerer and pop poet; on the other, two techno B-boys. Both acts represent Berlin's electronic scene beyond the straight four-on-the-floor kick drum. Modeselektor are grandmasters of underground bass and electrifying breakbeats, while Apparat is the gentle spirit of electronic pop music. A refusal to settle for the status quo forged an artistic friendship between all three. On their first album in 2008, they defined the Moderat sound. Swaying bass and jerky beats on one side, Apparat's delicate voice on the other: it was this extreme contrast that created the unique Moderat feeling.