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About ten years ago I picked up a Jahcoozi record called Black Barbie including an excellent Modeselektor remix. I did some research and after feeling a bit ashamed of not coming across their stuff sooner I ordered a bunch of their BPitch releases. Their stuff really stood out at the time. It was very fresh, kinda hip hop sounding and experimental - some of it reminded me of the early Warp stuff, some of it was very Detroit electro, there was rapping, acid, jungle, dancehall… It was just very unique and progressive.
I love that about Modeselektor - they never seem to conform to rules or genres or think of music in commercial terms, they just have fun with it. It seems like they release whatever they are feeling and don't give a fuck about “trends” which shows in their label output. Monkeytown and 50 Weapons have been so consistent and they've released some of my favourite producers like Addison Groove. I also love Siriusmo and Mouse on Mars. They seem to really support other artists and pool together such a variety of production on their compilations for example.
Hard to choose, but my favourite Modeselektor record is probably Happy Birthday, purely because I started taking production seriously around the time it came out and in a way, it provided guidance and inspiration. I've still not been brave enough to put out an album but when I do, I want it to have the same vast versatility and energy. I suppose my new EP Nightlife is a bit Modeselektor-ish in that it has a bit of everything - elements of house, techno, juke, grime and I worked with a couple of rappers this time as well.
Modeselektor surely have hero status everywhere, but they do have a bit of a special relationship with my home town Glasgow. The Numbers crew have brought them over a few times, I think the mad Scottish/German mentality goes together well. My friend even has a Modeselektor monkey tattoo! One time they played in Glasgow and Gernot was giving everyone sweets called Spunk. They were great.
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You can listen to two exclusive Modeselektor mixes on the Carhartt WIP Radio app, which you can download here: iPhone & IPad | Android.
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Nightwave is a DJ and producer from Glasgow who has collaborated with the likes of Canblaster, Rustie and Chicago legend DJ Deeon. Her new EP Nightlife - featuring Riga-based rapper Ashnikko and Baltimore’s TT The Artist - is out now on her new label Heka Trax.