Moderat – Moderat

Moderat started as a collaboration on Modeselektor's album HAPPY BIRTHDAY, but on their eponymous debut, they expand on that promise, as "A New Error" hums with Apparat's attention to melody and Modeselektor's talent with electro beats. The emotion starts to emerge as Apparat sings his way through "Rusty Nails," giving a counter to the blocky beats before "Seamonkey" brings in a more aggressive stance. Paul St. Hilaire from their first collaboration on "Let Your Love In" returns for "Slow Match," a darker, lower track, though not without its own riddim. A dirty acid electro wiggles onto "Sick With It," while a rock attitude swaggers onto "Porc#1" before it goes post-rock (and then acid!) with "Porc#2." A more gradual build is on tap on "Les Grandes Marches," but with "Mr. 22" they blend their weapons together to form a super-weapon, a dub-techno flavored track before bringing back the emotive vocals on "Out of Sight." Busdriver lends some tedious braggadocio to "BeatsWaySick," but Shackleton redeems things with his slow and low mix of "Rusty Nails." This album over all is a perfect example of great minds thinking alike.