Electronic music has an image problem. When it's referred to as “techno,” all sorts of stereotypes and biases arise, even among the purveyors of said musics. Berlin-based duo Modeselektor throw it all to the wind with Happy Birthday, dabbling into a variety of electronic sub-genres, from crunky club sounds to Kraftwerkian electro-blips, to mysterious minimalist/glitch soundtracks that could double as alternate Blade Runner themes. Amongst individual cuts, “The White Flash” is an especially memorable cut that features Radiohead's enigmatic front man Thom Yorke. This lonely, icy tech-scape sounds quite in line with his own solo material. Appearances by French rappers TTC, Floridian electro-grindcorist Otto Von Schirach, and numerous others all fit in seamlessly beside the duo's cold and steely synth-structures. You get it all in these 75 minutes - thumpin' rhythms, meditative ambience, and experimental soundscapes. Pretty well a comprehensive scope of modern electronic music. Quite listenable, and a solid piece of work here. (BPitch Control)
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