Since their rise in the early 2000s, Modeselektor—comprised of Gernot Bronsert and Sebastian Szary—have established themselves as a key part of Berlin's ever-changing electronic scene. Their work, whether as DJs, producers, or through their collaboration in Moderat, has consistently mixed different genres, labels, and communities. With releases on BPitch Control, Ninja Tune, and their own Monkeytown label, the duo has navigated over two decades of maintaining a playful eclecticism while remaining committed to the dancefloor.
Their contribution to DJ-Kicks reflects that philosophy. The mix, featuring 22 tracks, oscillates between frenetic energy and quiet moments. Szary leans towards spacious and atmospheric sounds, while Bronsert injects the percussive punch. In addition to two new Modeselektor productions, the tracklist showcases a variety of artists, including Kenyan experimentalist Slikback, Little Simz, Berlin techno stalwart Ben Klock alongside Fadi Mohem, as well as Untold, Julien Bracht, and longtime collaborator Siriusmo.
Clash spoke with the duo about their DJ-Kicks mix, dwindling attention spans, and the fusion of the old with the new.
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Your DJ-Kicks mix traverses a vast emotional and stylistic range—from Slikback’s abstract nuances to Little Simz’s incisive lyricism, and back to Berlin techno. How do you maintain coherence while embracing such eclecticism?
A DJ-Kicks is something unique, not just another mix. We feel that over time, the pressure we put on ourselves has increased. Some might call it overthinking, and it comes with the years. When creating mixes, we often get anxious and begin to prepare and listen to what others are doing. We felt quite nervous when asked to do DJ Kicks.
We quickly recognized our desire for smooth transitions between classic and new tracks in interesting combinations. For example, DJ Tennis—a good friend of ours—is an exceptional DJ who can blend various styles seamlessly. He incorporates rhythm and sound alongside unusual elements into his mixes, and we thought that’s essentially what we would aim for as well. We decided not to overprepare, resulting in a spontaneous recording done in one day, using tracks we could find quickly with minimal overthinking.
One example is ‘Bonk’ by Plus One, a piece we've included in our sets. It resonates with us because it's fresh, yet has an old-school vibe, making it work well in clubs. Conversely, we created a lot of music during the pandemic, but our extended album didn't gain traction. It was an ambitious project considering the context of widespread releases at that time. We regretted limiting ourselves to the ten best tracks, so we chose some favorites from the album that we hadn't gotten to play live because once the pandemic ended, we toured as Moderat and had no time for Modeselektor.
Sebastian’s contributions tend to be more ethereal and beatless, while Gernot brings the dancefloor vitality—how do you balance these differences when collaborating?
Szary listens to 100% of the music that I [Gernot] wouldn’t typically explore, and he discovers songs that are completely unfamiliar to me. The reverse is also true—he doesn't usually purchase techno or tracks with drum sequences. Occasionally he does, but it's rare!
Combining these distinctive elements is a beautiful challenge. Creating a mix often requires compromise, especially for DJ-Kicks. It shouldn’t be sixty minutes of relentless high energy; it needs to feel appropriate in various settings—whether in a car, at home, or while walking a dog.
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When you advised fans to “not skip any tracks” when approaching the mix, you highlighted that the skill of patient listening has diminished with shrinking attention spans. With three decades of experience in this culture, have you found yourself growing resentful of modern dance music trends and society, or do you still find ample inspiration and hope?
It’s two separate matters. We’re critical of modern culture and brief attention spans because if people don’t appreciate it, that's on them. We don’t aim to educate anyone. It’s vital to advocate for a meaningful way to engage with art and culture. I [Gernot] have two children, one eighteen and one thirteen, and I’ve taught them to listen to complete albums. When we were young, we started with Stevie Wonder. I have the entire collection, and they are familiar with all the b-sides and understand how to engage with music. There isn’t a definitive way to enjoy it, but they appreciate the process. In my youth, I was a big track skipper as I was searching for songs to play out, but nowadays, attention spans can be as short as fifteen seconds. That's hardly enough for the intro of many of our tracks.
We don’t create seven-minute tracks intentionally; if they happen, they happen. However, I refuse to produce two-minute
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Since their rise in the early 2000s, Modeselektor—comprising Gernot Bronsert and Sebastian Szary—have established themselves as a staple of Berlin's continually transforming electronic scene.