Berlin has been known as a Mecca for electronic music, producing some of the most talented artists we have ever seen. Not many can stand up to the formidable giant that is Moderat.
Photo credit: Birgit Kaufluss
Established artists in their own right in the early ’00s, Gernot Bronsert and Sebastian Szary aka Modselektor met Sascha Ring, also known as Apparat, for the first time at a festival in 2002. They had no intention on joining forces at all, but one thing they did have in common was, in a techno-driven Berlin, was a diverse sound. Not so long after that they released their first EP, Auf Kosten der Gesundheit, and let’s just say since then, they’ve conquered the world.
Voted #1 Live Act in 2009 by the worldwide readers of Resident Advisor, the trio have toured the world and managed to curate three influential albums in the meantime – whilst balancing family lives. On top of their amazing musical performances, Moderat have been known for their incredible visual shows due to The Pfadfinderei visual element, which also takes a long time to perfect.
As the guys make their return to Dublin for Forbidden Fruit Festival, our editor Jordan Kinlan had a chat with Gernot Bronsert about their iconic Monkeytown Records, how their live set has changed over time, and some Dublin friends of theirs.
Photo credit: Flavien Prioreau
Jordan: Hey guys, thanks for taking time out of your busy schedule to chat to me today. How has 2017 been for you so far? I saw you’ve recently played Coachella.
J: At what point between your first EP release in 2003 and your album release in 2009 did you think that Moderat would be a ‘full time’ project?
J: You are known for your striking live sets, how much has it changed since you began touring the debut Moderat LP in 2009?
J: You’re set to play Forbidden Fruit Festival in Dublin this summer. Last time around you played Metropolis Festival, can we expect some new material since your last show?
J: At Melt Festival, Modeslektor curate the now famous Meltselektor Stage where you invite artists, label mates and friends onto the line up. Would this idea be something you’d consider bringing to Ireland?
Photo credit: Birgit Kaufluss
J: The Pfadfinderei visual element of the show is obviously incredibly important to the Moderat project. How enjoyable is the collaborative process with them before each tour?

J: Last month saw the one year anniversary of your album ‘III’. Do you think it’s your best work to date?
J: Do you still work separately a lot as Modeselektor and Apparat? If so, where do you find the time with your busy touring schedule?

J: Monkeytown has become known for releasing consistently high quality music, especially fellow Berliners FJAAK recently. How did that album come about, and what is the process you go through when an artist is releasing on Monkeytown?
J: Which upcoming artists on Monkeytown are exciting you the most at the moment?
