Modeselektor's
Happy Birthday! is a fun amalgam of the most fun elements of electronica's past, present, and future, from four-on-the-floor rave (albeit not nearly as mindless as that genre can be) to textural IDM of the
Plaid/
Black Dog school to bouncy hip-hop and electro jams that wouldn't sound out of place while cruisin' in your pimped-out Escalade. The stiff techno of the duo's native Germany is nowhere to be found -- every one of these tracks is loose and groovy, hip-shakin' and head-bobbin' fun, with a serious injection of piss-taking, fun-lovin' humor. After all, this kind of music should be fun. Did we mention they're fun? As diverse as this album is they never forget to bring the party. "Godspeed," "Edgar," and "The White Flash" (featuring
Thom Yorke!) bring the glitch. "The Dark Side of the Sun" and "2000007" (featuring French rappers
TTC) bring the crunk. "Let Your Love Grow" and the title track bring the ragamuffin riddims. And "Déboutonner" and "Hyper Hyper" (featuring
Otto von Schirach and a refrain of "we need a bass drum!") bring the acid and the glow sticks. As the title implies and the music confirms,
Modeselektor know how to have a
Happy Birthday! [The CD was also released with bonus tracks.] ~ Brian Way