God Save The Mixtape

“Hello friends, this is Gernot writing. Just recently I discovered what is most likely my oldest, still working mixtape and it brought back some nice memories, which I want to share with you. As the label on the tape reveals, it was recorded on October 21, 1995. I was 16 years old, still went to school, still lived with my parents. The walls in my little room were covered in rave flyers and posters since there was only one religion for me: Techno.

All my friends, including myself, were ravers, but the art of DJing fascinated me even more. I worked on construction sites during school holidays until I was able to buy my first set of turntables at the age of 14. They were my treasures and I still own them today. So I started to learn how to mix, just for myself and sometimes for some friends. We hung out together and did all the things that teenagers do until the noise became too much for my otherwise really liberal parents (thanks again!) and we moved the gear to the “Pferdestube”, an old barn on our yard which became a daily meeting point for me and my friends. And in this place, this mixtape was created. Listening to the tape now, I still remember each and every track and all those memories and the smells of incense and weed are immediately back in my head.

Back in the days, mixtapes were unique and the DJ’s trademark. Only the best mixtapes with the best selections and perfect transitions survived and were looked after like the holy grail. It took me quite a few attempts to get the mix right. Whenever there was a tiny mistake, even at the very end of the mix, I started from scratch to get it right.

Then we started going to raves on the weekends: Tresor, E-Werk, WMF, etc. We shared a car, listening to our latest mixes. The mixtape was the business card of a DJ, pretty much like a graffiti is the business card for a sprayer. If a mixtape was really, really good, the word got around and copies were made. Back in the days, I had different DJ names: Tama-E represented my love for Techno and as Gregoriéf I played House Music. This mixtape combines both loves. One side Techno, one side House Music. Enjoy a time travel back to 1995” (Gernot Bronsert/Modeselektor, April 2021)

The new album “Extended” by Modeselektor is a mixtape, consisting of 27 new and unreleased tracks. It will get released on April 9, 2021 on streaming platforms/download. A release on CD and limited tape will follow on April 30, 2021. Pre-order your copy here: https://www.monkeytownrecords.com/releases/extended/

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Pic by Birgit Kaulfuß