The first time I saw Modeselektor, it was at an event in Berlin and I did a lot more wandering than dancing -- wandering from room to room, to the outdoor patio next to the river, stopping occasionally to see who was performing. Most of the people at the party were nomadic as me, and only a fraction were dancing at any one time. And those that were dancing on the sparsely populated dance floor were pretty freaky by typical techno party standards, even for Berlin (although most of them made their appearances after Modeselektor's set). I only had a passing familiarity with Modeselektor at the time, and wasn't paying very close attention to their set, although they definitely made an impression ...
[...which I remember as a good, but inconsistent impression. Or at least that's how it plays out in my mind. I was surprised to check what I wrote about them at the time, and it certainly wasn't positive. And I had no recollection of anyone else who played that night. Memory is a funny thing ...]
The second time I saw Modeselektor, they played in a proper concert venue, i.e. a venue not suited for dancing and/or club acts, although the show itself was quite good.
The third time I saw Modeselektor, I finally saw them as they are meant to be seen -- in a packed dance club. Yarin Lidor played one of the best warm-up sets I've ever heard, something very close to Modeselektor's own DJ sets, where reggae, funky and bruising techno rub shoulders for hours on end. By the time he wrapped up and Modeselektor were ready to hit the stage, it was 3:30 AM and the crowd was rabid.
It had been a while since I was at a show this packed, where you had a fight and claw to hold your place on the dancefloor. Modeselektor, with their dazzling video screens and their champagne baths, certainly know how to throw a party.
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