Monkeytown Records
Monkeytown Records is a Berlin-based electronic music label owned and operated by the German duo Modeselektor.
Last updated August 24, 2026
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Overview
Monkeytown Records is an independent electronic music record label based in Berlin and associated with the German production and performance duo Modeselektor. The label functions as a platform for experimental, club-oriented and boundary-crossing electronic music, while also reflecting Modeselektor's long-running connections with Berlin's underground, visual-art and independent-label communities. The label is closely tied to Modeselektor members Gernot Bronsert and Sebastian Szary. The pair met in Berlin in the early 1990s, during the period of cultural and musical upheaval that followed German reunification. They developed a sound influenced by acid house, techno, hip-hop, breakbeat, bass music and other forms of electronic experimentation. Before establishing Monkeytown as their own label, they released important early work through BPitch Control, the Berlin label founded by Ellen Allien. Modeselektor's first studio albums, including Hello Mom! and Happy Birthday!, appeared through BPitch Control, while later work helped establish the identity of Monkeytown Records. Monkeytown became particularly visible through Modeselektor's 2011 album Monkeytown and through the label's role in releasing music by artists connected to the duo's creative network. Its catalogue has included releases by Modeselektor, Moderat, Mouse on Mars, Otto von Schirach, Siriusmo, Funkstörung and WK7, among others. The label has also issued music involving prominent international collaborators, including Thom Yorke, whose appearances on Modeselektor recordings contributed to the label's visibility outside specialist electronic-music circles. A major part of Monkeytown's profile comes from its relationship with Moderat, the collaborative project formed by Modeselektor and the musician Apparat. The project first released an EP in 2003 and later issued full-length records through the Modeselektor-linked label infrastructure. Moderat albums such as II, III and More D4ta expanded the label's reach toward atmospheric, album-oriented electronic music while retaining a connection to club culture. Monkeytown Records is not simply a vehicle for conventional artist albums. Its broader output includes singles, extended plays, remixes, compilations and related audiovisual projects. The Modeselektion compilation series presents artists and sounds connected to the label's wider musical environment, while collaborations with visual artists and media partners reinforce the label's emphasis on presentation and audiovisual identity. In 2013, Monkeytown Records worked with Telekom Electronic Beats on We Are Modeselektor, a documentary about the duo, demonstrating the label's involvement in artist storytelling beyond recorded releases. The label's positioning is deliberately eclectic. Modeselektor have resisted being confined to a single genre, describing their music through combinations of electronic, rap, ambient, metal and other influences rather than a strict scene designation. Monkeytown consequently operates as a home for adventurous electronic releases rather than as a narrowly defined techno imprint. Its catalogue combines dance-floor energy, experimental sound design, vocal collaborations and multimedia presentation. The available reference material does not establish a precise incorporation date, legal structure, staff roster or current release schedule, but identifies Monkeytown as an active Berlin label owned by Modeselektor.
History
Monkeytown Records emerged from the Berlin electronic-music activities of Modeselektor, the duo formed by Gernot Bronsert and Sebastian Szary. The two musicians met in Berlin in 1992, when Szary was performing acid-house-oriented live music at underground parties under the name Fundamental Knowledge. In the years after the fall of the Berlin Wall, Berlin's rapidly changing cultural environment provided an important context for their work. They began developing Modeselektor as a project interested in the collision of techno, breakbeat, hip-hop, bass music, experimental electronics and other styles. Modeselektor's early professional development included a remix contract in 1999 and a working relationship with Pfadfinderei, a Berlin visual and design collective. In 2000, the duo connected with Ellen Allien and made BPitch Control their principal label home for early releases. Their first albums, Hello Mom! in 2005 and Happy Birthday! in 2007, established a reputation for energetic, unconventional electronic production and featured collaborations with artists such as Thom Yorke, Paul St. Hilaire, TTC, Puppetmastaz, Maxïmo Park, Otto von Schirach and Siriusmo. The duo's creative network broadened in parallel. In 2002, Modeselektor and Apparat formed Moderat, a collaborative project that issued an initial EP in 2003 and later became a significant album act. Modeselektor also worked with Pfadfinderei as Pfadselektor and participated in audiovisual installations and educational events. These activities helped shape an identity in which music, visual design, performance and technology were closely connected. Monkeytown Records became the label associated with Modeselektor's later catalogue. Its profile rose substantially with the release of the album Monkeytown in September 2011. The record used the duo's established taste for stylistic contrasts and included guest contributions, notably from Thom Yorke. The label subsequently released music by Modeselektor and a group of affiliated or sympathetic artists, including Moderat, Mouse on Mars, Otto von Schirach, Siriusmo, Funkstörung and WK7. This catalogue positioned Monkeytown as a Berlin-based electronic imprint with an international audience rather than as a narrowly local club label. The label's compilation programme further expressed this role. Modeselektion volumes presented music connected to Modeselektor's wider artistic environment and helped frame Monkeytown as a curator of experimental and club-adjacent sounds. Monkeytown also supported related audiovisual storytelling. In 2013, it partnered with Telekom Electronic Beats on We Are Modeselektor, a documentary about the duo. The label's broader ecosystem included collaborations with visual practitioners and a continuing interest in how electronic music could be presented through film, design and live performance. During the late 2010s and early 2020s, Monkeytown's recorded output included Modeselektor albums and singles such as Who Else, as well as releases by Moderat. The reference material identifies Moderat albums II, III and More D4ta as Monkeytown releases, linking the label to both experimental dance music and more expansive, atmospheric electronic songwriting. Modeselektor's Extended and related 2021 releases also appeared during this period. The available sources do not specify the label's legal incorporation date, staffing structure, financial performance or detailed current corporate organization. They do, however, consistently describe Monkeytown Records as a Berlin-based label owned by Modeselektor and active in electronic music.
- 2022
Moderat releases More D4ta
[1]More D4ta extends the Moderat catalogue associated with Monkeytown Records.
- 2021
Extended-era releases
[1]Modeselektor releases Extended and several related projects during a particularly active year for the label's catalogue.
- 2019
Who Else is released
[1]Modeselektor issues Who Else through Monkeytown Records, adding another major album to the label's catalogue.
- 2016
Moderat releases III
[1]The third Moderat full-length continues the label's association with the collaboration between Modeselektor and Apparat.
- 2013
We Are Modeselektor documentary
[1]Monkeytown Records and Telekom Electronic Beats collaborate on a documentary about Modeselektor.
- 2013
Moderat releases II
[1]The second Moderat album is issued through Monkeytown Records.
- 2011
Monkeytown album establishes the label identity
[1]Modeselektor releases Monkeytown, its first album issued through the namesake label and a major step in defining Monkeytown Records' public profile.
- 2002
Moderat is formed
[1]Modeselektor and Apparat form Moderat, a collaboration that later becomes one of the most prominent projects connected with Monkeytown's catalogue.
- 2000
Connection with BPitch Control
[1]Modeselektor meets Ellen Allien and establishes BPitch Control as its early label home.
- 1999
First remix contract
[1]The musicians secure their first remix contract and begin a professional phase that develops alongside their work with Berlin visual collective Pfadfinderei.
Products and positioning
An independent Berlin electronic-music label focused on adventurous, genre-fluid releases, artist collaborations and strong audiovisual presentation.
Artist releases · 2011
Modeselektor catalogue
Monkeytown Records is the principal label platform for Modeselektor's later work. The catalogue includes the album Monkeytown, the 2019 album Who Else, the 2021 album Extended and associated singles, remixes and related releases. The duo's music is characterized by a deliberately open approach combining techno, bass music, hip-hop, breakbeat, experimental electronics and vocal collaborations.
Collaborative electronic music · 2013
Moderat catalogue
Moderat is the collaborative project of Modeselektor and Apparat. Monkeytown-associated albums include II, III and More D4ta. These releases broaden the label's range toward atmospheric, detailed and album-focused electronic music while retaining the project's roots in Berlin club culture.
Compilation series · 2010
Modeselektion
Modeselektion is a compilation series presenting artists and sounds connected with Modeselektor's musical network. The series operates as a curatorial extension of the label, showing the breadth of experimental, electronic and club-oriented music surrounding Monkeytown.
Electronic music releases
Monkeytown artist catalogue
Beyond its owners' projects, the label has released music by or associated with artists including Mouse on Mars, Otto von Schirach, Siriusmo, Funkstörung and WK7. This wider catalogue reflects Monkeytown's preference for distinctive electronic production and artist-led experimentation rather than a single fixed genre.
Marketing campaigns
- 2013We Are Modeselektor
Germany · International electronic-music audience
Monkeytown Records partnered with Telekom Electronic Beats on an electronic-music documentary centered on Modeselektor. The project extended the label's presentation of the duo beyond audio releases and emphasized its connection to audiovisual culture.
Outcome. The documentary provided a film-based profile of Modeselektor and strengthened the label's broader cultural and media presence.
Brand decisions
2013
Expand label activity into documentary productionOtherBackground
Monkeytown's identity includes visual presentation and media work in addition to recorded music.
Action taken
The label collaborated with Telekom Electronic Beats on We Are Modeselektor.
Aftermath
The collaboration gave the label an additional audiovisual channel for presenting its principal artists.
2011
Establishing Monkeytown as Modeselektor's label platformStrategyBackground
After early releases through BPitch Control, Modeselektor used its own Monkeytown imprint for the album Monkeytown and subsequent catalogue activity.
Action taken
The label developed into a home for Modeselektor, Moderat and a wider group of experimental electronic artists.
Aftermath
Monkeytown gained a distinct identity as an internationally oriented Berlin electronic-music imprint.
Recent events
- 2022
Moderat releases More D4ta[1]
Product launch
More D4ta continued the Moderat project after the release of Modeselektor's Extended-era material.
- 2019
Modeselektor releases Who Else[1]
Product launch
Who Else expanded Modeselektor's catalogue on Monkeytown Records and included the single Who featuring Tommy Cash.
- 2016
Moderat releases III[1]
Product launch
The third Moderat studio album continued the collaborative project's role in the Monkeytown catalogue.
- 2013
Monkeytown Records and Telekom Electronic Beats present We Are Modeselektor[1]
Campaign · Other
The label collaborated with Telekom Electronic Beats on a documentary focused on Modeselektor and the duo's creative world.
- 2013
Moderat releases II through the Monkeytown network[1]
Product launch
The second full-length album by Moderat, the collaboration between Modeselektor and Apparat, strengthened the label's connection to atmospheric and album-oriented electronic music.
- 2011
Monkeytown Records releases Modeselektor's Monkeytown[1]
Product launch · Product generation
Modeselektor's third studio album and the label's namesake release brought Monkeytown Records wider attention, with guest appearances including Thom Yorke.
Sources2 sources
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