When they released their self-titled debut album four years ago, the Berlin-based smart-thump trio Moderat found an ideal middle ground between their component parts -- the cerebral stutters of Modeselektor and the emotive deep-house of Apparat. And now they've gotten the band back together for another album, the creatively titled II. And even in a time that's rich with heady, textured, weirdly pretty electronic albums, II rises near the top of the pack. It's a deeply pleasant listen, and you can stream the whole thing at NPR.
II is out 8/6 on Mute.
