On the surface,
Modeselektor's fourth album seems alarmingly restrained compared to their previous three -- there are only eight songs here, three guest artists (none of whom are anywhere as close to a big name as
Thom Yorke), and the cover art is abstract instead of wacky. This just means that Who Else is a concentrated burst of the Berlin-based duo's unmistakable, genre-smashing style, and everything here is designed to make an impact. As usual,
Modeselektor are brilliant at making tracks which blur the lines between chin-stroking intelligent techno and more obvious, big-room club bangers. Early highlight "Prügelknabe" is filled with explosive snares and chest-rattling bass, yet the calmer, subtler breakdown doesn't feel out of place. "Wealth" is a stellar grime track featuring sharp, confident rhymes by London-based newcomer Flohio. "WMF Love Song" and the aggressive "I Am Your God" (with
Otto Von Schirach) are more functional club tracks, while "Fentanyl" is a deep, grubby piece of mutant reggaeton. "Wake Me Up When It's Over" seems like it's going to be a relaxing comedown at first, until abrasive "Girl/Boy Song"-style breakbeats crash through the roof halfway through. The album's only weak point is "Who," a cloying EDM track featuring Estonian rapper Tommy Cash and a chorus of children taunting "blah blah blah." Apart from this easily skippable misstep, Who Else is another exciting, unpredictable release that only could've come from
Modeselektor. ~ Paul Simpson