Rod Modell

Biography

Rod Modell is a sound designer / electronic music producer from the Detroit area. He began producing music in the mid-80's using analog synthesizers and drum machines. To date (July 2007), Modell has about 60 releases to his credit. Rod's work was focused on electro-acoustic experimentation in the early years, making musique concrète compositions with a 4-track cassette machine and field recordings, then branching into industrial soundscape work. More recent recordings utilize more structure and...

Rod Modell is a sound designer / electronic music producer from the Detroit area. He began producing music in the mid-80's using analog synthesizers and drum machines. To date (July 2007), Modell has about 60 releases to his credit. Rod's work was focused on electro-acoustic experimentation in the early years, making musique concrète compositions with a 4-track cassette machine and field recordings, then branching into industrial soundscape work. More recent recordings utilize more structure and beats, but still retain the atmospherics that Modell is known for.

Mood is of paramount importance in a Rod Modell recording (often created with field recordings). Sadly, this element seems to be lost in much of the "clicks & cuts" DSP music of today. One of Modell's favorite pastimes is making middle-of-the-night recordings with his portable DAT machine and dummy-head microphone. In the mid-90's, Modell started DeepChord Records (with Mike Schommer) in Detroit, as an outlet for his music. DeepChord has experienced tremendous popularity (some say cult status) within the dub techno world.

Formed in the mid-90's, DC was one of the original perveyors of this sound. Hordes of imitators came in the following years after DC, but DC's status as one of the originators is firmly embedded in musical history. Somewhat similar to the mid-90's Berlin sound, but with warmer sensibilites... seeming to pull more elements from Chicago's house and Detroit's techno heritages, while avoiding Berlin's more metallic edge. Someone recently described Berlin's sound as "black & grey", and DC's sound as "brown & red". Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.