Biography
Jörg Burger, a key German producer, songwriter, and mastering engineer, uses the Modernist alias to create minimal techno shaped by the tuneful qualities of classic indie pop. Before that, he worked in trance and downtempo as the Bionaut and joined Wolfgang Voigt on projects such as Burger/Ink; his first Modernist outing came with the 1997 album Opportunity Knox, which introduced the lean yet melodic techno style later identified with the Cologne scene around the Kompakt label. Two further albums and many singles appeared afterward, yet following the 2006 mix Collectors Series, Pt. 1: Popular Songs he kept the project mainly for remixes and compilation contributions. The 2021 set Total the Modernist gathered tracks that had first surfaced on Kompakt’s Total series.
London’s pop environment in the early ’80s, where both Burger and Voigt were living, sparked their initial interest, but the pair embraced acid techno upon returning to Germany. By 1988 they were producing electronic music that blended pop and acid techno elements, although Voigt favored a minimal rhythmic approach while Burger leaned toward warmer, more melodic textures. Two early Burger tracks landed on the 1989 compilation Teutonic Beats assembled by Thomas Fehlmann. Two years later Burger and Voigt launched their first label, Trance Atlantic, which issued Burger Industries: Vol. 1. After relocating to Frankfurt in 1993 to collaborate with Air Liquide’s Jammin’ Unit and Dr. Walker, and after founding the labels Structure—home to the first Bionaut album, Everybody’s Kissing Everyone from 1992—and Blue, the duo placed their partnership on hold. Burger moved back to Cologne and, working alongside artists including Cristian Vogel and Thomas Heckmann, focused on Bionaut material, occasional singles, the new Eat Raw label, the dance publication House Attack, and the record shop Delirium.
He also took part in reviving EMI’s Harvest imprint, which put out the Bionaut’s 1995 album Lush Life Electronica, the 1996 Burger/Ink release Las Vegas, and the Modernist’s debut Opportunity Knox in 1997. Reviews in Spex, Muzik, Jockey Slut, and Mixmag were favorable. Around the same period Burger established the Granit graphics and illustration studio, which handled artwork for all his projects.
In 1999 Burger shifted from EMI/Harvest to Sony and formed the Popular Organisation, a group of three labels: the club-focused Popular Tools, the experimental Popular Sound, and Popular Music, dedicated to electronic pop. Popular Tools released the Modernist’s second album Explosion in Europe at the end of 1999; Matador Records issued the U.S. edition in early 2000, complete with alternate artwork and additional tracks, having previously handled the North American version of Las Vegas.
A split EP with Bochum Welt titled Eldar appeared on Art of Perception in 2001. Kompakt issued 4 Remixe für the Modernist, featuring reworkings of tracks from the first two albums by Voigt under various names. Wonder put out the 2002 EP Come Back, the 2003 album Kangmei, and the remix EP Protest Songs. A Modernist track featured on the 2005 Speicher 28 single, while Faith Recordings released the mix CD Collectors Series, Pt. 1: Popular Songs in 2006. Since then Burger has concentrated on mastering and other collaborations, yet he has continued to use the Modernist name for remixes and for pieces contributed to Kompakt’s yearly Total compilations, which were compiled on the 2021 digital release Total the Modernist.
London’s pop environment in the early ’80s, where both Burger and Voigt were living, sparked their initial interest, but the pair embraced acid techno upon returning to Germany. By 1988 they were producing electronic music that blended pop and acid techno elements, although Voigt favored a minimal rhythmic approach while Burger leaned toward warmer, more melodic textures. Two early Burger tracks landed on the 1989 compilation Teutonic Beats assembled by Thomas Fehlmann. Two years later Burger and Voigt launched their first label, Trance Atlantic, which issued Burger Industries: Vol. 1. After relocating to Frankfurt in 1993 to collaborate with Air Liquide’s Jammin’ Unit and Dr. Walker, and after founding the labels Structure—home to the first Bionaut album, Everybody’s Kissing Everyone from 1992—and Blue, the duo placed their partnership on hold. Burger moved back to Cologne and, working alongside artists including Cristian Vogel and Thomas Heckmann, focused on Bionaut material, occasional singles, the new Eat Raw label, the dance publication House Attack, and the record shop Delirium.
He also took part in reviving EMI’s Harvest imprint, which put out the Bionaut’s 1995 album Lush Life Electronica, the 1996 Burger/Ink release Las Vegas, and the Modernist’s debut Opportunity Knox in 1997. Reviews in Spex, Muzik, Jockey Slut, and Mixmag were favorable. Around the same period Burger established the Granit graphics and illustration studio, which handled artwork for all his projects.
In 1999 Burger shifted from EMI/Harvest to Sony and formed the Popular Organisation, a group of three labels: the club-focused Popular Tools, the experimental Popular Sound, and Popular Music, dedicated to electronic pop. Popular Tools released the Modernist’s second album Explosion in Europe at the end of 1999; Matador Records issued the U.S. edition in early 2000, complete with alternate artwork and additional tracks, having previously handled the North American version of Las Vegas.
A split EP with Bochum Welt titled Eldar appeared on Art of Perception in 2001. Kompakt issued 4 Remixe für the Modernist, featuring reworkings of tracks from the first two albums by Voigt under various names. Wonder put out the 2002 EP Come Back, the 2003 album Kangmei, and the remix EP Protest Songs. A Modernist track featured on the 2005 Speicher 28 single, while Faith Recordings released the mix CD Collectors Series, Pt. 1: Popular Songs in 2006. Since then Burger has concentrated on mastering and other collaborations, yet he has continued to use the Modernist name for remixes and for pieces contributed to Kompakt’s yearly Total compilations, which were compiled on the 2021 digital release Total the Modernist.
Albums
Singles
