Moderat – III

'Why must I hide / In the forests of my mind?' asks Sascha Ring – aka Apparat – in the opening lines of Eating Hooks. It’s as clear a sign as any that III, the third album from Berlin-based super-trio Moderat, is far more insular than much of the collaborators’ previous imaginings.

Modeselektor’s beats are oceanic, secret-keeping, while Apparat’s vocals have found a new, deeply personal clarity: anyone who’s turned up for another Rusty Nails or Bad Kingdom will need to take a moment, because III demands thorough concentration to feel fully immersed in the album’s glitchy, dreamy neuroses.

It’s initially difficult to imagine this record fitting within Moderat’s well-honed festival presence; give it time, and understated, outspoken tracks like Finder and Running float to the surface. Elsewhere, there's a space-age r'n'b influence that feels far more appropriate for savouring in solitude: III is a record for getting lost in your thoughts, rather than losing your mind on the floor. [Katie Hawthorne]