50Weapons Finale

Just under 10 years on from the label’s first release, and the 50Weapons manifesto has met its conclusion.

On this, Modeselektor’s second label and subsidiary to MonkeyTown, there were only ever meant to be 50 single releases encapsulating the spirit of bootleg culture. And so, with the release of the Berlin duo’s own Trees single in December last year, the final nail was hammered into the coffin: those 50 singles have now been delivered in full, along with box sets and a solid catalogue of LPs from the label’s stalwarts.

The label’s funeral – a tour beginning last November and finishing this February – has seen much of the roster appearing together across the world. One of the last dates of the farewell tour, the Berlin party kicks off in Berghain at midnight with a thunderous three hour power house set from Rene Pawlowitz, aka Shed. The following hour is filled with a live set from Phon.o, with his trademark dirty techno compelling what looks like most of the Berghain crowd to move towards the floor before the ever-progressive hardware fiends FJAAK take over with a moody DJ set.

The stage is then set for Modeselektor, who career through a fist-pumping, raw and typically varied two hours, with the crowd showing them the respect they deserve as the label’s bosses. Swansea’s Benjamin Damage – whose 2015 LP Obsidian was 50 Weapons’ final full length release – proves to be a late highlight, with his two hour live set kicking off at 8am and re-energising the crowd. The farewell party is then crowned with a fun and frantic set from Bambounou, who embraces his midday finish and keeps the party in full swing until after the lights are up. All good labels have to say goodbye at some point, and following 50Weapons’ curtain call, the bar has been been raised significantly.