Modeselektor, the Berlin electronic duo consisting of Gernot Bronsert and Sebastian Szary, released Happy Birthday! in 2007, an album that mixed emotion, humor, and party excess. Through this album, this book presents a unique window into the histories of Berlin techno, European rave culture, and electronic music. By emphasizing Happy Birthday! as a network of collabs, genres, and insider winks, it highlights key features in Modeselektor's career: above all, the beginnings of Moderat, the famous project between Modeselektor and Apparat, as well as the connections to groups and artists as diverse as Thom Yorke, Ellen Allien, Paul St. Hilaire, Otto von Schirach, Scooter, and Jones & Stephenson.

33 1/3 Global, a series related to but independent from 33 1/3, takes the format of the original series of short, music-based books and brings the focus to music throughout the world. With initial volumes focusing on Japanese and Brazilian music, the series will also include volumes on the popular music of Australia/Oceania, Europe, Africa, the Middle East, and more.

Sean Nye is Assistant Professor of Practice in Musicology at the University of Southern California, USA. His teaching and research explore multiple topics, including electronic music, hip-hop, German studies, and science fiction. Nye received his PhD in Comparative Studies in Discourse and Society from the University of Minnesota, USA. He was a DAAD-Fellow at the Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Germany, and a fellow in the Berlin Program for Advanced German and European Studies at the Freie Universität Berlin, Germany.