Editing Modulate (album)

{{other uses|Modulation (disambiguation)}}
{{use American English|date=June 2023}}
{{use mdy dates|date=June 2023}}
{{Infobox album
| name       = Modulate
| type       = [[Album]]
| artist     = [[Bob Mould]]
| cover      = Modulatebm.jpg
| alt        =
| released   = March 12, 2002
| studio     = 
* Granary 6, New York City
* [[Bearsville Studios|Bearsville]], [[Bearsville, New York]]
| genre      = <!-- sourced in prose -->
* [[Electronic music|Electronic]]
* [[power pop]]
| length     = 47:38
| label      = [[Granary Music]]
| producer   = Bob Mould
| prev_title = [[The Last Dog and Pony Show]]
| prev_year  = 1998
| next_title = [[Long Playing Grooves]]
| next_year  = 2002
| misc       = {{Singles
 | name        = Modulate
 | type        = studio
 | single1     = Soundonsound
 | single1date = 2002
}}
}}
'''''Modulate''''' is [[Bob Mould]]'s fifth solo album, released in 2002. Although a few tracks on his previous release, ''[[The Last Dog and Pony Show]]'', had featured tape loops and samples, Mould shocked his fans with such a dramatic embrace of electronica.

Mould dubbed the tour supporting this album ''The Carnival of Light and Sound''. It featured him performing alone on stage, backed by prerecorded tracks as short films were projected on screens behind him.

==Background and production==
Bob Mould issued his fourth studio album ''[[The Last Dog and Pony Show]]'' in 1998, marking his final release for the [[record label]] [[Rykodisc]].<ref name=Morris87/> During tours in promotion for it, Mould billed it as a demise to the "punk-rocky guitar guy standing at stage left, jumping around and yelling", having spent the previous two decades playing [[alternative rock]] and [[hardcore punk]] with his prior bands [[Hüsker Dü]] and [[Sugar (American band)|Sugar]],.<ref name=PMreview/> By the end of the year, he had become tired of working with a full band in a live environment. This aspect,<ref name=PPGMervis>Mervis 2002, p. 28</ref> combined with Mould consuming club music from living in New York City, particularly in [[Chelsea, Manhattan]],<ref name=Outinterview>Rogers 2002, p. 36</ref> marked the beginning of his next album.<ref name=PPGMervis/> Writing for it initially began in early 1999,<ref name=Morris87>Morris 2002, p. 87</ref> until he spent sometime away from music, focusing on his personal life, including losing weight.<ref name=PMreview/> 

Mould worked as a consultant for the [[World Championship Wrestling]] company between late 1999 and early 2000. For some months following this position, he discovered electronic acts such as [[John Digweed]], [[Paul Van Dyk]],<ref name=Morris87/> [[Richard Morel]], [[Swayzak]]<ref name=IWreview/> and [[Nick Warren]], in addition to ''[[Version 2.0]]'' (1998) by [[Garbage (band)|Garbage]].<ref name=Morris87/> He came to the conclusion that it was not dissimilar from the music he was previously making with guitars, highlighting the building of chords and adding [[Groove (music)|grooves]] to single [[Musical note|note]]s.<ref name=Magnetinterview>{{cite web|url=https://magnetmagazine.com/2002/05/12/bob-mould-fightclub/|title=Bob Mould: Fight/Club - |work=[[Magnet (magazine)|Magnet]]|author=Wilson, Scott|date=May 12, 2002|access-date=July 4, 2023}}</ref> One electronic release in particular, ''[[Xpander (EP)|Xpander]]'' (1999) by [[Sasha (DJ)|Sasha]], served as an inspiration; he subsequently purchased new [[Electronic music|electronic]] equipment for his studio. He re-learned the songwriting process, solely with [[Sampler (musical instrument)|samplers]], [[synthesizer]]s and [[Digital recording|digital recorders]].<ref name=PMreview/> He sampled [[Single (music)|seven-inch singles]] of other artists work, but abandoned this method after a couple months when it dawned on him that he was attempting it like a [[Disc jockey|DJ]] would, and would have to [[Sampling (music)|pay to release]] material like that. He started to sample guitar parts and grooves he made on his own and alter them, eventually making [[Loop (music)|loop]]s and drum sequences. Mould remarked that it was easier crafting this material than making his debut studio album ''[[Workbook (album)|Workbook]]'' (1989), where he had to "sit down and relearn the guitar", whereas for the new songs, he "pick[ed] up a different set of tools, trying to supplement my songwriting and storytelling style".<ref name=Magnetinterview/> Mould produced ''Modulate'' at Granary 6 in New York City and [[Bearsville Studios]] in [[Bearsville, New York]], with Damien Shannon serving as engineer at the latter. Mould then mixed the recordings at Granary 6 and [[The Hit Factory]], also located in New York City.<ref name=Modulatebooklet/>

==Composition and lyrics==
===Overview===
''Modulate'' is an electronic<ref name=TACreview/> and [[power pop]] album,<ref name=CMJMonthlyreview>Kleinsak 2002, p. 56</ref> which evoked the sound of [[New Order (band)|New Order]];<ref name=NATNreview/> it takes its name from a lyric in "Comeonstrong".<ref name=PMreview/> Chris Larry of ''[[CMJ New Music Report]]'' compared it to the work of [[Erasure (duo)|Erasure]] with the [[1980s in music|1980s-esque]] keyboards, "elements of [[house music]] and an overall, [[Industrial music|industrialized]] sci-fi sound".<ref name=CMJReportreview>Larry 2002, p. 11</ref> Mould said he was against [[disco]] and electronic music when those styles emerged at the end of the [[1970s in music|1970s]], only for him to change his mind: "Now, 25 years later, I'm looking at it, going, 'This is really interesting.{{single double}}<ref name=Outinterview/> ''[[City Pages]]'' reviewer Peter S. Scholtes said it "mirrors the strengths and weaknesses" of ''[[Good News for Modern Man (album)|Good News for Modern Man]]'' (1999) by former Hüsker Dü bandmate [[Grant Hart]].<ref>{{cite web|date=March 27, 2002|title=Minneapolis Music - Bob Mould: Modulate| work=[[City Pages]]|author=Scholtes, Peter S.|url=http://www.citypages.com/2002-03-27/music/bob-mould-modulate/|access-date=July 3, 2023| url-status=dead | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080801105504/http://www.citypages.com/2002-03-27/music/bob-mould-modulate/| archive-date=August 1, 2008}}</ref> ''[[God Is in the TV]]'' writer Humphrey Fordham suggested that the [[drum and bass]] and [[trip hop]] track "Megamanic" from ''The Last Dog and Pony Show'' laid the groundwork for ''Modulate'', comparing the album to other releases that saw legacy acts "going out on a limb", such as ''[[Don Juan's Reckless Daughter]]'' (1977) by [[Joni Mitchell]] and ''[[Trans (album)|Trans]]'' (1983) by [[Neil Young]].<ref name=GIITTVDistortionreview>{{cite web|url=https://www.godisinthetvzine.co.uk/2021/01/26/bob-mould-distortion-1996-2007-demon-records/|title=Bob Mould: Distortion 1996 – 2007 (Demon Records)|work=[[God Is in the TV]]|author=Fordham, Humphrey|date=January 26, 2021|access-date=June 30, 2023}}</ref> Jon Wurster of ''[[Indy Week]]'' pointed out Mould's [[Bob Mould (album)|1996 self-titled album]] for its employment of [[drum machine]]s, in addition to highlighting "Megamanic" for it being Mould's initial foray into electronic music.<ref name=IWreview/>

[[AllMusic]] reviewer [[Stephen Thomas Erlewine]] commented that the tracks were presented differently from Mould's other works: "they're insular, one-man creations (even more so than Workbook), as that man tries to expand his art by grappling with new technologies and trends and a whole bunch of electronic instruments and computers".<ref name=AMreview/> ''[[PopMatters]]'' contributor Gary Glauber mentioned that Mould's "pop sensibility remains—only it’s a palette of vocoder, distortion, loops, samples, and other noise tricks from which he paints his sound pictures now", adding that it "does not totally abandon the past; occasional strains of that familiar Mould guitar sound are evident".<ref name=PMreview/> ''[[The Austin Chronicle]]'' writer Dan Oko remarked that it delivered an electronic sound with "synthetic vocals that owe more to Daft Punk and Madonna than his SST heyday".<ref name=TACreview/> Glauber noted that the tracks that feature the "electronic effects seem curiously concentrated" on the album's first half; after this, Mould's previous guitar sound returns with "Slay / Sway" and "The Receipt",<ref name=PMreview/> recalling the material by Sugar.<ref name=NATNreview/> Mould said he wanted to make an artistic statement by putting the electronic-focused songs on the first half.<ref name=IWreview>{{cite web|url=https://indyweek.com/music/features/mould-ulate/|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20200921191426/https://indyweek.com/music/features/mould-ulate/|title=Mould-ulate|work=[[Indy Week]]|author=Wurster, Jon|date=April 17, 2002|archivedate=September 21, 2020|access-date=July 4, 2023}}</ref>

===Tracks===
"180 Rain", which beings with car alarm and siren sounds,<ref name=PMreview/> uses a vocoder effect in a similar vein to that of [[Cher]] and Daft Punk.<ref name=RSreview/> Glauber thought the added sounds "enhance the lyrical idea of 'a catastrophe is happening tonight', like rain that can’t be stopped, another unhappy relationship".<ref name=PMreview/> For the [[Philip Glass]]-tinged "Sunset Safety Glass",<ref name=GIITTVDistortionreview/> Glauber said it "trades on repetition to drive home its musical point, while oddly juxtaposed lyrical images seek to disturb" the listener.<ref name=PMreview/> ''[[Rolling Stone]]'' reviewer Pat Blashill wrote that "Semper Fi" has a baroque structure consisting of "wheezing, calliope-style synth effects and squiggles, with Mould's drawling, side-of-the-mouth vocals and guitars roaring away underneath everything".<ref name=RSreview/> The song talks about a private love affair in the military, and is followed by the instrumental "Homecoming Parade", which features two minutes of [[bagpipes]] and other samples.<ref name=PMreview/> In "Lost Zoloft", Mould's [[stream of consciousness]] lyrics, which discuss self-doubt, is anchored around keyboard percussion.<ref name=PMreview/> The staff at ''[[The A.V. Club]]'' prosed that it dealt with the "underreported phenomenon of same-sex spousal abuse", while one of the lyrics could be interpretated as being "about any abusive relationship, until he mentions 'a latent homosex becomes so violent when provoked.{{single double}}<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.avclub.com/the-hits-keep-coming-30-songs-inspired-by-domestic-vio-1798226415|title=30 songs about domestic violence|work=[[The A.V. Club]]|date=June 20, 2011|access-date=July 4, 2023}}</ref> Preceded by the [[musique concrète]] track "Without?",<ref name=Independentreview>{{cite web|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/reviews/album-bob-mould-5362100.html|title=Album: Bob Mould|work=[[The Independent]]|author=Gill, Andy|date=April 26, 2002|access-date=July 4, 2023}}</ref> Oko said with the guitar-centric "Slay / Sway", Mould shows that he "may yet find a way to align his Midwestern godfather-of-[[grunge]] past and [[Music of New York City#Electronic dance music|NYC club-hopping]] present".<ref name=TACreview/>

"The Receipt" recalled the direction of ''The Last Dog and Pony Show'' with its guitar sound, sans electronic [[Coda (music)|coda]].<ref name=PMreview/> Sam Lambeth of ''[[Louder Than War]]'' theorised if it was about Mould's strained relationship with Hart.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://louderthanwar.com/mould-soundz-10-of-bobs-best-solo-tracks/|title=Mould Soundz – 10 of Bob Mould's Best Solo Tracks|work=[[Louder Than War]]|author=Lambeth, Sam|date=September 29, 2016|access-date=June 30, 2023}}</ref> According to Glauber, "Quasar" sees Mould use "synthesizers, samplers, and digital toys in another interesting layered clatter that’s tuneful and catchy, but suffers from its halfway treatment".<ref name=PMreview/> "Soundonsound" talks about a couple staying together despite growing apart from one another. "Hornery" is a short, minute-long instrumental song consisting of guitar feedback,<ref name=PMreview/> akin to "[[Arc (Neil Young & Crazy Horse album)|Arc-Weld]]" (1991) by Young.<ref name=Independentreview/> "Comeonstrong" is an alternative rock track,<ref name=RSreview/> which blends Mould's guitar sound and the electronic edge of the other songs on the album. During it, he describes the struggle of finding balance in life.<ref name=PMreview/> "Trade" recalled the works of New Order and [[Pet Shop Boys]],<ref name=PMreview/> while its lyrics, as [[Jonathan Cohen (television executive)|Jonathan Cohen]] of Nude as the News writes, sees Mould "wrestles with the most basic of requests: he won’t give 'the answer' until he can pre-determine what the implied tradeoff is".<ref name=NATNreview/> The album's closing track, "Author's Lament", mixes digital percussion and an electric piano, initially beginning as a sparse arrangement that eventually builds into noisy feedback.<ref name=PMreview/> It tries to merge the sound of [[Aphex Twin]] and [[Joe Jackson (musician)|Joe Jackson]].<ref name=NATNreview/>

==Release==
In the February 9, 2002 issue of ''Billboard'', ''Modulate'' was announced for release the following month, and was expected to be followed by two more albums from Mould that same year.<ref>White ed. 2002, p. 13</ref> It was issued on March 12, 2002 through the label [[Granary Music]], which Mould founded.<ref name=IWreview/> A year prior, he had nearly signed to another label,<ref name=Magnetinterview/> before deciding to start his own. It stemmed from an instance where [[HBO]] wanted to license one of his past songs, "Sunspots" from ''Workbook'', from his previous label [[Virgin Records]], but were unable to due to the high cost Virgin wanted. Mould looked for other avenues of distribution, until his publicist Carla Sacks suggest contacting [[Michael Hausman]] from [[United Musicians]], who were located two blocks from Mould's residence.<ref name=Morris87/> Design company Gay Power Elite did the artwork for the album, while Lisa Pearl contributed a picture of Mould. In the UK, the album was issued through [[Cooking Vinyl]], who included videos for "Slay / Sway", "Comeonstrong" and "Sunset Safety Glass" on it.<ref name=Modulatebooklet/> Two months into its release, Mould said he was "already six figures [[wiktionary:in the red|in the red]]", and that [[Music leak|the album had leaked]] earlier than its release.<ref name=Magnetinterview/>

Mould subsequently enlisted [[Radio promotion|radio pluggers]] from [[Campus radio|college]] and [[Adult album alternative|triple-A]] stations to help promote ''Modulate''. He planned to embarked on the Carnival of Light and Sound tour, which was held in small theatres across the US, which would see him split the set between the new album and his back catalogue. With Mould in charge of the production, 32 videos were made to accompany the shows, utilizing a [[Rear-projection television|rear-projection]] setup. For the older songs, he was expected to play different renditions of them, "I don't know how people are going to take to the drum'n'bass version of Hüsker Dü" material.<ref name=Morris87/> "Soundonsound" was released as the album's sole single in 2002, with "Slay / Sway" and "Sunset Safety Glass" as its B-sides.<ref>{{cite AV media notes|title="Soundonsound"|author=Mould, Bob|year=2002|type=sleeve|publisher=Cooking Vinyl|id=DEMRECBOX50X}}</ref> The music video for "SoundonSound", which was directed by Scott Stuckey, features footage of Mould playing a guitar, interspersed with animation of a couple interacting with various animals.<ref>{{cite AV media|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_pACQDY4SbQ|title=Bob Mould 'Sound On Sound'|via=[[YouTube]]|author=Stuckey, Scott|date=August 14, 2008|accessdate=July 3, 2023}}</ref>

''Modulate'' was reissued on CD as part of the career-spanning box set ''Distortion: 1989 – 2019'' (2020),<ref>{{cite AV media notes|title=Distortion: 1989 – 2019|author=Mould, Bob|year=2020|type=booklet|publisher=[[Edsel Records]]/Granary Music|id=EDSL0072/EDSL0072X}}</ref> and on vinyl as part of the smaller ''Distortion: 1996 – 2007'' (2021) box set.<ref>{{cite AV media notes|title=Distortion: 1996 – 2007|author=Mould, Bob|year=2020|type=booklet|publisher=[[Demon Records]]/Granary Music|id=DEMRECBOX50X}}</ref> Alongside this, "180 Rain" was included on the compilation album ''Distortion: The Best of 1989 – 2019'' (2021).<ref>{{cite AV media notes|title=Distortion: The Best of 1989 – 2019|author=Mould, Bob|year=2021|type=booklet|publisher=Edsel Records|id=EDSL0075}}</ref>

==Critical reception==
{{Music ratings
| MC        = 61/100<ref name=Metacritic>{{cite web|url=https://www.metacritic.com/music/modulate/bob-mould/critic-reviews|title=Critic Reviews for Modulate|publisher=[[Metacritic]]|access-date=November 12, 2021}}</ref>
| rev1      = [[AllMusic]]
| rev1score = {{Rating|2|5}}<ref name=AMreview>{{cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/modulate-mw0000658464|title=Modulate - Bob Mould {{!}} Songs, Reviews, Credits|publisher=AllMusic|author=Erlewine, Stephen Thomas|access-date=November 12, 2021}}</ref>
| rev2      = ''[[The Austin Chronicle]]''
| rev2score = {{rating|2|4}}<ref name=TACreview>{{cite web|url=https://www.austinchronicle.com/music/2002-05-03/85770/|title=Bob Mould and LoudBomb|work=[[The Austin Chronicle]]|author=Oko, Dan|date=May 3, 2002|access-date=November 12, 2021}}</ref>
| rev3      = ''[[Blender (magazine)|Blender]]''
| rev3score = {{Rating|3|5}}<ref name=Blenderreview>{{cite web|url=http://www.blender.com/reviews/review_1104.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040820040202/http://www.blender.com/reviews/review_1104.html|title=Bob Mould Modulate|work=[[Blender (magazine)|Blender]]|author=Wolk, Douglas|archive-date=August 20, 2004|access-date=December 7, 2021}}</ref>
| rev4      = ''[[Entertainment Weekly]]''
| rev4score = C+<ref name=EWreview>{{cite magazine|url=https://ew.com/article/2002/03/15/modulate/|title=Modulate|magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]]|author=Smith, Ethan|date=March 15, 2002|access-date=November 12, 2021}}</ref>
| rev5      = Nude as the News
| rev5score = 6/10<ref name=NATNreview>{{cite web|url=http://www.nudeasthenews.com/sections/reviews/m/story/031102aab.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20020601195524/http://www.nudeasthenews.com/sections/reviews/m/story/031102aab.html|title=Bob Mould Modulate|publisher=Nude as the News|author=Cohen, Jonathan|author-link=
Jonathan Cohen (television executive)|archive-date=June 1, 2002|access-date=November 12, 2021}}</ref>
| rev7      = ''[[Rolling Stone]]''
| rev7score = {{rating|2.5|5}}<ref name=RSreview>{{Cite magazine |last=Blashill |first=Pat |title=Modulate Review |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/artists/bobmould/albums/album/179260/review/5944489/modulate |magazine=Rolling Stone |date=April 25, 2002|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080904221039/http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/bobmould/albums/album/179260/review/5944489/modulate |archive-date=September 4, 2008|url-status=dead }}</ref>
| rev8      = ''[[Spin (magazine)|Spin]]''
| rev8score = {{rating|2.5|5}}<ref name=Spinreview>Kandell 2008, p. 82</ref>
| rev9      = ''[[The Village Voice]]''
| rev9score = {{rating-Christgau|dud}}<ref>{{cite web|last=Christgau |first=Robert|author-link=Robert Christgau|date=June 10, 2003|title=Eating Again |url=https://www.robertchristgau.com/xg/cg/cgv603-03.php |work=[[The Village Voice]]|access-date=June 29, 2023|via=Robert Christgau}}</ref>
}}
''Modulate'' was met with generally favourable reviews from [[Music journalism|music critics]]. At [[Metacritic]], which assigns a [[standard score|normalized]] rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream publications, the album received an [[Weighted arithmetic mean|average]] score of 61, based on 11 reviews.<ref name=Metacritic/> Mould said he saw mixed reviews, ranging from {{double single}}'What the hell is this?' to 'This is great!{{single double}} He mentioned that his lifelong follows were divided: "the ones who think it's blasphemous and the ones who, on second listen, realize it's me. Then there's a group who isn't familiar with the history--and then they hear the record and they love it".<ref name=IWreview/>

<!--change of sound -->
Several reviewers commented on the change in Mould's sound. Erlewine said that at points, Mould seems "more interested in what these new [electronic] tools can do than using them to complete his songs, which illustrates just how determined he is to find a new way to make music".<ref name=AMreview/> Oko felt that it "relies on computer-generated synthesizer riffs and comes across as a half-assed experiment" as a result.<ref name=TACreview/> Wolk saw it as a  "transitional album: Mould sprinting away from his past".<ref name=Blenderreview/> Blashill said "Ultimately, this is a rock record with electronic effects, not a techno record with guitars, and it falls short of being totally satisfying as either. But ''Modulate'' isn't a failure so much as a first step".<ref name=RSreview/> Steve Kandell of ''[[Spin (magazine)|Spin]]'' said it "reflected his newfound fascination with dance music, striking a balance between post-punk gravitas and electronic bacchanalia" which would surprise older fans of his work.<ref name=Spinreview/> Larry said that with "playing and tweaking all the noisemakers, he gives even the most programmed moments a homespun feel".<ref name=CMJReportreview/> Glauber said "not all of these noise-pop songs achieve the right degree of unity and balance between old and new. Some get lost in a limbo of electronic cacophony, with too many elements not coming together to match Mould’s pop-songwriting skill".<ref name=PMreview/> Michelle Kleinsak of ''[[CMJ New Music Monthly]]'' said Mould "doesn't seem entirely comfortable with or committed to this world of loops and samples".<ref name=CMJMonthlyreview/>

<!-- lyrics -->
Few remarks were made on the album's lyrics. Oko said "longtime fans will be disappointed to find few signs of the distorted guitar sounds and strangled, angst-ridden lyrics" that were staples of Husker Du and Sugar.<ref name=TACreview/> Douglas Wolk of ''[[Blender (magazine)|Blender]]''wrote that the lyrics were nearly "buried in the mix, although the discernible ones are almost suffocatingly bitter".<ref name=Blenderreview/> Glauber thought that it delivered "simple chordal structures, direct lyrical content and manages to mirror the density of Mould’s sonic layering in media other than guitar".<ref name=PMreview>{{cite web|url=http://www.popmatters.com/review/mouldbob-modulate/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130917233152/https://www.popmatters.com/review/mouldbob-modulate/|title=Bob Mould: Modulate|work=[[PopMatters]]|author=Glauber, Gary|date=April 29, 2002|archive-date=September 17, 2013|access-date=June 29, 2023}}</ref>

<!-- overall quality -->
Critics were mixed on the overall quality of the album. Erlewine remarked that it was the "sound of growing pains. Since Mould is an accomplished songwriter, there are some good songs here (although there are many more that miss the mark), but the defining characteristic of this album is not the songs, but the approach to the songs -- the way he layers on sequencers and vocoders as if each subsequent overdub brought him further into new sonic territory, even when his writing hasn't changed that much".<ref name=AMreview/> Oko said that it would shock listeners "and that's not necessarily a compliment";<ref name=TACreview/> Cohen expanded on this, saying that while the album starts to "make more sense after (many) repeat listens, the overall results are at best uneven, and at worst, absolutely baffling".<ref name=NATNreview/> ''[[Entertainment Weekly]]'''{{'s}} Ethan Smith wrote that it was a "forgettable CD larded with limp electronic experimentation. Mould’s in safer territory on the handful of straightforward guitar rock that remains his strength".<ref name=EWreview/> Christie Leo of ''[[New Straits Times]]'' similar stated that "its blend of insinuating hooks and automatic-brew throb sounds corny".<ref>Leo 2003, p. 15</ref> Blashill considered it to be "more akin to the work of a devoted Beatles fan exploring a new studio full of electronic equipment".<ref name=RSreview/>
<!-- in the context of his career
Erlewine said  "as an individual album in his discography, it's one of his least-satisfying efforts"<ref name=AMreview/>  -->

<!-- legacy -->
Fordham noted that Mould would go fully electronic with ''[[Long Playing Grooves]]'' (2002), under the moniker Loudbomb. He also mentioned that "Quasar" acted as a sort of "blueprint for [[Radiohead]]’s ''[[In Rainbows]]'' five years in advance".<ref name=GIITTVDistortionreview/> ''[[Stereogum]]''{{'s}} Michael Nelson ranked ''Modulate'' as Mould's worst release, as of 2012, as he "frequently sounds out of his comfort zone and unsure of himself".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.stereogum.com/1190201/bob-mould-husker-du-and-sugar-albums-from-worst-to-best/photo/attachment/modulate/|archive-url=https://archive.today/20211112212125/https://www.stereogum.com/1190201/bob-mould-husker-du-and-sugar-albums-from-worst-to-best/photo/attachment/modulate/|title=Bob Mould, Hüsker Dü, And Sugar Albums From Worst To Best|work=[[Stereogum]]|author=Nelson, Michael|date=November 12, 2012|archive-date=November 12, 2021|access-date=June 30, 2023}}</ref><!-- https://web.archive.org/web/20121105062935/http://stereogum.com:80/1190201/bob-mould-husker-du-and-sugar-albums-from-worst-to-best/top-stories/lead-story/attachment/modulate --> Kyle Ryan of ''The A.V. Club'' cautioned listeners that ''Modulate'' was "only for advanced studies" of Mould's work, adding that it is "worth hearing as a stylistic experiment, and it has good moments, but new fans would be better off digging through the rest of his work first".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.avclub.com/where-to-start-with-alt-rock-icon-bob-mould-1798232606|title=Where to start with alt-rock icon Bob Mould|work=The A.V. Club|author=Ryan, Kyle|date=August 2, 2012|access-date=July 4, 2023}}</ref>

== Track listing ==
All songs written by Bob Mould.<ref name=Modulatebooklet/>

# "180 Rain" – 3:45
# "Sunset Safety Glass" – 4:21
# "Semper Fi" – 3:58
# "Homecoming Parade" – 2:03
# "Lost Zoloft" – 3:18
# "Without?" – 1:41
# "Slay / Sway" – 4:09
# "The Receipt" – 2:26
# "Quasar" – 4:17
# "Soundonsound" – 4:05
# "Hornery" – 1:04
# "Comeonstrong" – 3:43
# "Trade" – 5:24
# "Author's Lament" – 3:24

==Personnel==
Personnel per booklet.<ref name=Modulatebooklet>{{cite AV media notes|title=Modulate|author=Mould, Bob|year=2002|type=booklet|publisher=[[Cooking Vinyl]]|id=COOKCD 237}}</ref>
{{col-begin}}
{{col-2}}
'''Musicians'''
* [[Bob Mould]] – vocals, guitar, synthesizers
{{col-2}}
'''Production and design'''
* Bob Mould – producer, mixing
* Damien Shannon – engineer
* Gay Power Elite – artwork, design
* Lisa Pearl – portrait of Bob
{{col-end}}

==Charts==
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Chart (2002)
! Peak<br />position
|-
|US ''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]'' [[Top Heatseekers|Heatseekers Albums]]<ref name="allmusic-billboard">{{cite magazine|url=http://www.allmusic.com/artist/bob-mould-mn0000058386/awards | title=allmusic ((( Bob Mould > Awards )))| magazine=Billboard| access-date=2015-08-12}}</ref>
|align="center"|45
|-
|US ''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]'' [[Independent Albums]]<ref name="allmusic-billboard"/>
|align="center"|18

|-
|US ''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]'' Internet Albums<ref name="allmusic-billboard"/>
|align="center"|19
|-
|}

==See also==
* ''[[Cyberpunk (album)|Cyberpunk]]'' – a 1993 album, which mixes rock and electronic music, by Billy Idol, also previously of a punk band
* [[Grebo (music)|Grebo]] – a genre that mixes alternative rock and electronic music

== References ==
'''Citations'''
{{reflist}}

'''Sources'''
{{refbegin}}
* {{cite magazine |last=Kandell |first=Steve |date=February 2008|volume=24|issue=2|title=Bob Mould Discography |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=S50iCt_TUEcC&pg=PA82 |magazine=[[Spin (magazine)|Spin]]|issn=0886-3032}}
* {{cite magazine|last=Kleinsak|first=Michelle|title=Reviews|journal=[[CMJ New Music Monthly]]|date=March 2002|volume=100|issn=1074-6978|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=8SkEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA56}}
* {{cite magazine|last=Larry|first=Chris|title=Reviews|journal=[[CMJ New Music Report]]|date=March 11, 2002|volume=70|issue=753|issn=0890-0795|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=B3_QdrXyJ78C&pg=PA10-IA1}}
* {{cite journal|last=Leo|first=Christie|title=Collectible Carly|journal=[[New Straits Times]]|date=March 16, 2003|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=8aktAAAAIBAJ&pg=PA46}}
* {{cite journal|last=Mervis|first=Scott|title=Wrestling with sound|journal=[[Pittsburgh Post-Gazette]]|date=October 25, 2002|issn=1068-624X|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=F4ZIAAAAIBAJ&pg=PA51}}
* {{cite magazine|last=Morris|first=Chris|title=Mould Joins United Musicians|magazine=Billboard|date=March 9, 2002|issn=0006-2510|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=SBAEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA87}}
* {{cite magazine|last=Rogers|first=Ray|title=Breaking the Mould|journal=[[Out (magazine)|Out]]|date=April 2002|volume=10|issue=10|issn=1062-7928|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=2GIEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA36}}
* {{cite magazine|last=White|first=Timothy|title=In the Works|magazine=Billboard|date=February 9, 2002|volume=114|issue=6|issn=0006-2510|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=8aktAAAAIBAJ&pg=PA46}}
{{refend}}

==External links==
* [https://books.google.com/books?id=G4ZIAAAAIBAJ&pg=PA12 Live review] from ''Pittsburgh Post-Gazette''
* [https://books.google.com/books?id=O_lIAAAAIBAJ&pg=PA36 Interview] with ''[[The Vindicator (Ohio newspaper)|The Vindicator]]''

{{Bob Mould}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Modulate (Album)}}
[[Category:2002 albums]]
[[Category:Bob Mould albums]]
[[Category:Albums produced by Bob Mould]]
[[Category:Granary Music albums]]