A moniker of influential German producer, songwriter, and mastering engineer Jörg Burger's, the Modernist makes minimal techno inspired by the melodicism of classic indie pop. Previously known for making trance and downtempo as the Bionaut, as well as collaborations with Wolfgang Voigt such as Burger/Ink, Burger first appeared as the Modernist with the 1997 full-length Opportunity Knox, establishing a stripped-down yet tuneful techno sound which would later become a trademark of the Cologne scene centered around the Kompakt label. Two more albums and numerous singles followed, and after the release of the 2006 mix Collectors Series, Pt. 1: Popular Songs, Burger largely reserved the project for remixes and compilation tracks. 2021's Total the Modernist collected songs previously released on Kompakt's Total series.