Since its inception way back in 1994, the likes of Moodymann, Carl Craig, Laurent Garnier, and Masters At Work - to Ame & Dixon, Henrik Schwarz and Kruder & Dorfmeister - have contributed to Compost Records in some way. With more artists now onboard than you can shake a drumstick at, Michael Reinboth’s label is an endless source for some of the best disco-centric house music, nu-jazz and broken beat out there. With the odd Baeleric and hip hop release too, Compost’s enviable back catalogue also boasts the likes of John Daly and Ripperton (as Headless Ghost) to groups just outside the dancefloor in Automat and Web Web. And with sub-labels like Compost Black and Compost Disco there to service more club-oriented tracks and specific disco fixes - Compost has you covered.
Review: Automat's fifth album ignites a musical blaze with Heat. This offering from the Berlin-based band marks a departure from their previous works, embracing a more unified, warmer, and rounded sonic. The title-track seamlessly weaves together intimate dub, resonant basslines, intricate delays and some deep blue trip-hop alongside some velvety down-tempo ballads with, of course, some reggae and wax lyrical influences throughout. The album embodies a transformative process, not just in its lineup changes, but in the newfound energy and passion it exudes. With the addition of keyboardist Max Loderbauer, producer Ingo Krauss, and the brilliant contributions of Scott Montieth (Deadbeat), singer Barbie Williams, and guest vocalists Gemma Ray, Prince Alla, and R Zee Jackson - Automat's evolution is nothing short of stunning, making Heat a beautifully crafted opus that runs like a finely tuned machine.
Review: To celebrate the 12th birthday of their Compost Disco sub-label, Compost Records has offered up two compilations packed to the rafters with previously unheard treats and much-loved gems from the vaults. Volume one (available separately) is excellent and this second instalment is every bit as alluring. It begins with the bubbly, synth-laden nu-disco cheeriness of Moodrama's remix of Ed Lee and vocalist Alison David's 'I Am Someone' and ends with the loose-limbed krautrock/swamp funk/organic house fusion of Kalabrese's rework of 'Go Back' by Thomasz Guiddo and Nirosta Steel. Highlights sandwiched in between include the woozy, analogue-rich haze of Mark E's 'I'm Your Eversion', the late-night disco/proto-house hypnotism of 'Disco (Ah Ha)' by Chocolate Garage Productions and the Balearic boogie sunniness of Clavis's 'Aviaco'.
Review: Hearty congratulations to Michael Reinboth, whose Compost Records' imprint recently celebrated its 25th birthday. As a way of marking this momentous occasion, the label has conjured up this expansive compilation, which offers up a blend of fresh remixes of label classics, overlooked revisions, bonus cuts and the odd hard-to-find classic (see Move D's superb "Hurt Me", which first appeared on the imprint in the mid-90s). Highlights are plentiful from start to finish, with Roman Flugel's throbbing rework of Beanfield's "Human Patterns", I:Cube's LFO-influenced re-make of A Forest Mighty Black's "Fresh In My Mind", Joakim's funk-fuelled acid take on Marbert Rocel's "Dance Slow" and Die Orangen's wonderfully druggy interpretation of Marsmobil's "Sometimes I Don't Regret" all catching the ear.
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