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Kompakt Germany
Played by: Juno Recommends Deep House, Tiesto, Sasha, Denny Loco, Fed Conti, Matt Darey, Monki, Kolsch, Hungry Music
Review: Childhood memories can be some of the most vivid, so it's little surprise to find Kolsch daydreaming about old family holidays on his sophomore full-length, 1983. While it's a thoroughly contemporary sounding album, there's certainly an overtly orange and red, Kodachrome inspired feel to proceedings, as if Kolsch was trying to capture the feel of old family photographs in music. In practice, this means a largely joyous blend of colourful synthesizer melodies, undulating electronic strings, and soft-touch beats inspired by a mixture of classic house, techno, tech-house and early 80s synth pop. Without fail, the resultant music is effortlessly joyous.
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KOMPAKTCD 122D
08 Jun 15
Deep House
08 Jun 15
Deep House
Played by: Solomun, Juno Recommends Minimal Tech, Joris Voorn, Sasha, Fed Conti, Musumeci, Bakerman, Terranova Official
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KOMPAKTCD 123D
13 May 15
Minimal/Tech House
13 May 15
Minimal/Tech House
Review: Moodmusic affiliate Dave DK is no stranger to Kompakt, having featured on several of their compilations over the years and done the odd remix. Their relationship is formalised here with the arrival of Val Maira, the Berlin producer's third album and a concerted attempt to go beyond the impressive production skills previously shown by Dave DK to offer "deeply personal expressiveness and emotional impact". Listening through the eleven tracks on this double LP edition, you'd have to say it's a success; Val Maira is rife with the kind of emotive electronics you expect from a Kompakt LP and is perfectly sequenced to run through a gamut of moods. A fine album from DDK.
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KOMPAKT CD 121
27 Apr 15
Minimal/Tech House
27 Apr 15
Minimal/Tech House
Played by: Juno Recommends Minimal Tech, Marcus Marr, Sasha, Resident Advisor, Marc Romboy, Terranova, Terranova Official, Anja Schneider
Review: Terranova's latest missive may or may not have been inspired by a popular breed of dog, but it certainly has boundless energy, a hint of glassy-eyed madness and a glossy sheen. Rhythmically solid, but blessed with surprisingly loose percussion, it sounds like an admirable attempt to fuse the low-slung thump of post-punk rock with the sideways shuffle of tech-tinged house and the spiraling electronics of leftfield dub disco. In other words, it's a fine concoction that sounds just as good at home as it does blaring out of a tooled-up club soundsytsem. Virtual flipside "Twisted (Dub)" opts for a more straight forward, late night tech-house vibe, with ricocheting electronic riffs riding a trippy, Berlin-friendly groove.
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KOMPAKT 323
09 Mar 15
Minimal/Tech House
09 Mar 15
Minimal/Tech House
Played by: DJ Mau Mau, Felix Dickinson, Borgie, Juno Recommends Techno, Marcus Marr, TROBAR, Cabaret Nocturne, Zombie Nation, Disco Doubles, James Zabiela, Nick Olivetti, Sinchi Collective, Fabrice Oze
Review: Back in the mid 2000s, Jake 'Rex The Dog' Williams was touted for future greatness on the back of a string of singles that joined the dots between Kraftwerk, synth-pop, '80s electro and melodious nu-disco. Somewhere along the way, he lost his mojo, and the releases began to dry up. Happily, Sicko - his first single for two years - sees him back at his imaginative, mesmerising best. The title track bobs and weaves brilliantly, lacing trippy, stuttering electronics and yearning chords on top of a sparse, beatbox electro-influenced Balearic house groove. "Korgasmatron" is arguably even better, with Williams brilliantly fusing dirty, bubbling bottom-end electronics and warped acid lines with a killer, rave style vocal hook.
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KOMPAKT 322
02 Mar 15
Techno
02 Mar 15
Techno
Review: As its title suggests, these remixes are the latest interpretations of tracks from Vermont's debut album. Like the Prins Thomas versions that preceded them, they make the most of Vermont's glistening melodies and Krautrock-inspired abstractions. Mano Le Tough fuses the dreamy reverie of "Abersprung" to a rumbling bass and a succession of clap volleys. Marcus Worgull's take on the same track isn't as full on and makes use of yelping acid and hissing percussion to plot out a more understated approach. Finally, the DJ Tennis edit of "Majestat" sees tough beats and a dubbed out groove fused with Vermont's melodic flights of fancy.
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KOMPAKT 311
16 Feb 15
Minimal/Tech House
16 Feb 15
Minimal/Tech House
Review: Sascha Funke and wife Julienne Dessagne seemed to put their Saschienne project on hold following the release of their excellent 2012 debut album, Unknown, instead choosing to indulge their post-punk disco and new wave fantasies with a couple of excellent 12" singles as The Twins. Golden Prints, the first new Saschienne single in three years, sits somewhere between the clandestine tech-house and minimal techno of their early work, and the more forthright, stylized feel of The Twins. It offers a trio of woozy, atmospheric cuts, with the numb ambient pop of "Chambre Bleue" leading the way. The snaking, intoxicating builds and coldwave synths of "The End Of The Leopard" also impress, while the horror-influenced throb of "Don't Put Your Fingers In The Socket" is particularly potent.
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KOMPAKT 319
09 Feb 15
Minimal/Tech House
09 Feb 15
Minimal/Tech House
Review: Signs Under Test is the 12th album released by John Tejada since his emergence in the late '90s, putting aside the various other projects he's been involved with, this alone is the kind of fact you have to applaud. Arriving some two-and-a-bit years on from The Predicting Machine, this album naturally surfaces via Kompakt and it's 11 tracks suggest Tejada's creative powers remain undimmed despite his vintage. Apparently built from the ground up using hardware synths, Signs Under Test succeeds as Tejada doesn't feel the need to cater to any particular musical trend, instead relying on his tools and his talent to deliver a rich and rewarding listen.
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KOMPAKT CD 119
02 Feb 15
Minimal/Tech House
02 Feb 15
Minimal/Tech House
Review: Despite being part of the furniture at Kompakt's Cologne HQ since the label's inception, Reinhard Voigt releases have been few and far between in recent years. In fact, Rachanee is his first single of any description since 2007. The title track is typical Kompakt fare, with trippy female vocal samples and alien bleep melodies riding a tactile tech-house rhythm and a relentless electronic bassline. Voigt steps further towards rave territory with virtual flipside "Tisch Fur Zwei", an after party-friendly fusion of sparse but heavy techno grooves, weird noises and discordant sirens. It sounds like the sort of record that will entice madness on the dancefloor. Put it this way, we began to hallucinate while listening to it stone cold sober.
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KOMPAKT 320
05 Jan 15
Minimal/Tech House
05 Jan 15
Minimal/Tech House
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KOMPAKT 314
13 Dec 14
Minimal/Tech House
13 Dec 14
Minimal/Tech House
Various
Played by: Chris Coco
Review: Since launching in 2001, Kompakt's Pop Ambient series has become one of the more esteemed compilation brands in downtempo music. Such is its longevity, in fact, that listening to each successive, annual instalment has become something of fixture in the calendars of the ambient-inclined. It's little surprise, then, to find that this 15th instalment is the aural equivalent of a familiar friend; a warming, picturesque and gently stimulating selection of ear-pleasing mood-pieces that doesn't try too hard to do anything too different. Highlights come thick and fast, from the delay-laden acoustics and starry electronics of Thore Pfieffer's "Nero", to the early Orb inspired beauty of Leandro Fresco's "Nada Es Parra Siempre".
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KOMPAKT CD 120
10 Nov 14
Ambient/Drone
10 Nov 14
Ambient/Drone
Review: Having dropped releases for the likes of Pictures Music and Ghostly International, it's no surprise to find Dauwd sidling up to Kompakt with his warm and fuzzy minimal styles. His offering is a solid two-track affair, with the title track dealing in mournful warbles of synth and rounded bass for the most contemplative of moments in a calmer part of the night. "Moiety" is equally thoughtful, working with the same kind of intensity albeit in a different key that lends another kind of emotional impact. It's an effect that fits in perfectly on Kompakt, which tells you all you need to know about the quality of this release.
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KOMPAKT 317
03 Nov 14
Minimal/Tech House
03 Nov 14
Minimal/Tech House
Review: Given the abundance of krautrock influences and cosmic synthesizer sounds on the Vermont debut album (simply titled Vermont), Prins Thomas was the natural choice to provide remixes. Here, he puts his typically cosmic, space-leaning stamp on three tracks from Dani Plessow and Marcus Worgull's much-hyped set. First, the Full Pupp boss delivers a chugging, hypnotic version of "Dynamik" full of rising and falling electronics and fizzing techno percussion. A slower, more Scandolearic take on "Elektron" follows, before Thomas memorably turns "Macchina" into a head-nodding chunk of woozy ambient dub. It's this, more than the EP's other dancefloor-focused moments, which really impresses.
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KOMPAKT 307
27 Oct 14
Minimal/Tech House
27 Oct 14
Minimal/Tech House
Review: Matias Aguayo returns to the warm bosom of Cologne's Kompakt label - the imprint on which he first made his name - for his first outing of 2014. The typically atmospheric Legende is not a great departure musically - his usual skewed pop, minimal techno, subtle new wave guitars, fuzzy electronica and woozy ambient influences are all present and correct - but it is decidedly impressive (thanks, in no small part, to his mastery of mood and melody). The title track impresses with its' fluttering, glitchy approach, while "Run Away From The Sun" recalls his early material on Kompakt Pop. Best of all, though, is "Lola in the City", a decidedly off-kilter fusion of traditional Chilean instrumentation, spacey bleep melodies and a scratchy, loose-sounding groove.
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KOMPAKT 309
06 Oct 14
Minimal/Tech House
06 Oct 14
Minimal/Tech House
Played by: Matt Darey
Review: At first listen, Abaporu sounds decidedly underwhelming. This album after all, is from the same artist who created the dreamy indie-techno of "Beautiful Life". However, it gradually emerges that the Brazilian artist has merely opted for a more subtle approach. Granted, "Antropofagia" is leaner and meaner than most of his club tracks, while the titles track also favours a stripped back, banging approach. Like his previous albums, Boratto can't resist a good melody or the temptation to work in some rich guitar chords. Take one listen to the sassy party house of "Get The Party Started" and the shimmering guitars and keyboards of "Where I Belong" if you're in any doubt of his talents.
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KOMPAKTCD 115
29 Sep 14
Minimal/Tech House
29 Sep 14
Minimal/Tech House
Various
Review: Kompakt's Total compilation series - an annual round up of gems from the imprint's tightly packed release schedule - must be one of the longest-running in dance music. Amazingly, this latest installment is the 14th volume in the series. For those who enjoy Kompakt's generally positive approach to electronic music - think tactile techno, ambient pop and skewed, synth-laden house from the likes of Michael Mayer, Thomas Fehlmann, Partial Arts and Gui Boratto - there's much to admire, including a slew of previously unreleased cuts. These include Superpitcher's "Delta", a sublime chunk of hypnotic e-tronica that's almost too melodic for its own good. Arguably even better is Weval's live recording of "Something", which is near perfect in its wide-eyed pop simplicity.
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KOMPAKT CD 118D
18 Aug 14
Minimal/Tech House
18 Aug 14
Minimal/Tech House
Review: When the hitters are as big as Maceo Plex and Kompakt, there's no need for trite B side distractions and so this single-sided release comes forth with exactly the kind of anthemic, pop-straddling tech house that you would expect from such a combination. There may be edgy arpeggios and chunky drums powering the rhythm of the track, but with the straining emotional vocal and romantic pad sweeps, this is a track to garner appeal across the board, and not at the expense of the impact this will have in a club. It won't take long to learn the words, so before the summer is out you can expect plenty of people to be cooing along dreamily to this bright and bold belter.
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KOMPAKT 306
11 Aug 14
Minimal/Tech House
11 Aug 14
Minimal/Tech House
Played by: Peet
Review: It's been three years since the release of the last Gus Gus album, the decidedly retro-futurist set Arabian Horse. There's a similar "back to the future" feel about Mexico, the Icelandic combo's eighth studio album. So, while their style is rooted in hazy synth-pop, string-laden downtempo grooves and shuffling electronics - all topped, of course, by Daniel Agust's evocative vocals - there are distinctive nods towards late nineties progressive house, "Dark & Long"-era Underworld and the melodic "techno-pop" of fellow Kompakt artist Justus Kohncke. For those of a certain age, it feels like a blast from the past; for the younger generation, it's simily and smart and sassy set of well-produced deep dance-pop.
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KOMPAKT CD 116
23 Jun 14
Funky/Club House
23 Jun 14
Funky/Club House
Review: Taken from Rebolledo's excellent mix CD of the same name, this sampler works its way through a dizzying array of sounds over the space of just three tracks. Rebolledo's "Windsurf, Sunburn & Dollar (Raw Version)" is a sleazy, teased out disco groove which sounds like a druggy take on Bear Funk's back catalogue. Next up is Slove's "Flash (Pachanga Boys' Hippie Dance)", where whooshing, atmospheric sounds complement a spacey techno groove and sleazy acid lines. Neither can compare to the madness of Rebolledo's remix of Red Axes' "Caminho de Dreyfus". Over a heavy, pulsing bass Rebolledo cuts up freakish vocals and chopped to shreds percussion that have echoes of glitch house at its most experimental.
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KOMPAKT 304
19 May 14
Minimal/Tech House
19 May 14
Minimal/Tech House
Rebolledo / Various
Review: One half of the Pachanga Boys delivers a mix that's as ambitious as Michael Mayer's Immer series. Momento Drive starts with the bluesy rock of Wally Gonzalez' "Wally's Blues" before veering into the lopsided, quirky house of Barnt's "Is This What They Were Born For". From there, the mix makes a move of sorts to the dancefloor with the repetitive typewriter rhythms of Wolfgang Voigt's "Du Musst Nichts Sagen (Fanfaren mix)" and the Gothic, new wave workouts from Rebolledo and Christian S' excellent "Jagos". From there, it's only a short journey to the typically off-beat techno that Kompakt specialises in, courtesy of Gebr Teichmann and Sebastien Bouchet.
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KOMPAKT CD 117D
05 May 14
Minimal/Tech House
05 May 14
Minimal/Tech House
Played by: Juno Recommends Deep House, TROBAR, Djs: Most Charted - Deep House, Resident Advisor, ABC Music, Oliver Koletzki, Chaos In The CBD
Review: Given that UK producer Dauwd made his name on the Pictures Music label, it's no surprise to see him graduating to Cologne institution Kompakt, after all both labels have shown an emphasis on melody and emotion in their respective discographies. Dauwd's arrival on Kompakt with Kindlinn comes after an initial appearance last year, remixing COMA's "My Orbit" and the three tracks suggest we really should be demanding more music from the producer! Sumptuous, playful and romantic are a few words that immediately spring to mind as lead track "Lydia" unfurls; the little flourishes of synths as the track draws towards it's close are particularly memorable. The title track shows off a tougher side to Dauwd in terms of groove, though the plangent textures remain intact, whilst "Rain Raker" largely forsakes beats in favour of compositional drama.
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KOMPAKT 295
21 Apr 14
Deep House
21 Apr 14
Deep House
Played by: Solomun, Juno Recommends Minimal Tech, Junior Jack, Sasha, Pleasurekraft, Resident Advisor, Felix Kroecher, Sian
Review: The long-running German act return with three dancefloor-primed tracks. The title track is a pulsing techno affair, led by robust drums and a mysterious bassline. However, these elements merely provide a backing for an inspired vocal performance from Cath Coffey, formerly of the Stereo MCs. No longer singing about utopian rap scenarios, Coffey's tripped out tones include observations about 'being better in bed when you're out of your head'. "Headlock" is more streamlined and functional, with frequency shifting tones taking centre stage. "Tourette" meanwhile, has a live feeling, dubbed out drums tethered to a funk bassline and trippy 303 lines.
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KOMPAKT 296
14 Apr 14
Minimal/Tech House
14 Apr 14
Minimal/Tech House
Review: Kompakt has always had a knack for signing the right record at the right time and this debut LP from Vermont aka Marcus Worgull and Motor City Drum Ensemble's Danilo Plessow is an absolute winner! The album is basically any synth lover's paradise, where sparse but rhythmic melodies glide in and out of foreboding tunnels and more docile landscapes. We're especially pleased with Plessow's impressive step into more experimental, Krautrocky territories and really putting his synth collection to work here.
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KOMPAKTCD 114
17 Mar 14
Experimental/Electronic
17 Mar 14
Experimental/Electronic
Review: Described by Kompakt as "a somnambulistic two-tracker that delivers more bang for the buck", John Tejada returns to the Cologne label with a new single primed for the dancefloor. We Can Pretend shows the LA-based Tejada might be looking to apply the new found interest in modular synthesis shown on his 2012 LP The Predicting Machine to the muscular techno he's founded his reputation on. Taking the form of two vocal tracks, one featuring former collaborator Kimi Recor and the other Morgan Alexander, the abiding feeling you get from the title track is 'perhaps this is what James Holden and John Talabot collaborating would sound like?'. There's a subtle poppishness to "We Can Pretend" that doesn't detract from the masterful sequencing, whilst "Now We're Here" is Tejada in classicist pumping US house mode.
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KOMPAKT 286
27 Jan 14
Minimal/Tech House
27 Jan 14
Minimal/Tech House
Review: Five years after releasing his second album, the superb Sight & Sound, Kompakt stalwart Justus Kohncke finally delivers his third. Misleading title aside (it's for all intents and purposes a solo set), there's little to criticize. Kohncke is a past master at blurring the lines between warm, analogue synth-pop, melodic deep house and tactile techno, and here delivers more entertaining, musically rich explorations. He's at his best when aping the Harold Faltermeyer-produced warmth of Behaviour-era Pet Shop Boys, given his own subdued dancefloor twist (see "Idee Prozess Ergenebis", 'Tell Me" and "Flitter Und Tand"), though it's the album's roughest cut - the spiraling acid and tumbling electronics of "Nucleus Accumbens" - that makes the greatest impression.
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KOMPAKT CD 112
11 Nov 13
Minimal/Tech House
11 Nov 13
Minimal/Tech House
Review: It's sometimes hard to exactly place the music of Japanese producer Hiroshi Watanabe. Warm, melodic and unashamedly positive, it melds the relentless hypnotism (though not the sound or tempo) of trance with the wide-eyed feel of Balearica, the futurism of Detroit and the comfortable groove of deep house. Until the End of Time, his eighth album, continues this hard-to-place-but-easy-to-love approach. There are downtempo moments (see the blissful "Smile"), floor-friendly romps (the dreamy tech-jazz of "I'm Leaving Home" and bubbling futurism of "Run Through The Road In The Fog"), and cuts that are just plain gorgeous ("Inner Space", "Dear Friends").
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KOMPAKT CD 111
28 Oct 13
Minimal/Tech House
28 Oct 13
Minimal/Tech House
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KOMPAKT 282
21 Oct 13
Minimal/Tech House
21 Oct 13
Minimal/Tech House
Review: Regular roamer around the Kompakt savannah Gui Boratto drops some more of that upfront tech-house business, rendered crisp and punchy by the lofty production values and hitting all the right buttons for a release that is likely to rock many a sizable crowd. "Too Late" is a slow burning number with a throbbing electro bassline and female vocal hooks, ably slipping into more techy terrain where needed but always shot through with a poppy sensibility. "We Can Go" again brings a touch of pop to proceedings but more in an '80s new wave vein, with the ominous vocals and dark synth lines working wonders on creating an edgy atmosphere.
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KOMPAKT 285
29 Jul 13
Minimal/Tech House
29 Jul 13
Minimal/Tech House
Played by: Jimpster, Alkalino, Deadmau5, Zombie Nation, Alinka, White Collar Boy, Bakermat, Kolsch, Lost Frequencies
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KOMPAKTCD 107
24 Jun 13
Minimal/Tech House
24 Jun 13
Minimal/Tech House
