Back catalogue: All genres

Review: Dettinger's Oasis, originally released in 2000, is an ethereal symphony of ambient textures and minimal techno. Its unique blend of orchestral elements, effects, and occasional beats creates a captivating and strangely peaceful sonic landscape. Each track offers a hypnotic journey. 'Oasis #2' pulsates with a gentle rhythm, while 'Oasis #3' transforms Balearic melodies into grainy memories. 'Oasis #4' showcases Dettinger's experimental side, merging techno with abstract soundscapes, while 'Oasis 6' infuses dub influences, adding a touch of warmth and groove. The album's appeal lies in his ability to fuse the organic and the electronic. Orchestral swells soar above pulsating synths, creating a sense of drama and allure. The result is a sonic oasis that transports listeners to a realm of serenity and wonder. Fans of Wolfgang's Voigt's Gas project or labels like Mille Plateaux, Staubold, RasterNoton and others may already know this masterpiece, but if you don't, then do not miss this.

Review: Kompakt continues to reissue the early, in-demand works of hypnotic ambient techno pioneer Wolfgang Voigt AKA Gas. This time it's "Konigsforst", an album that has been unavailable on vinyl since its' initial pressing on Mille Plateaux in 1998. Built around locked-in, soft-focus techno rhythms, drowsy neo-classical movements, densely layered samples and hazy, hard-to-define melodic elements, the album's eight tracks remain as potent now as they did 21 years ago. Voigt has made a lot of inspired music in his thickset "sound soup" style, but there's something extra-special about this "Konigsforst", which we'd describe as the audio equivalent of a sunrise stumble through an ancient German forest.

Review: Since the release of 2016's epic Gas retrospective, Box, the pioneering drone ambient producer (real name Wolfgang Voigt) has been surprisingly productive. Rausch is the lauded electronic musician's speedy follow-up to last year's Narkopop, which happened to be his first full-length for over 15 years. As you'd expect, Rausch is superb, with Voigt variously turning cinematic orchestral tracks into hybrid electro-acoustic epics. While some are beat-less and fluid, others are loopy, hypnotic and otherworldly, with the German building tension via subtle rhythm tracks that draw on techno and IDM. The results are near faultless, as Voight once again proves that he's a true master of his ambient art.

Review: Wolfgang Voigt's groundbreaking project Gas returns with a definitive reissue of its self-titled debut album, originally released in 1996 on Mille Plateaux and now reintroduced by Kompakt on CD format. This release marks a long-awaited return to the foundational essence of Gas, as initially envisioned by Voigt. Gas unfolds across six expansive, untitled tracks that drift seamlessly, each a captivating journey of ethereal loops and rhythmic undercurrents. Distant echoes of classical motifs add to the album's enigmatic allure. This debut stands out for its airy, evocative atmosphere and its exploratory nature. Gas not only revisits a pivotal moment in electronic music history but also underscores Voigt's enduring influence and avant-garde spirit, setting the stage for the techno and ambient genres to unfold from his influence. There is quite nothing like the first four Gas albums.

Review: Wolfgang Voigt's seminal project Gas returns with a definitive reissue of its eponymous debut album, originally released in 1996 on Mille Plateaux and now presented anew by Kompakt on a lavish 3x12 vinyl set. This release marks a long-awaited return to the pure essence of Gas, as initially envisioned by Voigt. Before this full-length debut, hints of Gas's distinctive sound surfaced through early EPs and compilation tracks, showcasing Voigt's knack for ambient electronic landscapes. Gas unfolds across six expansive, untitled tracks that drift seamlessly, each a mesmerising journey of ethereal loops and rhythmic undercurrents. Voices from distant classical motifs echo faintly, adding to the album's enigmatic allure. While later albums like Zauberberg and Konigsforst would refine and deepen the Gas aesthetic, this debut stands out for its airy, evocative mood and its more fluid, exploratory nature. It captures Gas at a moment of artistic genesis, where Voigt's sonic vision begins to crystallise amidst dreamlike textures and subtle rhythmic structures. Gas, in its reissued form, not only revisits a pivotal moment in electronic music history but also serves as a testament to Voigt's enduring influence and avant-garde spirit, setting the stage for its legendary successors.

Review: "The idea was simply to make an ambient album", Dr Alex Paterson has said of The Orb's new album entitled Chill Out, World!. With partner in crime Thomas Fehlmann, the duo resisted looking back and studying their earlier (seminal) recordings and opted for a more spontaneous approach: a focus on where they are at today in 2016. COW is said to have been completed over the course of five sessions in only six months, between a relentless touring schedule which they also credit as being hugely influential on the album's sound. As always, strap yourself in for an immersive sound experience and possibly expect to hear some of the more courageous DJs dropping likes likes of "4am Exhale (Chill Out, World!)" or perhaps "Just Because I Really Really Luv Ya". Oh and the track titles are as baffling as ever too.

Review: Originally confined to CDia relic of a different timeiJorg Burger's early-2000s masterwork finally sees the vinyl treatment it deserves. Lush, transportive, and quietly radical, this is ambient techno at its most fluid, a body of work that drifts between nostalgia and movement, solitude and propulsion. 'Leuchtturm' remains untouched, its soft hand drums and hazy atmospheres still unfolding like a slow sunrise. Elsewhere, 'AG Penthouse' undergoes a transformation, its flute-like trills and glassy keys now fused to a churning rhythm that recalls Tangerine Dream's work on Thief, minus the guitar histrionics. Beat-driven yet deeply immersive, each track rises, crests and recedes in perfect sequence, a travelogue in the vein of Carl Craig's Landcruising or Model 500's Deep Space. What makes this release endure isn't just its shimmering detail but its refusal to conform. In a landscape where ambient techno so often leans on a specific nostalgia, Burger sidesteps the obvious, creating a listening experience that still feels singular, 21 years later.

Review: RECOMMENDED
It's hard to imagine anyone with ears and an understanding of 'how things should be done properly' not having about a million years' worth of time for Kompakt Records and the bossman Michael Mayer. Both have endured rises and falls in electronic music, and remain emblems of quality within house, techno, electro and electronica. In more recent times, though, you could argue the label has never been on better form than when dealing with tracks which are not necessarily focused on the dance floor.

From that end of things comes the appropriately titled Pop Ambient compilation series, each instalment a masterclass of lush, thoughtful production work. Here we're treated to efforts from Markus Guentner and Joachim Spieth, Triola, Andrew Thomas and Black Gloss, with the combined effect equivalent to what it might feel like to physically walk into a tapestry of vivid, soft, relaxing colours.

Review: This year marks the 24th edition of Kompakts 'Pop Ambient' series, starting way back in 2001, a celebration of predominantly German collaborators who have come together to create a digital encyclopedia of ambient for over two decades. 'Octarine' by Mikkel Metal is a gentle, layered vibraphone track that conjures dream sequences, it's subtle guitar buildup in the back adding a sense of unease into the mix. 'Panta Rhei' by Joachim Speith is a more typical piece, a droning ambient synth creating a cloudlike texture - think Lovesliescrushing or DJ Lostboi.

Review: The Pop Ambient 2025 compilation from Kompakt marks an incredible 25-year journey for the ambient series, blending long-standing contributors with new talent. This year's edition upholds Kompakt's tradition of meditative atmospheres and subtle textures, opening with Leandro Fresco and Thore Pfeiffer's 'Goldwasserfluss'ia fragile, shimmering collaboration that sets the tone for an album both familiar and exploratory. Highlights include Pass Into Silence's 'Mirage', a delicate track that brings back Tetsuo Sakae's stoic precision, and 'Follow Me', a collaboration by Sebastian Mullaert and Tamara Davitashvili, adding a unique, intimate resonance. Max Wurden's 'Circles' captures the series' ethos, with a moving chord progression around the 2:55 markia reminder of why this series remains timeless. Other standout moments come from Sono Kollektiv with Nathalie Brum's 'Periadriatische Naht', where Luis Reich's flugelhorn enriches the ambient soundscape with jazz nuances and Andrew Thomas's 'Sunshine Night'. combining piano with Julia Parr's ethereal vocals. Jorg Burger's meticulous mastering polishes each track, while Veronika Unland's floral artwork provides a fitting visual. The series continues to transcend time, offering moments of reflection that feel unburdened by the rapid pace of modern life. Pop Ambient 2025 is a statement on the power of musical atmosphere, filled with serene landscapes and intricate soundscapes that linger well beyond the final note.

Review: Kompakt's Pop Ambient 2025 marks 25 years of their signature deep ambient series, embodying a refined sense of tranquility and atmospheric depth. This vinyl release gathers new gems from longtime contributors like Leandro Fresco, Pass Into Silence and Wurden & Schafe, who each bring lush soundscapes that feel like meditative journeys. Triola's inclusion reinforces the continuity of the series, while new compositions like 'Artifacts of Synthese' by Segensklang add fresh, delicate textures. Hendrik Meyer's 'Grun War Die Klamm' stands out with its natural, serene tones, beautifully complementing the collection. For ambient listeners, this anniversary edition presents a thoughtfully curated blend of Kompakt's ambient vision over the years, celebrating a legacy of introspective, lush sound and marking a milestone in the genre.