Kompakt Extra Germany レコード& CD

Review: Next up on Kompakt's esteemed Spiecher series is Brazilian techno heroine with the powerful and adrenalised acid techno epic "Hidden Beauties" taking you back to a time in the '90s when the likes of Laurent Garnier and Hardfloor reigned supreme - absolutely epic stuff! The jackathon continues on the B side with second offering "The Dansant" with its violent whirling bassline that doesn't rely on the that little silver Roland box like the previous side but still packing as much punch, its aggressive syncopated 909 rhythms rapid firing away in convincingly old school fashion. Just fresh off of it's 100th release, ANNA was a great choice thereafter, following up some killer grooves for top labels such as Turbo, Terminal M, Get Physical and Matador's Rukus imprint to name but a few.

Review: Speicher 125 is the upcoming split EP by German producers and DJs Barnt and Michael Mayer, forming part of the Speicher series, one of Kompakt's many V/A serials. This is music for peaktime dancefloor servicing; 'Teller' and 'Duration' are minimal, intense hooverers, reminiscent of later DJ Koze tracks and/or film soundtrack techno. The B, too, comes in true Barnt style, throwing organic bells and knocks into a beguiling mix.

Review: Kompakt's legendary Speicher series is up to its 130th installment here and none other than electroclash forefather and International DJ Gigolo label head DJ Hell features, firstly with his cut 'Anything Anytime' remixed by Voigt & Voigt. It's a mid-tempo electronic sound with dwarves of fizzing synth and filtered robot vocals that bring a melancholic note to the wavy beats. Then Hell himself steps up with his own flipside remix. He brings plenty of raw strobe-lit energy and snappy drum funk to Wassermann's 'WIR'.

Review: Grown-up techno label Kompkat has always served up its most dancefloor ready sounds as part of the Speicher series and it is now up to an impressive 129 installments. This one kicks off with Hunter/Game & U S H N U's collaboration 'Reload' which is an electric cut with bright synth lines shimmering about the mix next to thunderous claps and dark future vocals. On the flip, Bawrut cuts loose with rave stabs over dense percussive grooves with vocal snatches adding to the unsettling and boisterous mood of 'Clapa', which does indeed also have plenty of claps.

Review: Fresh experimental dance cuttage from Jonathan Kaspar for Kompakt, clearly at the label's absolute vanguard for what constitutes boundary-pushing in 2023. A resident at the Gewolbe club in Cologne, Kaspar has surely flexed enough muscles to have worked out what makes the less easy-to-please dance-goer tick - and we think he's cracked it on 'Speicher 127', two tracks indulging weirdo drum-flams and crazy-emotive filter-sweeps respectively. Recalling the work of Barnt, but with perhaps an even more patient approach, the likes of 'Topper' and 'FEZ' are not to be trifled with.

Review: Kolsch gets his freak on with this latest release on for the Kompakt Extra label which represents the Danish producer's fourth Speicher in total. We are not sure what Rune Reilly Kolsch was on when he was in the studio making "Papageno" but we sure would like some, as the production is bugged out to the extreme! Detuned synths and malfunctioning electronics collide magnificently with manipulated basslines and stripped back percussion before Kolsch introduces a most pleasant detour into a more melodic plane blessed by fluttering vocals from When Saints Go Machine's Waa Industry. On the flip, Kolsch teams up with pianist Gregor Schwellenbach for the sublime "Cassiopeia" which surely ranks as one of Kompakt's most affecting B Sides of recent memory.

Review: The Speicher series feels almost as old as techno itself by now. It has long been one of the many jewels in Cologne label Kompakt's crown and Kolsch, one of the label's chief mainstays, has been behind many of them. This 128th such offering is a dreamy yet dynamic techno sound that sits up there with some of the label's best offerings. 'Cold Air' is urgent and edgy but always awash with waves of melodic sheen even when the ragged bass is in free fall. 'Environ' then has a 90s IDM Warp feel to it with its bright reflective melodies filtered and drawn out, stretched and smeared over a big and bouncy beat.