Kompakt - Total 10

Kompakt
Total 10
KOMPAKT

Cologne based electronic heavyweights Kompakt return with their annual instalment in the Total series, now at the landmark ten. Formed in 1998 by Wolfgang Voigt, Michael Mayer and Jurgen Paape the label has always been big on innovation, typically providing a more atmospheric take to things than their Berlin based ‘freunde’. With Voigt, Mayer and Paape credible producers in their own right it seems only appropriate that everyone from The Orb, Superpitcher and Aril Brikha has graced previous issues of the Total series.

Total 10 continues in the same manner with the tracklisting reading like a who’s who of electronica today. Spanning the course of 2 CD’s (and 3LP’s), Total 10 is the collection of essential tunes from the current  catalogue and highlights exclusive, new music from the likes of DJ Koze, Thomas/Mayer, Juergen Paape, Wassermann aka Wolfgang Voigt and others. What one will immediately notice in comparison to other editions is the inclusion of remixes….the likes of Ivan Ssmaghe & Tim Paris aka It’s A Fine, Gui Boratto, Thomas Fehlmann and of course Supermayer all tweaking the knobs for others on the compilation.

The more dancefloor orientated CD1 starts with the mind boggling DJ Koze’s 40 Love in which a sample of a tennis raleigh is stretched and sliced to spit out a catchy high hat loop amidst a deep tech groove. The string laden Thomas/Mayer’s Total 9 keeps things deep and atmospheric and events start to become a little funkier in Dirk Leyers mix of Justus Kohncke’s (It’s Gonna Be) Alright – by now the heads bobbing nicely. Shumi provides an Aphex Twin influenced chord filled groover in The Wind And The Sea and the Gui Boratto mix of the Pet Shop Boys produced Sam Taylor-Wood track brings the electro sleaze with a sunshine feel. Tracks from Ada and Coma continue the theme with Boratto’s own No Turning Back (Wighnomy’s remix) and Nicolas Stefans Closer taking it deep and hypnotic. To close the CD Jonas Bering destroys the Function One with the bass driven Who Is Who – sure to be a classic ‘lights up’ moment in a club near you soon.

As is traditional with most compilations, CD2 steers more towards the ears than the feet getting things underway with Justus Kohncke’s Give It To Me Easy [think Quincy Jones bullying Prince] in this downbeat atmospheric tripper. Matias Aguayo brings an uber cool indie/electro vocal number in Walter Neff with the floaty vocal feel continuing as Mayburg feat. Ada and Gotye present  their respective Each And Every Day and Hearts A Mess offerings. As the disc progresses, things get a little trancier with Thomas Fehlmanns rework of  The Fields’ The More I Do. Onto the standout track on the disc in Burger/Voigts Wand Aus Klang (Smagghe/Paris mix), a sequence led dance floor destroyer with the carnage arriving at the door in the gradual breakdown in the middle, ala French Kiss, is sure to cause quirky mayhem a la Space/DC10.

Things take on a slightly more abstract feel with Wasserman's Berg Und Tal churning out a horn led frenzy [sure to make it into Cadenza stalwart Luciano’s box] and label owner Jurgen Paape’s Ofterschwang taking thinks very Biere Halle indeed with pictures of beer swigging Germans patting each other on the back surely an influence. Reinhard Voights Am Limit and Mugwumps Ignored Folklore take it back to the dancefloor with the latter a full on smile wearing trance monster [reminiscent of Oakenfolds early Perfecto output]. The compilation ends with the tongue in check Pachango Boys’ Fiesta Forever which could easily have been stolen from the local Mexican restaurant stereo.

Kompakt have again presented a compilation of tracks by artists at the height of their game and seem to effortlessly produce that mix of sounds that are both therapeutic to the feet and challenging to the ear whilst always having that edge and sounding slightly different. More than 10 years in they have staked their claim as one of the true pioneering labels in the world today and true lovers of all things electronic whilst continuing to go from strength to strength. Kompakt? Massive!

Tracklisting: Kompakt - Total 10
CD1:
1. DJ Koze – 40 Love
2. Thomas/Mayer – Total 9
3. Justus Köhncke – (It’s Gonna Be) Alright (Dirk Leyers Mix)
4. Shumi – The Wind And The Sea
5. Sam Taylor-Wood  – I’m in love with a German film star (Gui Boratto Mix)
6. Ada – Lovestoned
7. Coma – Sum
8. Gui Boratto – No turning back (Wighnomy’s Likkalize Love Rekksmi)
9. Nicolas Stefan – Closer
10. Jonas Bering – Who is who

CD2:
1. Justus Köhncke – Give it to me easy
2. Matias Aguayo – Walter Neff
3. Mayburg feat. Ada – Each and every day
4. Gotye – Heart’s a mess (Supermayer Mix)
5. The Field – The more I do (Thomas Fehlmann Mix)
6. Burger/Voigt – Wand aus Klang (It’s a fine line Mix)
7. Wassermann – Berg und Tal (Instrumental)
8. Juergen Paape – Ofterschwang
9. Reinhard Voigt – Am Limit
10. Mugwump – Ignored Folklore
11. Pachanga Boys – Fiesta forever

Dave Deep