Kompakt Extra Germany Vinyl & CDs

Review: Last year Brazilian DJ/producer Ana Miranda joined Kompakt Extra following years spent building her reputation via fine releases on such labels as Novamute, Twin Turbo, Yoshitoshi and Terminal M. For her third release on the long-serving German label she's joined forces with another scene queen, the incomparable Miss Kittin. The pair has produced a raw, driving dancefloor beast that's bigger than Donald Trump's ego and infinitely more alluring. "Forever Ravers" is heavy, intense and forthright, with stylized vocal snippets and razor sharp electronic motifs surging above a thumping groove. Miranda offers a different take on the track on side B, opting for bleeping and panicked electronics and spacey bleep melodies.

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: Patrice Baumel returns to Kompakt's Speicher series with 'Speicher 133' and it's every bit as captivating as you'd hope. 'Luce' delivers a sleek, minimal groove infused with Chiara Gamo's ethereal vocals, building tension and warmth with just a few masterful elements. 'The Cave' continues the journey, drawing us into a mystical world of echoing droplets and haunting whispers, evoking the sensation of wandering through a stalactite-filled cavern. Baumel once again proves his ability to create pure magic with minimal means.

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: Ida Engberg's contribution to this release marks a striking departure from the Swedish techno DJ and record producer's usual sound, an unexpected, lush journey through the world of 2 step genre that's definitely not typically seen in her catalogue. The track is at once sensual and booming, designed for the late-morning hours when the dancefloor shifts from peak-time frenzy to more reflective, intimate moments. It pulses with a calm intensity, creating a smooth yet exhilarating rhythm that invites the listener into an immersive experience. On the flip side, 'Pink Monkeys' is a true sonic adventure, blending elements of EBM and sawtooth trance to produce a thrilling, psychedelic atmosphere. The track is a festival-ready anthem, charged with energy and unrestrained sound, allowing Ida to stretch her creative muscles even further. Meanwhile, Marco Resmann delivers two tracks that showcase his deep-rooted versatility. 'RIMA feat. Laatz' is a high-octane techno rollercoasterimenacing, frenetic, and impossible to ignore. Its relentless drive and chaotic energy keep the listener on their toes, offering a new, radical take on techno. Then, 'Dimensions' shifts into a more intricate, electro-driven vibe. Its low-slung groove is filled with subtle details, creating a balanced equilibrium that simultaneously engages both the mind and the body. Resmann's approach is detailed and meticulous, ensuring each sound has a purpose and brings the track to life. Together, these four tracks exemplify a mastery of genre-blending, pushing boundaries while still maintaining an infectious, danceable core that connects with listeners on a deep, visceral level.

Review: The 110th release from Kompakt Extra comes from Extrawelt, a long-serving electronic band from Hamburg that has previously impressed via albums and singles on Traum Schallplatten, Border Community, Darkroom Dubs and Cocoon Recordings. They naturally hit the ground running with "Pink Panzer", a bustling affair that mixes live drum breakbeats and tough machine percussion with moody, booming bass, creepy strings and evocative, ever-building tech-house electronics. Flipside "Argonaut" is an altogether sleazier and heavier affair full of thrusting, non-stop distorted bass, redlined post-electro drums and all manner of mind-mangling electronic effects. It's effectively the Yang to the A-side's Ying and, like its' predecessor, very good indeed.

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: Kompakt Extra presents "Speicher 50" from Oxia and Intus. With "Not Sure" Olivier 'Oxia' Raymond delivers the pivotal 50th hymn. A Speicher Jubilee. On the flip an old friend from Bavaria serenades the 50 Jubilee, under a very fitting project name Intus. There is kicking vodka-techno beats, ingeniously out of tune, and a howling guitar lurching us into the seventh sky of spiritual bliss. Nice.

Review: Goodness gracious, it's finally time to go off the deep end. Jurgen Paape is back in the ring with "Speicher 47", on Kompackt Extra Germany. Envision a truck loaded with nuclear waste bouncing down the techno highway, All blockades and roadkill that bar it's way are ravaged through without mercy. Veiled in a voluptuous camo net of harmonious grandeur, it flows with a similar straightforwardness as it's predecessor. But this companion differs, preferring to dwell in the nether regions of the obscurity of clarity that comes in the wee hour, when a dancefloor makes all too much sense. Techno!

Review: The Spanish producer returns to Kompakt's and its iconic Speicher series with the 134th edition. Delivering two distinct and different tracks highlight the artists versatility in electronic music. Known for his full-length release on the label in 2021, Raxon continues to impress, contributing to the legacy of a series that has defined techno for over 25 years under Wolfgang Voigt's visionary guidance. Side -1 'Acid Call' is a quirky, minimalist delight, its driving, heavy beat underpinning a dynamic bassline that twists and turns with crisp, intricate production. The track's playful, acid-tinged elements keep it engaging without sacrificing its grooveia perfect fit for both peak-time sets and deeper exploration. On Side-2, 'Don't Cry Pluto' ventures into cinematic territory with melodic, analogue textures. Ethereal layers and fairytale-like tones combine with a powerful undercurrent, creating a dynamic contrast between weight and whimsy. Speicher 134 reaffirms Kompakt's status as a techno tastemaker and Raxon's role as an innovative, always engaging artist.

Review: Kompakt describe contemporary progressive house producer Robag Wruhme as "not just a producer, but a storyteller"; we'd wholeheartedly agree, save for the fact that unlike writers - storytellers who, for the most part, have a message to send to the world, and put said message into words for us to decisively make some sense out of - Wruhme is more of a sensational, of whose narrative arc we can only get a sense. It's clear from 'Speicher 132' that Wruhme approaches the art of minimal progressive house as, well, exactly that: an art of careful, sparse, but nuanced living room furnishing, in which perhaps better a world might be imagined. 'Naila' and 'CDV' both bring a brill sense of movement to the otherwise firmly rooted-in-place genre that is house, working in many extra varnishings, textures and licks of paint.