Kompakt Extra Germany Vinyl & CDs

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: 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: Over a career stretching back almost two decades, Robag Wruhme has proved to be one of minimal house and techno's most unique producers, with a trademark sound that's become a byword for mind-altering, late-night quality. Fans of the Wruhme sound will love his latest outing on Kompakt extra. Our pick of the pair is driving A-side 'No', where mystical sounds, exotic percussion and sustained chords rise above a thrusting bassline and a rock-solid drum machine rhythm. By his standards it's quite "big", though that's not a criticism - 'No' genuinely sounds like a proper peak-time banger. B-side 'Frontex Freppant' is more in-keeping with his hazy, hypnotic sound of old, with stabbing electronics, looped aural textures and wonky electronics clustered around another tough, weighty techno groove.

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.