Kompakt Germany Vinyl & CDs

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: The Orb's 13th album is a carefully crafted collection of tracks that are couched in minimal techno and ambient house. The first half embraces so-called 'Schaffel' rhythms, while the second half explores classic Orb sonic landscapes and features guest appearances from Schneider TM and Ulf Lohmann. The likes of 'Captain Korma' are warmly infused melodic jaunts with shimmering vocals, 'Cool Harbour' is a lumpy, dubby and off-balance workout and 'Kompagna (Zandic mix)' is a raw, experimental blend of harmonic tones, smeared samples and ambient bliss. This one, then, continues The Orb's legacy of genre-defying music which started in the late 80s when they pioneered chill-out and ambient house.

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.