Techno 2019

For this playlist, we are slowly adding tracks that start at the beginning of Kompakt&#x27;s story - we reach deep into our extensive back catalogue and select key tracks ranging from early bangers to future classics - a perfect introduction to the label 

KOMPAKT: Selection

club

Cover of a Spacemen 3 track off of their final album, Recurring.   Produced by Spirit Choir. 

Big City (Spacemen 3 Cover)

My Orbit (Single Edit)

Worlds Apart

Will You Smile Again For Me

FREE DOWNLOAD!

GRGE - Nostalgia (Original Mix)

Aphrodizia - July   Summer   Night

The Eraser

Harrowdown Hill

Patrick Mason and Rekids boss Matt Edwards return for their second appearance as SRVD with two cuts entitled ‘RAW FILES’.

Not confined to a single art form, Patrick Mason is a young creative at the forefront of Berlin’s art, fashion, dance music and LGBT scene; an influential club kid who developed a friendship with Matt Edwards after a chance meeting in Panorama Bar, resulting in numerous studio sessions and improvised live sets. Joining forces in 2018, the pair adopted their SRVD moniker – an alias inspired by New York’s vogue scene – before dropping their debut release on Rekids, playing at various clubs (notably Panorama Bar), not to mention an unforgettable performance at Boiler Room x Pornceptual.

‘The Yard Man’ presents rattling drums, piercing vocal chants and a tormenting melody that SRVD has been destroying dancefloors with over the last year. On the flip, ‘Brotha’ presents a compelling groove as a shuffling rhythm joins abrasive synths and Mason’s penetrating voice.

SRVD - Brotha

SRVD - The Yard Man

Wehbba collaborates with ghetto tech legend DJ Deeon, to deliver another superlative EP on Drumcode.

Since his debut on Drumcode in 2017, Brazil’s Wehbba has become one of the most dependable and impressive artists on the roster. Last year saw two standout EP’s ‘Eclipse’ and ‘Catarse’ drop on the imprint, alongside ‘Just’, his strong contribution to A-Sides Vol.7. He also made his mark playing Drumcode events at OFF Week, Resistance Ibiza and the much talked about double header in Manchester and Bristol when DC took over Warehouse Project and Motion respectively.

A true master craftsman in the studio, his first contribution for 2019 is typically impressive. A huge inspiration to Wehbba since his nascent raver days, ghetto tech icon DJ Deeon contributes a fierce vocal to ‘We Have Bass’, after a serendipitous hook up in São Paulo. A peak career moment collaborating with one of his original heroes and the artist responsible for the classic ‘Freak Like Me’, the resulting percussive-heavy cut kicks like a rodeo bull. ‘Third Wave’ is coffee geek Wehbba’s homage to his favourite brew, constructing the production to mirror the experience of a caffeine fix, as a loopy trance-inducing groove leads to powerful synth stabs that are heavy on impact. ‘Steamroller’ is a stripped back slice of techno driven by the Brazilian’s Korg MS-20 and found form after it initially begun as a studio jam inspired by Richie Hawtin’s ‘Minus Orange’. 

A Jean-Michel Jarre fan stretching back to his childhood, ‘Another Mistake’ was conceived after Wehbba saw the French legend in concert last year and was subsequently able to meet him backstage through a mutual friend. While creating the track, the producer imagined Jarre playing the main layers of the hook on his famous Laser-harp, eliciting an almost celestial quality with the melody. This is a stirring slice of techno fit for stadiums. The EP ends with ‘Purge’, the artist’s stream-of-consciousness expression recorded in one-take and a beautiful beat-less way to conclude the work.

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Wehbba & DJ Deeon - We Have Bass - Drumcode - DC202

Alone with the Gods

REKNIK

Buy/Stream here: https://KompaktRecords.lnk.to/LostCatSD

Leipzig’s @dj-balduin has been a staff favourite for some time as we are avid fans of his @glyk-musik imprint, and in particular his debut EP “Vvigmara”. Dj Balduin proclaims to enjoy producing music that creates “states of hypnosis with an occasional, gentle “hands-up-face-slap” every now and then” which perfectly sums up “Lost Cat” - his first release for KOMPAKT.

“E.W.B.A” came to Dj Balduin while having a shower, so chances are high we have this summer’s rain dance anthem on our hands as it has all the right elements - a classic rave synth meets an infectious open snare to break through the beat.

The kick drum thud of “Sheee” seems to be all too menacing at first, but surprisingly learns how to open itself into a gorgeously seductive uplifting house tune.

This story ends with the perfect set closer; “Lost Cat And An Untied Shoe” brings that beat back with soaring synths and a playful natural bass line that adds just the slightest edge of funk to carry the crowd home at the end of the night.

Buy/Stream

Dj Balduin - E.W.B.A.

Buy/stream: https://KompaktRecords.lnk.to/PopAmbient2020SD

20 years of Pop Ambient. Already? One didn’t notice. It’s an anniversary which comes quietly. An anniversary with quiet tones. In the spirit of the special restraint of pop-elegance, it has no reason to drawn attention to itself with a big „Tam-Tam“. Or better: „Bum-Bum“. The bass drum stays outside. Nevertheless, in fast-paced, overstimulated times of moving forward, it’s a joyful occasion to look back. What strikes most by putting or listening to 20 years of pop ambient in a row is the central theme that holds together the dense aesthetic concept like the pearls of a necklace. Floral beauty for digital naturalists. Music like flowers, that don’t wilt. Timeless. Ageless.
But with all of the conceptual unity and resolution, Pop Ambient would not be Kompakt without the break, the friction, the expansion of musical boundaries in between tradition and innovation, in between conspiracy and the openness of the discourse. Aestheticism, escapism, acting in the spirit of „nevertheless“. Swans drifting by, clouds pass over, everything is floating and: „Boredom is a stylistic device“ (Andy Warhol).

Pop Ambient Music is medicine against illnesses, that you don’t even suffer from. It’s giving everything, demanding nothing. Musical lotus leafs, off which the virtual wastewater of our time is rolling like the reality is dripping off the matrix. 

In this sense, we’re happy about the pop-ambient anniversary greetings from new and old companions like Thore Pfeiffer, Max Würden, Yui Onodera, Jörg Burger, Thomas Fehlmann, Morgen Wurde, Leandro Fresco aswell as contributions from T.Raumschmiere, Andrew Thomas and, after a long break, from friends from early days like Joachim Spieth, Markus Guentner und Klimek.

Pop Ambient 2020 is released digital, as CD and of course as a chic double vinyl. Also included in the package: The whole distinctive cover-series as an art book of 44 pages. And for all of the old and young fans and collectors there is the Pop Ambient 2001 in a overhauled original version out on vinyl for the very first time.

  Breath in. Breath out. Thank you.  

Wolfgang Voigt, September 2019.

Buy/stream

Thore Pfeiffer – Urquell

Buy/Stream: https://KompaktRecords.lnk.to/KanteEPSD

We welcome to the Kompakt family one of our local Cologne heroes, @jonathankaspar. We’ve appreciated him from afar for some time now thanks to his releases on Crosstown Rebels, Pets Recordings, Ouie and of course our own KX imprint. His single “Renard” was a highlight of our recently released TOTAL 19 collection, so it was time to make our relationship official with a 4 track EP.

Opener “Kern” leads with layers of melodic synths power charged around a playful house rhythm. For the digital release he offers up a Percussion Edit that is intended to bring more depth to the charge.
“Zentrum” is for that peak time pace…elevating melodies caress a swelling mid-tempo beat. Not to mention one of the biggest breakdown’s we’ve had the pleasure to release in some time. We move to “Licht” which literally sounds like it soars, then back to earth comes “Kante” – the most techno inspired track of the EP – an oscillating synth rips through solid low end bass frequencies – with Jonathan Kaspar skillfully demonstrating prime time, peak and valley production.

“Kante EP” brings out his emotive, high energy style of writing and producing in a means that could be pointed to as his best work to date.

Jonathan Kaspar - Kante

Buy/stream: https://KompaktRecords.lnk.to/FrameDraggingSD

It's with great pleasure that we announce the return of New York's synth wizard @stevemoore2600 to KOMPAKT - pretty much exactly 10 years after his much lauded first appearance 'Bayern Kurve' on our SPEICHER series.

Steve Moore is widely recognized as one half of Italo Disco-tinged horror-prog project ZOMBI, his numerous thriller movie soundtrack works (The Guest, VFW, Mayhem, Bliss, The Mind's Eye) as well has his clubbier output on Ron Morelli's L.I.E.S. imprint.

The title track of this 4 track EP, "Frame Dragging" sees Moore in full spine tingling mode. In case you've ever stepped into a hot bath on a cold day (in case you haven't you should try it) you should be well familiar with the phenomenon of being incredibly cold and hot at once. That's exactly what 'Frame Digging' does to the dance floor. Goosebump massacre.

"Gamma Quadrant" combines emotive balearic elements with a rolling minimal house track that reminds us of early Playhouse glory. Or is it early Kompakt?

'Gravity Well' and 'Protostar' are both taking a more chilled out route. They perfectly bookend both sides of the record and showcase Moore's stunning ability of creating suspenseful, spaced out beauty.

Steve Moore - Frame Dragging

Time / Sleeper Must Awaken

Sleeper Must Awaken

Buy/stream: https://KompaktRecords.lnk.to/MusicMadeParadiseWE

Italy’s AGENTS OF TIME have long been on the KOMPAKT radar. It started thanks to their exemplary releases on Correspondant and other labels such as Stem, Ellum and their own imprint Obscura which includes last year’s collaboration with Mathew Jonson (from whom their name is inspired by). Michael Mayer had chance to play with them last summer at one of their Obscura parties and their friendship was cemented. Which leads us now to their five track KOMPAKT debut, entitled MUSIC MADE PARADISE.

From our early days of releasing landmark tracks from JUSTUS KÖHNCKE, the label has never been shy of exploring the enigmatic fringes of disco in our own way. AGENTS OF TIME follow these footsteps but head into galactic territory with MUSIC MADE PARADISE. They continue their knack for bridging synth-wave with modern bass rhythms in a means which are purely designed for today’s dance floors. We’re proud to make their label debut with an
incredible selection of music from this talented trio.

French touch meets Italo chic on Drive Me Crazy. At first, My Heart is A Microchip comes across as a segue track, but opens into cascading synths and a predatory breakbeat to lead its own charge. Under Control is classy Moroder disco brought to the modern age. Aptly titled Interstate 10 is an EP highlight – the percussion lead is infectious and ready for prime time exploration.

Agents Of Time - My Heart Is A Microchip

Label, booking agency & online record shop

Demo submission: 
We receive a lot of demos every day. Please understand that we are unable to listen to everything. Send your private soundcloud link to: label@kompakt.fm.