Kompakt Pop Ambient [ 2001 - 2025 ] - Full serie

https://mikeparadinas.bandcamp.com/album/secret-garden

In Spring 2021, Mike Paradinas (µ-Ziq and the owner of Planet Mu) spoke to long time friend and past label signing Hannah Davidson (Mrs Jynx) about the therapeutic power of writing music when times are tough. Both had recently been dealing with the loss of a parent due to cancer, and fresh from writing Scurlage, Paradinas suggested a collaboration.

“I’ve always thought Hannah’s melodic sensibilities chime well with my own," says Paradinas, "and I've wanted to collaborate with her for a long time, since [her 2010 album] 'Shark Carousel' in fact, because she'd written some melodies that I wish I had.”

In a matter of weeks the two collaborated online, sending stems back and forth, each encouraging the other and fitting perfectly together. 

“After about ten days we had ten tracks we were happy with." adds Davidson, "It was exciting to hear what Mike would do with the stems I sent, and equally exciting to see what he thought of my additions to his stems.”

Overall the result is an opus of deeply personal moments of grief, depicted in a feeling of serene, misty tranquility that makes it easy to get lost in. Davidson and Paradinas settled on the title 'Secret Garden' due to the melodic vista which unexpectedly opened up before them on the final track. The album truly is a melodic exploration that is so often missed in this genre. 

There are twists and turns in mood, from the pastoral loveliness of 'Jynxiq' and 'Unheard Melodies' which fall away to the dubby beats of 'Hi Jynx'; the sadness of 'Loss' leading into the beatless forlorn 'The Ballad of Darth Vader. The album ups the pace with the muffled kicks and warm atmosphere of 'Afternoon Sunshine', which sets the tone for the happier mood of the second half. This all leads up to the album's denoeument in final track 'Secret Garden' whose naïve meandering synth melodies, orchestral accompaniment and glockenspiel end the album in happy resolution.

µ-Ziq & Mrs Jynx - The Secret Garden

Loops of your heart - Cries (2012)

Ulf Lohmann - PCC

Buy/stream: https://kompakt.fm/releases/pop_ambient_2025_lp_dl

Hello Everybody,

In recent years, the introductory texts for the Pop Ambient compilation series, which is released every year on Kompakt as the last release before the Christmas break, often began with the sentence "Every year again...".

“Every year again”, a quiet, almost unnoticed maxim of self-evidentness. Because this is already the 25th issue to be published this year.

25 years in increasingly fast-moving times in the even faster-moving music business is an eternity that doesn't just feel like it. It is all the more remarkable how I, as someone who is always restless and often driven by this fast pace himself, pleasantly almost haven’t realised how - in pop-ambient contexts - time does not pass (or passes differently) in the best sense.

When compiling the 25th edition I was asked, among other things, what it was like that I was still doing this and whether I had a favorite track. In the spirit of bringing all the tracks together I don't have a favorite track, or all of them. But I have a favorite part (moment) that I played. In this case it was a broad chord in a change of key at minute 2:55 in the piece Circles by Max Würden. A moment of majesty and familiarity that, at that moment, contains the entire Pop Ambient cosmos, that just works and doesn't explain anything - and I said: “...that's the reason why I'm still doing this.. .”

Pop Ambient is a statement without demands. Is promise without expectation. Is a path without a destination.         Every year again.

Wolfgang Voigt, October 2024

As always, the indispensable final mastering by Jörg Burger ensures that everything is brought together and the sound is fine-tuned.

And like every year, the 25th edition is of course wrapped in an abstract, floral magic creation by Veronika Unland. Over the years, the grace of her imagery has increasingly merged with the musical aura to form an unmistakable magical symbiosis.  In addition to the official vinyl and CD edition, there will be a limited edition of 100 pieces in transparent vinyl - including a hand-signed fine art print by Veronika Unland, available exclusively at Kompakt Mailorder.

Pop Ambient 2025

Mirage

Pass Into Silence - Mirage

Sommersonnenschein - Novisad

Reverie (Drum & Bass Version)

Tacking the Sand**

*Tacking the Sand* is a high-energy, psychedelic dance album built for endless nights on the floor. Inspired by the image of a sailboat racing so close to the limit that its keel touches the sand, the record captures the adrenaline rush of risk, the euphoria of speed, and the hypnotic power of music that never lets go.

With **driving beats, spiraling synths, and mind-bending layers of sound**, each track pushes higher and harder, like waves that refuse to break. The album is pure momentum: vibrant, trippy, and unstoppable — a soundtrack for those who love to dance at the edge of chaos.

*Tacking the Sand* is not just a record. It’s a ride beyond the limit.


Tacking the Sand**

*Tacking the Sand* es un álbum de dance psicodélico y explosivo, creado para noches infinitas en la pista. Inspirado en la imagen de un velero en regata que vira tan al límite que su quilla toca la arena, el disco transmite la **adrenalina del riesgo, la euforia de la velocidad y la fuerza hipnótica de una música que no suelta nunca**.

Con **beats intensos, sintetizadores en espiral y capas sonoras alucinantes**, cada track sube más alto y más fuerte, como olas que nunca se detienen. El álbum es puro movimiento: vibrante, lisérgico e imparable — una banda sonora para quienes bailan al filo del caos.

*Tacking the Sand* no es solo un disco. Es un viaje más allá del límite.




Cerulean Drift

Solar Drift

Dry-by Donnacha Costello

Poetry, speech, melody and electronics combine on this limited tape from new sub-label ‘Purely Physical Teeny Tapes’.

A change of pace for PP, ‘Figures’ is also a divergence for the two artists involved. Emerging from Melbourne, 'Figures' is a rare artefact for devotees of both poetry and electronic music. The release marks a protean coming together by two figures with curiosity for each other's practice, forming a union between sound and speech to explore themes of bodies, time, language and power.

Lucy Van, who works as a post-doctoral researcher in English and Theatre studies, offers her poems in spoken form and also transcribed in full for the poster in the release.

Laila Sakini, a DJ who has recently emerged as a songwriter-producer, shapes music around each poem intuitively, adding context with restraint, in an experimental, yet pop-conscious process.

Initially developed as a one track hobby project for a noise and spoken word poetry night (which was cancelled), 'Figures' continued to evolve into a more complete body of work, with Laila leaking the demos on her NTS guest slots, leading to this eventual, finalisation of an EP.

The release is presented on a pro-dubbed all clear tape, packaged with an A2 double sided fold-out newsprint poster, all housed within a PVC heat sealed pouch.

Out June 2nd, 2017.

Mastered by Rashad Becker.

Edition of 100.

Laila and Lucy:

Lucy writes about poetry and photography. She is a post-doctoral researcher in the English and Theatre Studies program at the University of Melbourne, and an editor at Cordite Poetry Review. Lucy also writes lyric and prose poems, and has spoken at venues including The Slow Canoe, Station Gallery, and the National Gallery of Victoria.

Laila's role as a DJ and emerging producer/songwriter has seen her traverse between her home town of Melbourne and London. She has performed across clubs and festivals in  Melbourne and in various venues throughout London, Paris and Belgium along with art spaces including The National Gallery of Victoria, Carriageworks and The Australian Centre for the Moving Image. She presents semi-regularly on NTS Radio, has appeared on Boiler Room and has opened for the likes of Dopplereffekt and Optimo. Laila has recently begun producing, writing and performing live solo and collaborative works.

Laila Sakini & Lucy Van - False Ceiling

https://www.discogs.com/Jan-Jelinek-Loop-finding-jazz-records/release/57942

Jan Jelinek - Do Dekor

10 - Markus Guentner - Pilot

taken from the ep 'regensburg'
released on 'kompakt'

regensburg

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.

Pass Into Silence - Mirage

Kompakt

Recent comments

blupeter

Beat Vox

Related tracks