Ata Kak's first new song in over 30 years!

Ata Kak created a peculiar slice of Ghanaian music history with his debut album “Obaa Sima”. While it barely made a ripple at the time of its release in 1994, the cassette found a new life online in 2006. A not-so-underground cult obsession grew after it appeared on  the blog Awesome Tapes From Africa as its very first post, a sort of manifesto for the project. His addictive amalgam of left-field electronic music and Twi-language hiplife reached surprising levels of awareness among music fans of many stripes. The mystery behind the musician’s identity grew. Eventually Yaw Atta-Owusu came out of the shadows, from his quiet home in Kumasi, to tour the world playing high-energy, sweat-soaked performances at major festivals like Glastonbury, Sónar and Pop Montreal. 

Now, for the first time since 1994, Ata Kak releases new music. Honed in studios around Kumasi over the last several years, the songs feature the rapper-singer’s acrobatic rap, signature scatting, dramatic drums and even traditional Akan harp. The compositions are more ambitious than his earlier work, with more complex arrangements and layered harmonies. Ata Kak’s new songs are also the natural expression of a restless artist—he is a prolific poet and author of a half-dozen books, as well as an active gardener and busy painter. 

Born in Ghana in 1960, Ata Kak wasn’t always involved in music. But his travels and openness to the world lead him into the music industry. While living in Germany, he was invited to play drums in a reggae band and subsequently played in highlife bands in Ontario after moving to the Toronto area. He recorded “Obaa Sima” there at his home studio and released it in Ghana in 1994. He didn’t participate in music much in the intervening years until “Obaa Sima” was reissued in 2015. He started performing his song live with the help of a brilliant cast of London-based musicians and has toured three continents and played to thousands of fans in venues of all kinds.

Preorder

Yasi Town

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

Here’s a little amuse gueule for the 25th edition of our beloved TOTAL compilation series which will drop on the 10th of October. Gui Boratto has been an integral part of Kompakt’s history for a while and we’re elated to welcome him back to the fold with his latest creation “Panorama X-Press”. Gui’s incredible production prowess is fully on display here. A funky, chunky bassline paths the way for what we believe is one of the Brazilian’s wildest forays into psychedelic terrains to date. A true rollercoaster of a track!

Panorama X-Press

Gui Boratto - Panorama X-Press

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

SUPERPITCHER knows how to make a grand appearance, accompanied by high-calibre guests. His electro-pop treat ‘Pandora’s Box’ features Hot Chip’s ALEXIS TAYLOR​ on vocals.

Pandora’s Box feat. Alexis Taylor

Superpitcher - Pandora’s Box feat. Alexis Taylor

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

Any new track by Jürgen Paape on a TOTAL compilation is always going to be worth your while. 'Grace (A Tale)', featuring up-and-coming talent Hella, is another grand addition to his incredible legacy. Dreamy minimal dub pop for your heart, body and soul.

Grace (A Tale) feat. Hella

Jürgen Paape - Grace (A Tale) feat. Hella

Buy/stream: https://kompakt.fm/releases/speicher_136

Michael Mayer became obsessed with Erik Luebs, an American producer based in Osaka, after stumbling upon his independently released music on Bandcamp. Luebs’ talent for creating high-energy, minimalist acid techno with impeccable, futuristic sound design swiftly earned him a regular place in Mayer’s sets. It was only a matter of time before Luebs made his debut on Kompakt’s Speicher series with this highly versatile EP. ‘Riding the Blade’ opens the four-track EP, showcasing Luebs’ signature punchy psychedelia. ‘Scarlet Viscera’ features a sleek, minimal groove that is reminiscent of the genre’s heyday in the 2000s. ‘Transform Into Glass’ emanates blissful Detroit vibes, and the EP closes with a real bang: ‘Sucked Through Tube’ creates a frenzy on the dance floor without the need for a single kick drum. If you like your techno sexy and forward-thinking, there’s no way around the man from Osaka. Play it loud!

Sucked Through Tube

Erik Luebs - Sucked Through Tube

Buy/stream: https://kompakt.fm/releases/the_floor_is_lava_remixe_12

Michael Mayer, aka Mr. Lava Lava asked a bunch of his absolute favourite artists to have a go at some of the tracks from his recent album 'The Floor Is Lava'. First up is Barcelona's brightest flame, RAXON, who is melting 'Brainwave 2.0' into a stompin fun-filled primetime banger. Longtime collaborator DAVE DK is a masterful producer and remixer that appears regularly on Pampa and Kompakt. His take on 'The Solution' feels like a road trip to paradise and back. Montreal's PRIORI is one of the hottest names in showbiz right now. His ability to bridge genres and create pristine sound designs is fully on display in his remix for 'The Solution'. Last but not least, the legend that is SEBASTIAN MULLAERT took a moment off from his revered Circle Of Live jams to transform the albums deepest cut 'Ardor' into an extraordinary musical journey. Oldschool Border Community vibes in the rebound!

Ardor (Sebastian Mullaert’s Wide Eye Disco Spell)	 

Michael Mayer - Ardor (Sebastian Mullaert’s Wide Eye Disco Spell)

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

The steely, almost industrial sounding percussions in the intro to HARDT ANTOINE’s new single “Let Me Go” are truly amongst the most unusual and yet highly effective grooves we’ve heard this summer. With every added layer Antoine manages to stir up new emotions and intensifies the levels of deepness and soulfulness. “Let Me Go” ticks all the boxes to become one of the most recognizable and cherished tunes of the season and is already getting heavy support from all the usual suspects.

Let Me Go (Extended Version)

Hardt Antoine - Let Me Go (Extended Version)

One of my favorite songs by Bobby Steele's post-Misfits band The Undead -- Happy Halloween! 
Written by Bobby Steele, 1982.

When The Evening Comes

Mac McCaughan

Related tracks