Michael Mayer and Tobias Thomas have jointly created some of the most luminous moments in Kompakt’s history. Look no further than Smallville. They spread the love here over to the second edition of remixes from Ada’s Blondie album, making “Maps” what it should have been in the first place, an epic stormer of a techno track guided lightly by a music-box melody. Erlend Oye and band turn out on the B-side, playing what ends up being a rather stunning version of “Cool My Fire.” In a genre known for its production, Erlend does it exactly right in a rock context, giving the track an incredibly intimate feel (warts and all). Highly recommended.

Areal / Areal030
[Todd Burns]