Alright: it’s time to fess up. Who put the acid in the Kompakt water cooler? Sure, they’ve always boasted a diverse roster, but suddenly it’s a diverse roster that kicks some serious ass—never before have so many releases from the Köln powerhouse simply leapt right out of your speakers. Two very different wide-angle shots from Scandinavian unknowns Motiivi:Tuntematon (please don’t ask the DJ to tell you who’s playing) grace Speicher 46. “I Don’t Feel Good (When You’re Not Around)” flexes powerful electro-tendons around a glorious rave chant and one of Kompakt’s fleshiest drum tracks. Just a bit dark, slightly gooey, and totally anthemic. On the flip, “Mankind Failed” is more than aptly-titled. A melancholy Vangelis slice that slowly unfolds into a pulse-pounding stomp of cold, fearfully-grinning machines that slowly pound out any and all humanity. A single decaying sweep gates us into the last five (beatless) minutes, which on their own form one of the most successful and blistering noise-sculptures I’ve heard since Coil sadly closed shop. Shimmering wraiths of electricity rising above a landscape of twisted metal and crushed bodies, while the bellows of those dark Satanic mills keep letting out steam. Awesomely grim.

Kompakt Extra / KOMEX46
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[Mallory O’Donnell]