It is with a singular pleasure that we welcome Marc Romboy to the ever growing stable of live artists at ASW! Marc Romboy is an artist renowned within the electronic scene for his eclectic, boundary-pushing approach and decades worth of experience working both behind the scenes and behind the decks. In recent years he has embraced performing live as another creative outlet and, indeed, creative challenge. As an artist and performer, Marc has always pushed the boundaries of his creativity and this, Marc’s first studio album in 6 years is a true masterwork of techno from one of the masters of the genre. More

German veteran Marc Romboy is back on André Hommen’s ?These Eyes imprint with a stellar two track release entitled ?Elka, ?showcasing Marc’s effortless ability to portray alluring and emotive characteristics through music?. ?This offering follows up from ?Trapped In An Orbit?, which he released on the label in 2017 and remains a label highlight to this day. The title track ?Elka provides a stirring and suspenseful journey that plays out as it’s melodies unfold over a bassline that pulses gently and impels the listener. ?Unreal Sun ?ups the energy with a groove thats ready to fall into and chords that lead the way, dictating the pace as their intensity undulates. More

MARC ROMBOY returns to our KOMPAKT EXTRA series with STALKER / BEYOND. Since we last saw him in 2018 on SPEICHER 103, Marc has kept plenty busy with a release on Bedrock, a collaboration with Stephan Bodzin, plus a series of releases with Petar Dundov on his own Systematic Recordings. Beyond Marc’s rigorous DJ touring schedule, he performed live in a Planetarium and ended the year with a highlight, performing live at Philharmonie Cologne together with violinist Miki Kekenj and the Takeover! Ensemble. Marc appears to be looking back to the deep, twisted forms of techno that shaped his early years with this double header. STALKER clearly delivers a typical Detroit-ish 90’s grittiness and drive which resounded the dancefloors of the German rave scene of that era. BEYOND is a deeper cut for those late-night dreamers who are into the sound of Carpenter. A growling synth and laser light synth mingle relentlessly until a delicate piano quickly realizes that IT’S THE place. More

Unless you're too young to know or have been living under a rock for the past twenty years, there's little chance that you haven't come across Marc Romboy's music in one way or another. The Systematic Recordings boss has had many irons on the fire since establishing his first imprint, the now defunct Le Petit Prince - gathering an untold number of releases on labels as diverse as Ovum, Innervisions, Rebirth or 20:20 Vision in his two decades of intense activity. Tracing back to 1994, when he used to rummage through the crates of Delirium - the primitive incarnation of KOMPAKT (closed and revived under its new name in 1998), the friendship between Romboy and the KOMPAKT family has largely withstood the test of time. After losing touch for a few years, Romboy and Michael Mayer would resume contact during a festival in the south of France - a reunion that eventually led to Systematic joining Kompakt's distribution catalogue a couple months later. With such a longstanding complicity to build from, it was about time for the Rheinland natives to actually team up on a release from start to finish, and SPEICHER 103 is their inaugural act of faith. A cosmic storm in a teacup, the A-side opener 'Galaxy In An Atom' blows some furious stellar winds across a shape-shifting tide of loud kicks and mutant bass moves, beating across uneven arpeggiated synth reliefs through thick and thin. Then, the chaos makes way for emotive piano stabs to take over in the track's last third, gracefully gliding into a further appeasing compass. Following up pedal to the metal, the pulsating 'Elektrisiermaschine' makes for a proper peak time ball of fire. Built upon a rolling and pitching bass comber, the track sets its pistons and rods in dancing motion straightaway, tightening the bolts bar after bar as it expands its abraded melodic lines and batucada-like rhythms with amplified magnitude for over seven minutes of sustained mind-bending onslaughts. More

Patrice Bäumel makes his most welcome return to Kompakt’s Speicher series and it’s exactly as compelling as you expect it to be. “Luce” is a slenderly pumping piece of minimal soul featuring the otherworldly voice of Chiara Gamo. Once more, Patrice masterfully demonstrates how little elements he needs to create suspense, density and warmth on the floor. “The Cave” follows the same mantra, sucking us into a mystique stalactite cave full of echoing droplets and enchanting whispers. We follow him blindly. More

Robag Wruhme isn’t just a producer; he’s a sonic storyteller. His tracks are known for their emotional depth and technical brilliance – the perfect blend of minimal techno, deep house, and ambient music—each track a meticulously crafted journey through sound. With influences ranging from classical to jazz to world music, Robag’s music is as diverse as it is enchanting. His latest offering on the trailblazing Speicher series is no exception. True to his unmistakable style, “Naila” meanders between heartwarming positivity and menacing darkness induced by one of those bass lines only Robag can deliver. In short: He nail(a)ed it! On the flip side, he joins forces with the ominous Bruno Pronsato – an elusive character that has a string of cult releases on Perlon, Musique Risquée and Foom under his belt. “CDV” was initially released on his album “Live At Club Der Visionäre” on Logistic Records. Robag’s slick re-rub is pushing things decisively in an afterhour-ish direction. Mental music for mental times! More

We’re kicking off the new year in style with a fantastic new double header by RAXON. This Egypt-born, barcelonese powerhouse has left his scent marks all over the place in recent years. He has developed an instantly recognizable sound and that’s no small feat in these times shaped by so much formulaic dullness. “Your Fault” sees our Catalan hot shot in an exuberant disco mood. Mind bending chord progressions foiled with Raxon’s trademark vocal stutters guarantee for wonderfully twisted hands in the air moments. With “Beskar” we’re entering Star Wars nerd territory. Jedipedia says, Beskar is a uniquely resistant iron that develops a wide range of properties—and colors—in the hands of skilled metalsmiths. Alright. Musically speaking, we’re dealing with a stealthy, funky as hell trance-not-trance juggernaut. 2024 is off to a good start:)
Wir beginnen das neue Speicher-Jahr stilvoll mit einem fantastischen neuen Doppelwhopper von RAXON. Dieses in Ägypten geborene Kraftpaket aus Barcelona hat in den letzten Jahren überall seine Duftmarken hinterlassen. Er hat einen Sound entwickelt, den man sofort wiedererkennt, und das ist keine kleine Leistung in diesen Zeiten, die von so viel formelhafter Langweiligkeit geprägt sind. “Your Fault” zeigt unseren katalanischen Draufgänger in ausgelassener Disco-Stimmung. Verrückte Akkordprogressionen, gepaart mit Raxons Markenzeichen, der Stotterstimme, sorgen für wunderbar verdrehte Hands in the air Momente. Mit “Beskar” betreten wir Star Wars Nerd-Territorium. Laut Jedipedia ist Beskar ein besonders widerstandsfähiges Eisen, das in den Händen geschickter Schmiede eine breite Palette von Eigenschaften – und Farben – entwickelt. Nun gut. Musikalisch gesehen haben wir es mit einer verstohlenen, verdammt funkigen Trance-Not-Trance-Rakete zu tun. 2024 hat einen guten Start hingelegt : )
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Servus everybody!

Why "the hell" didn't anyone think of this before? It was so obvious: When the same music goes the same way, the truth always lies on the turntable.

KOMPAKT presents the long-awaited "two-tracker", cold-pressed and remixed. The Voigt brothers meet Helmut Geier and vice versa, or: Kölsch meets Löwenbräu, because we stand by you, star of the south.

So let's welcome the megahit "W.I.R." by Wassermann from 2000 in a brand new DJ Hell remix, and a remix by Voigt & Voigt of DJ Hell's "Anything Anytime" anthem from 2017. Two classics that go down like liquid gold. It comes from the heart. More

SPEICHER is going back to its classic double header split EP format. HUNTER/GAME are no strangers to KOMPAKT, having released a number of singles and the “Adaptation” album back in 2016. “Reload” was written in cooperation with Buenos Aires based U S H N U and it’s a total corker of a proto trance inspired track – the kind of trance that would have graced Dorian Gray’s Sunday morning dancefloor.

We’re extremely happy to finally welcome the ever excellent BAWRUT to our family. Hailing from Madrid, he has been one of the most creative forces in recent years, carving his own niche of percussion-heavy, psychedelic techno. “CLAP” is an unpredictable monster, taking so many twists and turns, causing such confusion that your synapses will give up making sense out of the chaos and book a flight to the Bahamas.
SPEICHER kehrt mal wieder zum klassischen Doppel-A-Seiten-Split-EP-Format zurück. HUNTER/GAME sind bei KOMPAKT keine Unbekannten, denn sie haben seit 2016 eine Reihe von Singles und das Album “Adaptation” veröffentlicht. “RELOAD” entstand in Zusammenarbeit mit U S H N U aus Buenos Aires und ist ein großartiger Proto Trance Smasher – jene Art von Trance, die Sonntag morgens den Dancefloor im Frankfurter Dorian Gray geziert hätte.

Wir schätzen uns sehr glücklich, endlich den unglaublichen BAWRUT in unserer Familie begrüßen zu dürfen. Der Madrilene ist eine der kreativsten Kräfte der letzten Jahre und hat sich unlängst seine eigene Nische des percussionslastigen, psychedelischen Techno geschaffen. “CLAP” ist ein unberechenbares Monster, das so viele Wendungen nimmt und so viel Verwirrung stiftet, dass deine Synapsen irgendwann aufgeben dem Chaos irgendeinen Sinn zuzuordnen und einen Flug auf die Bahamas buchen. More

The sun is getting stronger in our northern hemisphere and the festival season is looming around the corner. This calls for a new Speicher release from someone who knows how to deliver joy in abundance: Kölsch. The first track’s name “Cold Air” might be somewhat misleading as it is a hell of a heater. Same goes for the heavy polka hitter “Environ” on which Rune is conjuring the vibes of his legendary Speicher debut from 2010, “Loreley”. As you’ve come to expect from the man with the hat: This is 100% primetime customer satisfaction with heart and soul. More

Speicher 125 is a most auspicious collaboration between two great, inimitable voices in techno: Kompakt co-founder Michael Mayer, and Magazine’s own Barnt. They’ve both been productive of late, Mayer with his “Brainwave Technology” EP in 2021, Barnt with his first release on Kompakt, "ProMetal Fan Decor Only Product" in 2022. Of course, they’re also busy with their respective record labels, and international DJing schedules.
You may already have heard their first track, which appeared on Michael’s "&" album from 2014, the psychedelic “Und Da Stehen Fremde Menschen”. For Speicher, though, they set their sights firmly on the peak time dance floor – the result is two stunning cuts of techno euphoria.
On “Teller” Barnt and Mayer unleash a synth storm, tense and thrilling. Percussion piles up against the incessant buzz, but before too long we’re submerged in waves of dense texturology, making the track an object lesson in tension and release. “Duration” is a bittersweet anthem about "life long love". A moving voice tells us about "faith in life" while gleaming, synths, choral swarms and snares shower down from above to form an epic tale about duration and devotion.

Weirding the groove and updating the emotions, Speicher 125 is a monster. More

There's no 123 without 4 in our beloved Speicher series. Robag Wruhme is back with two intense, low-slung monster tunes in his unique masterful fashion. "Fire" is destined to set your peak time dancefloor on fire with its killer bassline and trippy sequences. "Un-spok-en" is equally relentless and unfathomable, garnished with a haunting vocal snippet. More

Repress!

Dearly beloved, we are gathered together to celebrate the long-awaited matrimony of the DJ and dancer. For many of us, the summer of 2021 appears to be the occasion we have waited for more than a year.

And who other than Robag Wruhme to commemorate the soundtrack to this once in a lifetime experience. He makes a return to KOMPAKT EXTRA’s seemingly endless series SPEICHER. But is it a follow up to his SPEICHER 115 of last year? That is a firm “No” though is preceded by a “Yes” so perhaps we should just leave it as a big maybe? It really has no matter in the end when the music is just perfect for THIS moment. Before you get overwhelmed with emotion, flip that record over and escape to the “Frontex Frappant”. Robag Wruhme provides his signature peak time dexterity, making a solid strike to protect the border between unity and redemption.
Liebe Anwesende, wir sind hier versammelt, um die lange herbei gesehnte Wiedervereinigung der DJs mit den Tänzerinnen zu feiern. Für viele von uns scheint der Sommer 2021 die Gelegenheit zu sein, auf die wir seit mehr als einem Jahr gewartet haben. Und wer sonst als Robag Wruhme könnte den Soundtrack zu diesem einmaligen Erlebnis beisteuern? Er kehrt zurück zu KOMPAKT EXTRA's scheinbar endloser Serie SPEICHER. Aber ist dies der direkte Nachfolger zur SPEICHER 115 aus dem letzten Jahr? Ein klares "No", dem allerdings ein "Yes" vorausgeht, also sollten wir es vielleicht einfach bei einem großen "Vielleicht" belassen? Am Ende ist es wirklich egal, wenn die Musik einfach perfekt für DIESEN Moment ist. Bevor Sie von Ihren Gefühlen übermannt werden, drehen Sie die Platte um und widmen Sie sich "Frontex Frappant". Robag Wruhme liefert eine für ihn charakteristische Primetime-Garantie und landet damit einen sicheren Treffer, um die Grenze zwischen Einigkeit und Erlösung zu bewahren.
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This is a re-release of "Speicher 2" orginally released in 2002 on Kompakt Extra. More

That old saying goes. : Punks jump up to get beat down. . So in times of no voice or reason. . Why not welcome back three techno delinquents. . Who know how better than most. . To throw a hard left to the bass-drum punch. . T.RAUMSCHMIERE has soared on our SPEICHER eagle some few times past. . And returns with a hearty swill of his signature romper room liberation techno. . Drink it up and let the BASS BALLERT VOM BALKON. . Take you to oblivion. . Brothers VOIGT & VOIGT are no strangers to our series. . And their new episode is unlike any show you have seen. . Starring BASSTARD - that low slung, deep bass minstrel. . 2 Part Erdinger and 4 Part Absolut.. More

After last year's lauded 3-track EP "TOPINAMBUR" we're more than happy to announce ROBAG WRUHME's return to SPEICHER. On the A-side, Robag delivers a deep hypnotic chugger that goes by the simple but ultimately affirmative name "YES". In all its simplicity, it's one of those tracks that gently tosses you down the famous rabbit hole. The flip side "CALMA CALMA" is pure summer festival bliss, resurrecting the spine-tingling a cappella from C'Hantal's proto techno classic "The Realm" for the 2020's. Both tracks are 100% Robag... highly emotive, über sexy and yet somehow hazardous. More

MARC ROMBOY returns to our KOMPAKT EXTRA series with STALKER / BEYOND. Since we last saw him in 2018 on SPEICHER 103, Marc has kept plenty busy with a release on Bedrock, a collaboration with Stephan Bodzin, plus a series of releases with Petar Dundov on his own Systematic Recordings. Beyond Marc’s rigorous DJ touring schedule, he performed live in a Planetarium and ended the year with a highlight, performing live at Philharmonie Cologne together with violinist Miki Kekenj and the Takeover! Ensemble. Marc appears to be looking back to the deep, twisted forms of techno that shaped his early years with this double header. STALKER clearly delivers a typical Detroit-ish 90’s grittiness and drive which resounded the dancefloors of the German rave scene of that era. BEYOND is a deeper cut for those late-night dreamers who are into the sound of Carpenter. A growling synth and laser light synth mingle relentlessly until a delicate piano quickly realizes that IT’S THE place. More

After ANNA & KITTIN’s monstrous “Forever Ravers” which is already deemed as one of 2019’s biggest tracks SPEICHER is back with 3-tracker brimming with raw energy from three hotly tipped up and comers. BLACKRACHAS commands the A-side with his immersive late night tune “Giorno Di Pioggia”. It’s pure trance (not trance) of a darker kind with ecstatic melodic outbursts that’ll tingle all the right places. Stockholm’s CHRISTIAN NIELSEN is making his welcome return and he’s out to kill. Imagine a chimera made of brute early 90s Belgian proto-techno and uplifting hard house beats that recalls Jason Nevins at his prime. Last but not least, ODD OSWALD & STEPHAN BARNEM deliver a smart industrial banger complete with unexpected twists and turns that’ll certainly do the right kind of damage on any trusted main floor. More

For over 25 years, KOMPAKT strives to bring Techno, House and everything in-between to the dance floors of generations that come from (or live) in the past, present, and future. Today, we proudly present an anthem that truly speaks to us in the spirit of what lead us to create our SPEICHER series. ANNA returns for her third round on SPEICHER following an incredible year of non-stop touring the globe, remixing JON HOPKINS and contributing to a recent AFTERLIFE compilation. KITTIN (formerly known as MISS KITTIN) needs no introduction - she is nothing short of a trailblazer in dance music history by contributing countless times through her voice, music and DJing. Together they are FOREVER RAVERS - dispatching a message of everlasting unity for the dance floor community. ANNA brings her most voracious production skills to date interwound with KITTIN sounding at her best in an explosive consequence that we can only describe as being a must-hear Techno hymn. ANNA takes the original past the stratosphere with her RAVING IN SPACE MIX. Not to be misinterpreted as a dub version, ANNA keeps the potency of the original but expands the core instrumental elements that moves from suspension to release in a decisively throttling means. More

Repress!

Since their first release as Extrawelt 'Soopertrack' dropped on Border Community in 2005 Arne Schaffhausen and Wayan Raabe have had a remarkable run. They relentlessly toured the world with their highly esteemed live show and released plenty of killer releases on labels like Traum or Cocoon. Naturally, our ears were wide open when the Hamburg-based couple sent over a bunch of new productions to the KOMPAKT HQ. Announced as what they call a new, alternative path of production for them, more precisely "less computer, more hands on" we were directly intrigued by the power and rawness of their new sound.

In particular, two cuts stood out: 'PINK PANZER' is pure analog funk. A sluggish beat is paired with a highly effective synth riff. The idea is as simple as it gets but it's executed in such a masterful way. You can drop this track anywhere and anytime - it'll certainly set things on fire right away. 'ARGONAUT' follows an equally simple recipe but ups the tempo and energy levels by 100%. Heavy prime time saw tooth techno for the new generation that recall vintage Thomas P. Heckmann – perhaps if he were to wake up in a funky mood. More