Thomas Fehlmann remains as one of the most endearing and respected artists on Kompakt. He has inspired generations of fans and musicians over the course of his 30+ year career. From his early days as part of the legendary band Palais Schaumburg, and the pioneering Detroit/Berlin act 3mb (With Juan Atkins and Moritz Von Oswald), to his longstanding membership with The Orb, combined with his contributions as a solo artist to esteemed imprints R&S, Plug Research and of course Kompakt, where we have proudly released two full length solo albums: Visions Of Blah (Kompakt CD 20/Kompakt 67) and Honigpumpe (Kompakt CD 59 / Kompakt 157), his musical works have been prolific, not to mention four singles and a full serving of tracks found on our Pop Ambient and Total collections. Now, after 3 years, Fehlmann returns with 'Gute Luft'…

'Gute Luft' is the result of months of work scoring the hit German TV film 24h Berlin - the longest documentary film in history which featured 80 camera teams following the lives of berliners over a 24 hour period. Obviously a huge challenge for Fehlmann, beyond the scope of the project and hours of music involved in a 24 hour film, there was dealing with the decision making process that went with working with such a large production team. As he shared scoring duties with another musician (separately), inevitably a lot of his music ended up not making the final cut. 'Gute Luft' is about re-tweaking and editing material from the countless hours of recording he had created. In a sense, 'Gute Luft' is Fehlmann's ideal soundtrack to the 24h Berlin documentary.

“while scoring the film and subsequently shaping it into a album, i found myself questioning what holds it all together in Berlin. I figured that 'Air', the good old 'Berliner Luft', is something that is guaranteed to touch everyone and everything in the city. Also with that Berlin is very green, the combination with the unavoidable city dirt makes for a distinctive blend which seems to infuse its vibrant scene unknowingly with a constructive drive. Besides that, 'Gute Luft' was also the title of a song from my old band Palais Schaumburg, of which I have very fond memories. Also (as he says with a wink) “Gut” is one word I have a profound relation to…”

Fans shall rejoice as Thomas Fehlmann doesn't feer far from his signature path of trailblazing the finer links of classic Detroit House and Techno with the submerged beauty of Berlin Dub. One will immediately recognize the classic scoring techniques Fehlmann brings to 'Gute Luft' - various themes and sounds resonate in various forms and versions throughout the tracks. As Thomas states, “There are also More Subtle Connections That Should Give An Overall Feel To The Score. I Also Brought In Elements From Tunes From My Previous Albums In recognition of the fact that I often feel that there would be so many more ways to explore and experiment with certain ideas than just on a single track”. Fehlmann clearly succeeds in synergizing the best of the past 20 years of Berlin's expansive history of electronic and dance music with 'Gute Luft'. A recreational album in every way in which he hopes will make you “Feel at peace with you and your environment, inspire you to lush, imaginative dinners, make babies, or just walk your own way with open eyes”. Well put Thomas!

This is a re-release of " Gute Luft " orginally released in 2010 on Kompakt.

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Repress coming soon!

Trelik returns with a repackaged edition of one of the catalogue's most treasured releases. "Overcome" and "Lady Science (NYC Sunrise)" need little introduction, and now come sporting the new TR11:11 matrix number. Written and produced by Thomas Melchior and Baby Ford aka Soul Capsule, these tracks came from one of the many sessions recorded at the West London Ifach Studio in 1999. On the A Side "Overcome" is stripped back and energetic, driven by rolling and shuffling garage style beats, tight bubbling bass and atmospheric synth pads. The intermittent vocal samples and the release's signature organ set you up for the flip, "Lady Science (NYC Sunrise)". Possibly one of house music's most emotive pieces, the track builds slowly with the introduction of each part building a story of soulful optimism based around a sparse palette of deep synths, uplifting keys and warm analogue bass. The understated beauty of the main vocal riff never seems to grow old or tired with the track lending itself perfectly to either main room, peak-time play or after-hours sessions alike. Remastered by Rashad at D & M.

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Black Truffle is pleased to announce a tenth anniversary reissue of Oren Ambarchi’s Quixotism, originally released on Editions Mego in 2014. Recorded with a multitude of collaborators in Europe, Japan, Australia and the USA, Quixotism presents the fruit of two years of work in the form of a single, LP-length piece in five parts. Quixotism takes the driving rhythmic aspect of works such as Sagittarian Domain to new levels, with the entirety of this long-form work built on a foundation of pulsing double-time electronic percussion provided by Thomas Brinkmann. Beginning as almost subliminal propulsion behind cavernous orchestral textures and John Tilbury’s delicate piano interjections, the percussive elements (elaborated on by Ambarchi and Matt Chamberlain) slowly inch into the foreground of the piece before suddenly breaking out into a polyrhythmic shuffle around the halfway mark, and joined by master Japanese tabla player U-zhaan for the piece’s final, beautiful passages.

The pulse acts as thread leading the listener through a heterogeneous variety of acoustic spaces, from the concert hall in which the Icelandic Symphony Orchestra were recorded to the intimacy of crys cole’s contact-mic textures. Ambarchi’s guitar itself ranges over this wide variety of acoustic spaces, from airless, clipped tones to swirling, reverberated fog. Within the complex web Ambarchi spins over the piece’s steadily pulsing foundation, elements approach and recede in a non-linear fashion, even as the piece plots an overall course from the grey, almost Nono-esque reverberated space of its opening section to the crisp foreground presence of Jim O’Rourke’s synth and Evyind Kang’s strings in its final moments. Formally indebted to the side-long workouts of classic Cologne techno, the long-form works of composers such as Éliane Radigue and the organic push and pull of improvised performance, Quixotism is constantly in motion, yet its transitions happen slowly and steadily, often nearly imperceptible, the diverse elements which make up the piece succeeding one another with the logic of a dream.

At the time of its first release, Quixotism was clearly a summation of Ambarchi’s work in the years leading up to it. Now, listening back a decade later, it also seems like an arrow pointing to the future, suggesting paths that would be explored further in works to come: the pulsating guitar layers of Hubris, the album-length collaboration with Jim O’Rourke and U-zhaan on Hence, Shebang’s joyous layering and percussive drive. Now sounding better than ever in a new remaster by Joe Talia, the time is ripe to rediscover its quixotic charms.

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The incomparable Dimitri From Paris returns with the latest installment of his acclaimed DFP Vaults series, showcasing the deep cuts that solidify his reputation as one of the premier remixers, DJs, and champions of crate-digging culture in dance music today. This particular release holds a special place in Dimitri's heart, as he explains in his own words below:

"James Brown, the undisputed godfather of soul and the hardest working man in show business, is one of the few artists for whom the term 'legend' feels like an understatement. With a career spanning five decades, countless albums and singles, his unique voice and sound have become synonymous with dance music. Beyond his own recordings, thousands of James Brown samples have permeated our ears since sampling became a cornerstone of music production in the mid-80s—across genres from Hip-Hop to House, Drum 'n' Bass, and everything in between.

This release is particularly meaningful to me. Since my early days as a DJ, I’ve watched James Brown light up dance floors across cultures and generations with his inimitable swagger and irresistible energy. I bought my first James Brown record in 1981—Soul Syndrome, featuring the track 'Funky Men.' At the time, I was a bit disappointed as it didn’t have the classic 'Funky Drummer' style I was expecting, so it ended up buried in a pile of other James Brown classics.

Fast forward over 40 years, and I hear 'Funky Men' again, played by my good friend Alex From Tokyo, and it sounds fresher than ever. The unusual disco beat accompanying James Brown’s vocal, which once made the track stand out in a strange way, has now become its greatest asset! I quickly took it to the edit board, using a mix of old and new techniques, to create my 'Special Version' of 'Funky Men,' which has already been tried and tested on dance floors near you.

For the flip side, I wanted to explore the later, lesser-known disco side of James Brown. The J.B.'s, his personal live band, released a few tracks of their own under his production. Most were instrumentals featuring the breakbeat-heavy sound typically associated with James Brown. However, 'Just Wanna Make You Dance,' with female vocals by Maxxi, offers an almost Caribbean disco vibe. Uniquely, it was released as a 12’’ single with a DJ-friendly remix that included different breaks and drops—something quite rare for a James Brown production at that time. Here again, I’ve given it my own 'Special Version' treatment, respectfully enhanced for maximum DJ impact."

DFP Vaults is the sister label to Le-Edits Records, both of which are highly collectible. While Le-Edits focuses on classic songs remixed from original master tapes, DFP Vaults takes a more eclectic, DJ-friendly approach, spotlighting underdogs and unreleased versions straight from Dimitri's vault. True to Le-Edits' highest production standards, this release features state-of-the-art mastering, cutting, and pressing, all housed in a heavy 'Tip-On' vintage replica custom sleeve.

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DJ TEETH’s Tremendo Recordings proudly presents its debut release, Orion. Rescued from DAT archives by Belgian-based Holographic Hallucination, the release revitalises a selection of rare or previously unreleased tracks from the early/mid-90s golden era.

The title track never made it to release, with just 200 promo copies made in ‘94, reflecting an eye-watering price and a high want list count on Discogs. Now, after years of relative obscurity, this release aims to introduce this sought-after work to a fresh audience. Orion is a 14-minute-plus journey of nostalgic arpeggiated baselines, coupled with mirroring in and out synth lines and swirls, creating an almost ominous mood.

First on the B-side ups the pace with an unreleased dub version of Rumble, a head-down, arms-up, feet-stomping raver track which was released on their label Holographic in ‘93.

The EP closes with an unreleased track produced that same year, Horizon, whirling through your ears and leading to feelings of transcendence.

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Repress!

If Surround can be listened to as music that’s as close to air itself, allowing us to enter each listener’s sound scenery, or as something that exists within a new perspective, expanding the middle ground between sound and music, and transforming it into a comfortable space, it would be much appreciated.
— Hiroshi Yoshimura

Originally released as an album in January 1986, Surround was recorded by Yoshimura as a commission from home builder Misawa Homes, intended to function as an “amenity” designed to enhance the company’s newly built living spaces.

In his original notes for the album, Yoshimura recommends that Surround be placed in the same family of sounds “as the vibration of footsteps, the hum of an air conditioner, or the clanging of a spoon inside a coffee cup.” And, as he suggests, “with the addition of city noise from outside the window,” you may hear Surround in a completely new way.

A pioneer in the field of environmental music, Yoshimura’s previous works included Music For Nine Post Cards (1982), originally produced to be played back inside a museum space, and designing sound environments for public spaces and subway systems. Surround was recorded almost concurrently with the acclaimed and popular GREEN (1986); the two albums are described by Hiroyoshi Shiokawa in his liner notes as being Yoshimura’s yin and yang.

* First-ever official reissue of the pioneering 1986 ambient work
* Produced in full cooperation with Hiroshi Yoshimura’s estate
* New liner notes by original album producer Hiroyoshi Shiokawa
* Includes Yoshimura’s original notes in Japanese & English
* Remastering and lacquer cutting by John Baldwin
* Vinyl pressed at Gotta Groove Records


Original credits:

COMPOSED & PERFORMED Hiroshi Yoshimura
RECORDED Hiroo 806 Studio, Kojima Recording Studio
RECORDING ENGINEER Yukio Kojima
DESIGN Toshikazu Ota
PHOTO Yoichi Nagata
PRODUCTION Misawa Homes Institute of Research and Development

Reissue credits:

REISSUE PRODUCERS Yosuke Kitazawa & Patrick McCarthy
REMASTERING & LACQUERING John Baldwin
VINYL PRESSING Gotta Groove Records
REISSUE DESIGN & LAYOUT Ella Gold
ARTWORK SCANNING Satomi Sugiyama
RETOUCHING Ward Long
REISSUE LINER NOTES Hiroyoshi Shiokawa
TRANSLATION Yosuke Kitazawa
SPECIAL THANKS Yoko Yoshimura

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This one’s for the steppers!

Gene Harris, the American jazz pianist, appearing on over 50 albums in his career, including on labels Blue Note & Concord Jazz, known for his warm sound and known for his warm sound and blues and gospel infused style that is known as soul jazz.

Originally released in 1974 on the classic soul jazz album Astral Signal, Losalamitoslatinfunklovesong gained a second wave of popularity when it was played as part of the London centric, Rare Groove scene in the late 80’s.

Remastered and lovingly reissued on the increasingly ‘buy or cry’ Selector Series label, this seminal laid back stepper is available for the first time In over 45 years!

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Snippets for A2 & B2 will be shared in the next weeks.

Objekt launches his new label, Kapsela, with a 10-year anniversary reissue of his lauded production ‘Ganzfeld’. An ambitious, evocative electro/IDM epic with cavernous drums and a riotously funky bass solo, Ganzfeld was initially released in 2014 on Leisure System as the B-side of Hypnagogia, a split EP with Detroit electro pioneers Dopplereffekt. It quickly garnered critical acclaim (including Track Of The Year by Resident Advisor) and amassed a cult following despite clocking in at 147bpm, a relatively unwieldy tempo for most DJs at the time. Given the seismic shifts in tempo and genre that have taken place in the 10 years since and the emergence of a new generation of producers with whom Ganzfeld’s influence has resonated, 2024 seemed like the perfect moment for a re-release.

Commissioning remixes for the first time, Objekt enlists Djrum, who delivers a jaw-dropping 10-minute rendition which weaves through multiple genres and tempos with the cinematic flair of a short film score. Milan’s Piezo contributes a taut, prickly interpretation that builds tension at 80bpm before exploding into a cathartic double-time closer. Finally, US ambient artist Ulla fully deconstructs the original into a serene, undulating lullaby.

The vinyl comes with a free lossless download.

Mastered by Beau at Ten Eight Seven

Artwork by Brodie Kaman

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