Kompakt Total 17 / Various

Double LP version. Inaugurated in the summer of 1999, Kompakt's Total compilation series happens to be only slightly older than the 21st century itself - which makes Total 17 the last installment before the series hits adulthood. And indeed, the Total class of 2017 exudes a playful abundance few other compilations can match after 15+ years: label veterans and newcomers such as Superpitcher, Weval, Tobias Thomas & Michael Mayer, Chris Klopfer, Jürgen Paape, Voigt & Voigt, Max Scholpp, and Nu U Orchestra provide some of the catchiest material the series has seen to date. Like other Total compilations before it, Total 17 is first and foremost a perfect opportunity to delve into Kompakt's recent back catalog, with the The pièce de résistance, however, is the Total-exclusive content: eight brand new cuts from core Kompakt artists and selected label debutants that will please the collecting connoisseur as well as the ambitious dancefloor activist. Thomas/Mayer's "25" is a charming, bass-happy belter with a distinct Forever Sweet vibe, while Superpitcher teams up with Fantastic Twins for hazy dancefloor ballad "In My Head". Meanwhile, Kompakt's disco king of the hearts Jürgen Paape presents dreamy anthem "Always Disko", manipulating the space-time continuum with reversed vocals and plenty of ballroom glitz. Dutch duo Weval indulge in their expectedly brilliant beatmaking with the slow-burning, emotional "Metazoa", grooving nicely alongside the heartwarming neo-folk house of Chris Klopfer's "Ashamed (Raquet & Stetter Edit)" and Max Scholpp's hypnotic late-night electronica "The Dream". Jörg Burger helms the Nu U Orchestra together with Julienne Dessagne of Saschienne and Fantastic Twins fame, resulting in the flamboyant, guitar-infused pop jam "Ambrosia". And Voigt & Voigt return to their personal brand of psychedelic trance techno minimalism on "Tribute To A Greek God", a fittingly idiosyncratic contribution to the merry band of stand-out tracks collected on Total 17.