Good things go bump in the night too

“I Walk (Superpitcher Schaffel Mix)” by Quarks – This is simply my favorite of the Kompakt records I own. The buzzy swing-time beat, the monstrously huge bass that just chugs through the song, and the vocals by the hottt Jovanka von Willsdorf that remind me of two great ladies of song - like a gorgeous hybrid of Doris Day and Nancy Sinatra, yowza!. Basically, this just all adds up to sweet perfection. I got the original (and amended) version of this song a while back, then I heard this full-length version when I was at Trash at The End club in London, and hearing it coming out of their ridiculously good sound system was a revelation. As soon as I was back in the states it was the first record I bought – I highly recommend you do the same, not only for this track, but the Superpitcher B-side, “Fieber” which is another gem. Kompakt Extra #6, aka SPEICHER 6. Its also worth noting here is that Quarks have a brand new album out this month, and on their site, you can check out some of the new material on the ‘Musik’ page.

“Nachschub (Michael Mayer Remix)” by Wolfgang Voigt – Another swinging number, but more working in the ‘storming techno’ mode, this is a Michael Mayer remix of a W.V. track from 97 on the (pre-Kompakt) Auftrieb label.
This was released on the 4-track Kompakt Extra #1, aka Kompakt Extra Für Cisco Japan - the Extra part is a sub-label branch that's more dancefloor-oriented (a lof of Kompakt stuff is really minimal, whereas Extra releases tend to shoot for the harder stuff). I like the way the song rises and falls – it’s a fairly minimal piece, but the bottom-end is solid and the rest of the tune has a mesmerizing quality to it that appeals to my techno-fetish side.

Buy both of these records at your local store (I get my Kompakt records from Kim’s, who stocks nearly all of the Kompakt catalog that is still in print), or direct from Kompakt: navigate your way to the ‘Kompakt Extra’ section (click on a dot on the first page, then on "English," then on "Label," then "Kompakt Extra"), click on the black dot next to the price and you’re on your way to greatness... and trust me here, there may be a few releases that aren't that great, but for the most part, there aren't too many other labels that are better to go 'completionist' with than Kompakt.