When it comes to annual state-of- the-techno-nation health checks, the Total compilations from Cologne’s Kompakt label are a good starting point for curious souls.
The 15th instalment has a rich rub of electronic music highlights from Michael Mayer’s stable of new and established names, with strong, resonant tracks on the plate from the likes of Kölsch, John Tejada, Dauwd, Audion and label founders Wolfgang Voigt, Jürgen Paape and Mayer himself.
Both Kölsch and Audion make striking statements, with the latter's Dem Howl, a track calibrated with rattling the sound systems of big rooms in mind, making a hell of a lot of noise.
There are also some nice textural touches from Agoria (Baptême's edgy contours make this one stand out from the pack) and Wassermann to make this collection worth your time.
