Speicher 11-20
A download guide to Kompakt Extra (part II), thanks to AMG and Andy.

Speicher 11 (+++)
Review by Andy Kellman
The 11th Speicher is shared by Kompakt newcomer DJ Koze (a member of the whimsical International Pony) and Naum (fresh off a Schaffelfieber 2 appearance). DJ Koze's "Der Säger von St. Georg" gets more willfully abrasive by the second; a bangin' electro-techno cruncher, the track piles on one aggressive effect after another, constantly reloading with more punishing ammunition. Naum's "Galore" is friendly only in a relative manner, though its glammy shuffle-tech foundation makes it a hedonist's delight. The crashing hi-hats near the conclusion give it an extra charm, closing it out in grand, uninhibited fashion. It has become increasingly troublesome to stay on top of the Kompakt Extra releases, but this one shouldn't get lost in the, er, shuffle.

Speicher 12 (++)
Review by Andy Kellman
Both sides of Speicher 12 feature Jens Harke. On the A-side, he remixes Freiland's (aka Wolfgang Voigt) "Grün," while the B-side features one of his own productions. Having already appeared on an Auftrieb release (alongside a remix from Dieter Gorny), the presence of the Freiland remix appears to be a ruse to get Kompakt fans to pay more attention to Auftrieb, a label that's generally less inviting — the releases from that label tend to be nastier in demeanor, though some of them will indeed appeal to those with an ear for harsher Speicher tracks. Harke's reinterpretation of the original is more welcoming, not only for his addition of robotic vocals. Harke's own "Eigenrauch" is one of the biggest-sounding Speicher tracks, though it's pretty nondescript.

Speicher 13 (++1/2)
Review by Andy Kellman
Reinhard Voigt, Kompakt's most prolific (and increasingly reliable) producer, wins out with the better of the two tracks on Speicher 13; "Protekt" is very house-y by Voigt standards, and is less punishing for it, with spiny keyboard patterns massaging the brain rather than assaulting it. Jake Fairley, a Toronto native with several releases on Sender and Dumb Unit to his credit (in addition to a previous appearance on Speicher 9), comes up with a circular buzzsaw of a track that gets dipped in acid during its latter third. Once the track finishes, it becomes apparent that its first minute resembles a breakdown as much as a warm-up; with that in mind, its effect in whole is that of a part two.

Speicher 14 (+++)
Review by Andy Kellman
Between this release's "Masterblaster" and "Cool Harbour" (from 2002's Kompassion 12"), the Orb haven't merely demonstrated a love for shuffle-tech — they've also created two of the sub-sub-subgenre's finest moments. Though it's not quite the beast that "Cool Harbour" is, "Masterblaster" is almost as powerful and crisp, with the sharpness of the sawtooth buzzline cushioned somewhat by a heavily washed-out chorus of voices. (You might want to alert your uncle or grandfather that the KLF's Jimi Cauty assists.) M. Mayer's chugging "X" is easily the sleeker of the two, filled out with twinkly/spangly effects that give it a strong resemblance to Joris Vermeiren's "Atomium" (as heard on Ricardo Villalobos' Taka Taka mix). This gets Kompakt off to a fine start as it enters a seventh year.

Speicher 15 (+++)
Review by Andy Kellman
"Ari" follows Schaffelfieber 2's "Issimo" and Speicher 11's "Galore" as Naum's third production to be released by Kompakt. Roughly a couple minutes in, it shows all the signs of being a prime DJ tool with optimal shuffle-oriented potential, but a wonderfully blockheaded bass line and crashing hi-hats (as heard near the tail end of "Galore") eventually make their entrance. Multiple seering effects come from keyboards; even with these, a rock band with basic glam rock knowledge could faithfully replicate the whole track without difficulty. On the B-side, Joachim Spieth makes his first Speicher appearance since the eighth release, with a deep-burrowing stomper full of whip-crack hits, piercing bomb-drop noises, and neo-acid splatters. This release, as part of the Speicher series, falls somewhere in the middle of the pack.

Speicher 16 (+++1/2)
Review by Andy Kellman
Speicher 16 features an unlikely pairing for 2004, at least as far as aliases are considered, not necessarily the producers behind them: it looks like Kreisel's five-year reunion. Kompakt head Wolfgang Voigt contributes a track as Mike Ink, while Jörg Burger steps up as Burger Industries. The pairing certainly invokes old memories for many jocks and dancers, but this isn't merely a skip down memory lane. If Ink's "Playing With Knives" sounds familiar, it's because it's an updated (remastered, crisper) version of a track Voigt produced for the 1999 Kreisel series: it was the A-side of Kreisel's "Rissko Acid Catch." Unsurprisingly, it's just as fresh now as it was then: acid techno at its stickiest. Burger's "Derby" appears to be brand new; it's just as voluptuous as the A-side, and ranks with the Voigt brothers' co-productions in the series. These two tracks should help make the second Speicher mix album just as much of a fierce force as the first.

Speicher 17 (+++1/2)
Review by Andy Kellman
Technically the third Speicher for 2004, the 17th release of the series involves Ferenc (fresh from a respectable 12" on Kompakt proper) and Naum (who was last heard from on Speicher 15). Ferenc's lengthy "Punto Pilota" stalks stealthily with a deep bass line and some of the producer's most mind-altering layers of effects. Naum, half of the Glasgow-based Optimo, delivers a smoother, more dynamic variation on his crowd-pleasing shuffle tech. His by-now-trademark decimated hi-hats come into play, once again, in all their air-punching glory. (Dear Naum: don't ever make a track without them.) This is one of the several must-own pieces of the Speicher puzzle.

Speicher 18 (+++1/2)
Review by Andy Kellman
On the A-side of Speicher 18, series stalwart Reinhard Voigt cooks up another one of his ripping techno tracks; longtime Reinhard followers will eat it up, while those who've only attached to the likes of "Kontakt" and "Supertiel" might be a little less enthusiastic. Regardless, Heib steals the show on the flip side. "Diana Dies Tonight" has the be the most strikingly titled track released by Kompakt — it's striking by anybody's standard. If the title were more benign, the track would remain extremely powerful. Unlike the grating/gnashing/in-the-red reputation Heib has built with his Auftrieb releases, "Diana Dies Tonight" shows the more pensive and alarmingly eerie sides of his personality. Centered around a sweeping buzz and suspenseful strings, the track threatens to boil over but remains in a white-knuckled state. The synthesized sound of passing vehicles is placed near the fade-out, making it an even more bracing listen.

Speicher 19 (+++1/2)
Review by Andy Kellman
Nearly a year after releasing one of the Kompakt label's best singles, Rising Sun, Magnet makes a reappearance in the Speicher series with "Kisskisskiss." Magnet's object of affection here is probably Maurizio; the track is a heavier, thicker, fuller take on Maurizio's sound, but the indebtedness is apparent. It's a welcomed, if late, follow-up. Wighnomy Brothers deliver "Wurz and Blosse," an equally dark and deep track that's relatively minimal, gliding swiftly on a dynamic bassline accented by distressing vapors. These tracks are two of the smoothest in the Speicher series; those expecting the abrasion and danger in the bulk of other Speicher tracks might be a little let down.

Speicher 20 (+++)
Review by Andy Kellman
You never know what you're going to get from DJ Koze. On the side he contributes to Speicher 20, you get a dark, ten-minute monster of a track that's as enticingly looming as anything else released through Kompakt. A stealth bass line undulates at all the right button-pushing moments, and is made all the more effectively creepy by the rattling bells and hi-hat rushes that accompany it. Justus Köhncke's "Sofort" (English translation: "immediately," most likely the answer here to the question, "When to crack this skull?") is surprisingly ill-tempered for the otherwise pop-happy producer and is probably the closest any Speicher track has come to resembling early-'90s Underground Resistance. It's so out of character for Köhncke that a blindfold test involving the craziest Kompakt head couldn't possibly yield a positive identification.