POP AMBIENT 2019 (Kompakt)
Boum Boum Boum! 25 years of Kompakt. When a record label still thrives after a quarter of a century thanks to a focus of what was expected to be a short lived music phenomenon called Techno, then it stands to prove two things…
that it techno has taken its place amongst serious, multilayered musical genres like rock’n’roll, pop and folk music. And that Kompakt has never been only for techno, butKompakt stands as a broad-minded, genre-defying entity that has set out to cross-pollinate all kinds of musical inventions within the realm of electronic music. Through its course, Kompakt has sent “Around The World”, all kinds of sub-genres, concept series and crossover adventures based on the non- negotiable 4/4 beat. And back again.
Without a doubt, the 100% kickdrum-free Pop Ambient series is the most endearing and enduring concept that I have had the pleasure to curate. From the start, I felt there was a strong need to add a certain pop- elegance – ensouled by discourse as much as hedonism – to a sound that was recognized as “Chill Out” music that could be heard in seedy techno club back rooms and forgotten festival areas. Over the years, I like to imagine that Pop Ambient has crystallized into a highly recognizable trademark sound and a multi-facetted musical universe of its own.