Triple R, FRIENDS Catalog#: KOMPAKT CD 21 Released: October 28 2002 Country: Germany Style: Tech House, Minimal

Actually, you could describe most of Kompakt's output that way. The Cologne imprint may be the most widely respected dance-music label in the world right now. Friends, Kompakt's most recent DJ-mix disc, may be the most consistent demonstration of the label's strengths--namely, its gorgeous array of textures and grooves. On Metaboman's "Easy Woman (Robag Wrhume Mix)," a vocal sample whirrs by like a paddle wheel in shallow water, high-hats shimmer like gold dust dropped from a weather balloon, and somewhere in the middle there's something that sounds like a miniature card deck being shuffled at lightning speed. On Ada's "Blindhouse," two women chant, "Wonder why you feel good," while the darting basslines, skittering high hats, and a sweeping background sound offer answers to her question. And so do the ear-tickling clicks, snaps, and claps of Dialogue's "Gigolistic" and the libidinous bass groans of Michael Mayer's remix of Pwog's "Kind of Prayer." But the disc saves the best for last. Superpitcher's remix of Dntel's "This Is the Dream" floats Benjamin Gibbard's heartrending, plainspoken vocals over suspended-in-ether synth pads. Faraway bells shaking ghostlike on the refrain seal the deal. And Oxtongue's "Delight" is a blissed-out vocoder blur that evokes Boards of Canada at their supplest. There's some tension in the swooping bassline, but it's so fizzy-lifting you'll barely notice until you listen closer--which, with Kompakt, is always the trick. 01. METABOMAN Easy Woman (ROBAG WRUHME rmx) 02. DIALOGUE Gigolistic 03. ADA Blindhouse 04. LUCIANO Franky 05. PROCESS Pelican (OLIVER HACKE rmx) 06. BROKER/DEALER Boots And Pants 07. JEFF SAMUEL Double Yum 08. SAMI KOIVIKKO Byrthe 09. PWOG Kind Of Prayer (M.MAYER rmx) 10. SCHAEBEN & VOSS Tanz Mit Mir (+ Elodie) 11. DNTEL This Is The Dream (SUPERPITCHER rmx) 12. OXTONGUE Delight

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