Kompakt – one of the biggest influences on me for years now, but none more so that the last ten. Since 2001, Kompakt have been releasing their now widely celebrated Pop Ambient series and have surfaced many of the producers I now widely regard as music legends.
Wolfgang Voigt (Kompakt Label owner, also known as the legendary Gas) Ulf Lohmann, Markus Guentner and Joachim Spieth were the first to grace the Pop Ambient name. Fast forward ten years and there’s a host of new ambient maestro’s who’ve joined the ranks including, bvdub, Thomas Fehlmann, Popnoname, Klimek and Marsen Jules.
It was 2007 when Martin Juhls was recruited into the Pop Ambient series following several stunning releases on City Centre Offices (Ulrich Schnauss’ first label) including Les Fleurs and Herbstlaub. Since then, Marsen’s had tracks on 2009, 2010 and 2011’s Pop Ambient releases and after a four-year album hiatus, has recently released ‘Nostalgia’, on his own label, Oktaf.
Marsen’s approach to ambient is one of clarity. Where many artists wrap layers upon layers, amongst textures, Martin’s instruments are clear, and central to each piece. ‘Nostalgia’ features some beautiful string’s combined with compelling atmospheres and of course, is a wonderful nod towards the blissed-out ambient which appears on Kompakt’s series. For Martin’s isolatedmix, Pop Ambient reigns supreme and again, takes centre stage.
“This mix was recorded live at the Toskana Therme Bad Schandau. It is a special place with a liquid sound soundsystem, which can play music under water. When mixing ambient music I try very much to create something new and and floating out of the material. Usually it´s four decks in traktor playing at the same time also using loops and some effects. For this mix I tried to assemble the material around the trademark sound of Kompakts Pop Ambient series.”
We haven’t had the pleasure of pure ambient in an isolatedmix for quite a while and there’s no better artist to help bring it back. Titled ‘Drifting in the Liquid Air’, this is music to sleep to, to hibernate to, to float to and to fall in love with, over and over again.
01. Steve Roach – A Deeper Silence (A Deeper Silence)
02. Deepchord Presents: Echospace – Ocean of Emptiness (The Coldest Season)
03. Steve Roach – Further Inside (Dynamic Stillness)
04. Steve Roach – A Darker Light (Dynamic Stillness)
05. Ulf Lohmanm – Java (Pop-Ambient 2002)
06. Gas – 5 (Pop)
07. Popnoname – Deutz Air (Pop Ambient 2010)
08. Ulf Lohmanm – Java (Pop-Ambient 2002)
09. Helios – First Dream Called Ocean (Eingya)
10. Stars of the Lid – Dungtitled (in A major) (And Their Refinement of the Decline)
11. Wolfgang Voigt – Ruckverzauberung (Pop Ambient 2011)
12. Causeyoufair – I Am No Longer Soul (There I Lay and Time Imperfections)
13. The Dead Texan – A Chronicle of Early Failures Pt Two (The Dead Texan)
14. Julien Neto – Sketch (Le Fumeur de Ciel)
15. Ulf Lohmann – 8 (Because Before)
16. Gas – 3 (Pop)
