Exactly 2 years ago Michael Mayer's Immer was reviewed here, it was a first rate compilation compiled by M. Mayer and released on his own Kompact label. Kompakt Köln Präsentiert Michael Mayer on the Neuhouse label is another compilation put together by M. Mayer, his first compilation which preceded Immer by 4 years, but like Immer it is a first rate compilation. Combining loping beats, soulful female vocals and quasar-like synths into one seamless mix, I think Michael Mayer knew what he was doing - and Neuhouse did well by presenting him in his first mix cd.

This M. Mayer mix is a lot more minimal electronics than glitchy or breakbeat, although there are hints of each seeping through the mix. My favorite moments tended to be when I could latch onto the female vocals like in the two different mixes of Going Round by Herbert, with Dani Siciliano on lead vocals. Both mixes - the Hmmmmm Mix and the Original Mix show off both of Dani's great vocal styles - the soulful sigh and the digitized scat vocal, as Herbert's loping beats accent the pulsing synths.

Dom's Fackeln Im Sturm has some disembodied female vocals in German with a T. Raumschmiere styled rhythm pulsing menacingly underneath. It's also the only other track with vocals. Reinhard Voigt's Klar 2 is one of the more industrially minded tracks here, as the rhythm pounds and phases out. The Dali Bop Horizon by The Modernist was licensed from the revamped EMI Harvest label and was compiled on the Sonar '98 compilation (a 4 cd box set) as well - it reminds me of the tech house of SCSI-9. This mixes perfectly with the more melodic Aphex Twin-like Gem Club Part III by Christian Morgenstern. Forever Sweet is M. Mayer's super group - which featured him along with Tobias Thomas and Reinhard Voigt. They are heard here on the Abba inspired Super Trouper which is a perfect rendition of minimal tech-house. OM One's Opium is the perfectly conclusion, as it pulses away with the perfect