Kompakt has eked out its own special place in electronic music, specializing in warm, oftentimes minimal, techno with strong melodic and (some might say) pop sensibilities. DJ Koze's debut solo album, _Kozi Comes Around_, encapsules some of the best of Kompakt's aesthetic -- its eclectic spirit. From the opening track, "Estrella," he doesn't neglect the dancefloor aspect -- instead, he uses the house beat as a method to attached his climbing cadences to a concrete structure. "Raw" certainly lives up to its title: much more spare, but still not without hints of melody seeping through, while "Don't Feed the Cat" and "Dangernugget" go more acid. Hints of jazz creep into "Barock Am Ring" -- it almost sounds like a lost Jazzanova track -- and "My Grandmotha" has a cheeky humorous side. "My grandmother is driving motorcycle in the chicken house"? Sure, why not? For those with a more minimal bent, "Brutalga Square" will hit the spot. But in my mind, it's the lovely "Chiminea," with its gentle looped guitar line and mesmerizing chorus, that stands out the most. On an album of varied gems, it sparkles the most.

One of the best Kompakt releases lately. Every track has something different from others. Beautifuly minimalistic 'Brutalga Square' and acid 'Raw' is a perfect example of Koze's forward thinking in producing electronic music. Must have for German electronic scene lovers.