In contrast to an earlier post on Kompakt standout Matias Aguayo, my reaction to his recent single Rollerskate, like that of the accompanying album, has been somewhat mixed. On one hand, Aguayo assuredly reaffirms his position as the labels most innovative voice, crafting original compositions against the backdrop of a genre that fetishizes convention. On the other, where the production on his last album was a masterstroke of clarity and depth, the sonic style of its predecessor sounds deliberately thin, sometimes to the point of being frustrating.
This assessment was shared by friend of the blog Solomon, who has filled in the gaps of this otherwise remarkable single with an exclusive edit that skillfully realizes the force and depth the original composition demands.
Far be it from me to attempt to diminish the influence Kompakt has had on this decade of dance music, or of the rate at which they have released notable and important singles, that said, many of the albums released on the imprint seem almost deliberately uninteresting. As a rule, the folks at Kompakt don’t just tolerate formula, they celebrate it, which is why so many of their LPs come off less like a label presenting wholly conceived works and more like a decorator offering swatches of paint- several versions of a single style, of which one or two would be chosen and the rest discarded without prejudice.
A notable exception to this is Matias Aguayo – previously one half of the duo Closer Musik, who produced the excellent One, Two, Three (No Gravity) back in 2000. Five years later, his solo debut “Are You Really Lost?” offered up a selection of songs that alter, however slightly, their tone and tempo, with vocal selections used sparingly and to great effect. The result is an album that conforms to the labels esthetic, while achieving the traditional intent of an album in that the collection as a whole is greater than the sum of its parts.
Perhaps the most leftfield effort on the record is the Max Turner version of the opening track, where the laid back emcee offers contrast to the blissfully unintelligible verses held over from the original version.
