This, the third volume in the Pop Ambient series released by Köln, Germany's Kompakt label, represents a most exciting development in ambient and electronic music. This is ambient music unfettered by the confines of a specific genre; it is created in the spirit of a new genre of music, which frees the individual artists from having to pander to a style of sound. The artists represented on the Pop Ambient series are not required to create ambient techno tracks, nor are they expected to occupy a furniture music role--this is pure, pretty music, with a fantastically modern perspective that can only sprout from artists familiar with current electronic styles, but willing to break paradigms.

Pop Ambient 2003 begins with Klimek's "Milk & Honey-- a lovely guitar strum looped and expanded to create a chiming, deep sound, reminiscent of what the Durutti Column might sound like if Reilly decided to update the sounds on Return of the Durutti Column rather than move to the poppy sound of The Guitar and Other Machines. This track conjures up a lovely sunlit space, with faint motion of air and clouds above. We then are introduced to All, yet another Wolfgang Voigt side project, and the track "Alltag 5." This one stutters along with chopped up drum sounds and metronomes, with a completely whacked out tempo that begins to make sense after a while. Would this be 28/23.5 time? Over this is a typically gorgeous synth wash that creates a strange syncopated gallop when mixed with the bassline introduced halfway into the song. Once again, Voigt fascinates with his laptop trickery, making a very subtle track out of some unexpected elements. Voight's Gas project is some of the finest ambient music I've ever heard, which makes all of his disparate musical projects worth investigating. Then there is the track by Markus Guentner, whose In Moll CD (also on Kompakt) is one of the most stunning full-lengths I've heard in a while. This track, "Express Yourself" is no different--gorgeous synth strings met by a Gassy synth atmosphere. Match this with a head-bobbing bassline and Guentner has crafted another winner. (I don't have his new album, because I've heard it's funky Farben-style tech-house, but this is an artist to watch.) Jörg Burger, aka The Modernist, contributes the next track under the pseudonym Triola. I'm no fan of previous Burger work, but this cut is simply gorgeous, and a highlight on a compilation chock full of highlights. This is a sylvan field of trilling wildlife and babbling crystal brooks. I've never heard a track so green with life on a compilation of this type; this one's almost edible in its verdant beauty.

At the halfway mark, we are presented with an Orb track, which is a quite unusual thing. I've never heard the Orb's music in this particular style before, but Patterson and Fehlmann create a great cut that fits right along the rest with aplomb. This is an avenue I'd like to see more of from the Orb, rather than that stoner stuff they are known for. Peter Grummich's track is my favorite on the compilation. Deep, echoey synth reverberates right up the spine; warm, inviting, perfect. And like so many good ambient tracks it's under three minutes long. I'll be first in line for Grummich's ambient full length. Leandro Fresco contributes a pretty track, very representative of the South American "pop ambient" scene I've heard so much about. Then, a second Klimek track, with more chopped up, reverbed guitar work. This is perhaps the weakest link on the compilation; just a bit too stuttery, which ruins the overwhelmingly dreamy work on the rest of the disc. Ulf Lohmann's contribution (his album Because Before is well worth seeking out) is vaguely reminiscent of Eno's Apollo era. This would also not seem out of place on a Stars of the Lid record--high praise indeed. The final track is once again by Markus Guentner; proving once and for all that atmospheric floaters are not just the domain of Eno-inspired drift junkies. This track is equal to Gas's fantastic Zauberberg album in its subtly classical drone and drift. Guentner's work is so top notch--it's the crowning work on Kompakt's growing ambient selection.

All in all, you simply cannot find a better collection of the Köln/Kompakt scene, and the vibrant music coming out of that area of Germany. What began as a very Basic Channel/Chain Reaction sort of minimal techno has somehow transformed itself into some of the most vital, vibrant, beautiful ambient music I've had the pleasure to hear. This compilation series is a treasure, and I hope to be around to hear Pop Ambient 2045. Simply stunning.

Available on Kompakt, and at all good import record shops with a "techno" section.

since July 15, 2003