You can add Kanzleramt to that illustrious list. Run by the respected producer Heiko Laux, the company's been around since 1994, but it really started cooking in '98 when Johannes Heil dropped the classic Reality to Midi. Kanzleramt's core artists--Heil, Laux, Diego, and Alexander Kowalski--maintain a remarkably consistent killer-to-filler ratio on their full-lengths and EPs, with a sound techno and house aficionados can equally embrace. With Kanzleramt's 10th anniversary and 100th release looming, it's relevant to peep what these menschen have been up to lately.
Instant Reality, by Swiss producer Diego Hostettler, harks back to late-'80s Detroit techno's sleek yet propulsive 4/4 and elegantly emotive melodies. House fans can find an easy entry point here. Alexander Kowalski's /response/ delivers spacious, melodically sophisticated techno that makes you feel 10 feet tall (or is that the E?). You might even hear a huge DJ like Sasha drop a Kowalski track in his sets. Johannes Heil's 20,000 Leagues under the Skin sounds like pioneering synthmeister Klaus Schulze's symphonies upgraded to 21st-century specs. Heil creates compositions, not DJ tools, that are epic and painstakingly layered for maximum emotional impact. Skin should come with a Rick Wakeman wig and a wind machine. Heiko Laux's Offshore Funk proves he's Kanzleramt's sexiest mutha, imbuing his streamlined tech-house with sassy synth shimmers and strutting Latin-funk rhythms. Finally, the 13-track comp Kanzleramt 3 features all the above producers in their best form, as well as kindred spirits like Christian Morgenstern and Highrise (John Selway). It's a thrilling introduction to Kanzleramt's tough yet tuneful steez. See www.kanzleramt.com for more info. DAVE SEGAL
