Various - 8/10

Kompakt's ambient compilation series has been going for 14 years now and, appropriately enough for the genre, it's easy to let it fade into the background. It's always been a reliable source of tasteful sounds a cut above standard chillout comps, but not always that distinctive. But this time, they've really pulled it out of the hat. The Orb are on the form of their lives on 'Alpine Dawn', Thore Pfeiffer remixes Kompakt boss Wolfgang Voigt's string-laden Rückverzauberung material into a dark dream, and there's plenty of other heartstring-tugging melodies, rivers of bass and caressing textures. A comp that proves that ambient music can be much more than waftiness.

File under Deep dream

Download The Orb 'Alpine Dawn', Leandro Fresco 'Configuración De Ataque'

Like this? Try Lawrence 'A Day In The Life' (Mule Musiq)

Released: 13/11/2015