Jennifer Cardini /Various

Cardini has been a key player over the past decade in France’s club scene, essentially serving as an ambassador in Paris for the Cologne techno sound so distinctive to the Kompakt label. Feeling Strange is Cardini’s first release in three years, and it’s a seamless mix of 21 tracks, both new and old, that represents a debut on two accounts: Cardini’s first release on Kompakt and Kompakt’s first release by a female artist. The mix starts with the typically warm, fuzzy Kompakt bass lines, throbbing beat and sexy but detached vocals with Robert Lippok’s remix of Static’s "Sometimes I’m Sad for a Few Seconds.” Cardini also traverses with ease across genres. The vocals in Joeski’s "All By Myself” are a bit prog-y and Quarion’s remix of Jamie Lloyd’s "May I” harkens back to the jazzy synth keys of early house music. The Hacker briefly hijacks the mix to electro land but Cardini flanks it with Mike Dunn’s 1988 club hit "So Let it Be House.” False’s "Fed on Youth” makes a six-minute cameo and Cardini closes out with Apparat’s crooning falsetto vocals in "Arcadia” There are some great heights on this album despite some awkward transitions and the mix is book-ended by some emotive tracks, establishing the tone of this album along the label’s infamous trajectory of deep, luscious, pop-infused house.