Mikkel Metal

Mikkel Metal’s Victimizer represents a further refinement of the Kompakt label’s gentler side. This is an excellent album for chilling out. There are beats on every track, but they are never rushed, always relaxing and often muffled. It’s more about sipping a martini than guzzling Red Bull. From beginning to end it’s melodic techno, sometimes with Metal’s vocals, and probably never passing 126 bpm. The grooves are subtle but compelling, like those in "Rain” and "Kaluga.” On the deeper side of things are the rumbling "Hemper” and "Victimizer,” while "Lurlun” and "Dorant” have the German shuffle feel Kompakt has pioneered. It’s odd that so many slow tracks can be interesting and exciting, and Victimizer is all the more enjoyable for that.