Summer is here again, and that means another shining Total compilation from Kompakt. Spread over two CDs, this is the ninth Total, and it marks 15 years of enduring music from Cologne's hardest-working label. 15 years ago, Kompakt came together as a partnership between techno musicians Michael Mayer, Wolfgang Voigt (aka Gas, Mike Ink, M: I:5), Jürgen Paape, and Reinhard Voigt initially as a record shop that today boasts pretty much every service a musician could ever dream of. From their in-house record labels (Kompakt, K2, Kom Ex/Speicher and Kompakt Pop), record shop (digital and physical), distribution hub for over 50 exclusive worldwide labels, recording studios, booking/management agency and so much more, Kompakt strives to keep to it's DIY roots by putting music first - something that is most certainly reflected on this double platter of joyfulness called Total 9. Total 9 looks back at the best musical moments of the past year and looks forward to the future, with some exclusive music you will only find here from the likes of the dynamic duo Supermayer, Jörg Burger aka the Modernist, Freiland (the post-Studio Eins series by Wolfgang Voigt), Kompakt fav Thomas Fehlmann, the always-classic Jürgen Paape, Hamburg's revolutionary and hotly-tipped DJ Koze, electronic disco-master Justus Köhncke, and more. And, if you haven't been regularly stocking your DJ case, you'll find CD versions of Kompakt's usual roster of limited releases that includes tunes from Japan's gentle dub technician, Kaito, Matias Aguayo's catchy "Minimal" that is everything but minimal, a Krautdisco hymn from Partial Arts as well as a dark, soulful number by Gui Boratto, and oh so much more. This year, as well as the past 15 years has seen Kompakt just grow and grow and grow. Total 9 invites you to dive into it all and enjoy one of the most diverse Totals your ears have ever heard. Other artists include Super pitcher vs. The Congosound, Alison Degbe, Burger/Voigt, Dubshape, Jonas Bering, Robert Babicz, Nightguy, the Rice Twins, Nicolas Stefan, Scsi-9, and Maxime Dangles.