With the
2005 edition, Kompakt slipped a notch on the ambient belt, almost as if that year's ambient yearbook were pasted together in a hurry without consideration to quality or sequence when compared to the glorious treasures on
Pop Ambient 2002 and
2003. But with this
2006 edition, the label bounces back into good form with offerings from new faces to the series like
Popnoname,
Justus Köhncke, and Dirk Leyers, whose track "Come to Where I Go" is unquestionably one of the disc's highlights. There's also a nice turn from the usual by
Klimek, who should seriously consider putting away that delay pedal more often and creating more meditative pieces like "Gymnopedie #1." It's the disc that so desperately needed to shoot the series with a bit more adrenaline to keep its longevity fresh and renewed, and it certainly does the trick from start to finish. ~ Rob Theakston