For a label to reach its 20th year of existence in this day and age is no mean feat, but to remain at the forefront of your chosen genre of music throughout – even releasing some their strongest material during said 20th year – is almost unheard of. Yet all one needs to do is head to recent Kompakt releases from Coma, Kolsch & Rainbow Arabia for proof of their current, very rude health. To celebrate their landmark birthday and journey from record shop in ’93 to record decks of discerning electronic music fans worldwide in ’13, Cologne label Kompakt have released a second collection of prime cuts.

All aspects of Kompakt’s oeuvre are covered here. Terranova featuring Tomas Hoffding’s ‘Question Mark’ uses sumptuous late night beats and synths to come up with prime piece of heartbreak house, Hoffding’s chocolatey croon coming across like a less hysterical Anthony Hegarty. Other rush to tracks are ‘Maria’, a charming piece of introspective electronica by Closer Muzik, and the similar deep and complex minimalism from Schaeben & Voss. WHOMADEWHO ‘s ‘Below the Cherry Moon’ is mournful bass led indie pop, its presence amongst the predominantly 4/4 beat led dance music proving incredibly effective, as is ‘The Wind and the Sea’ by Shumi; a spectacular turn, alluring and emotive, its six minutes can generate both melancholy and euphoria.

Despite Kompakt’s serious reputation, there’s a surprising amount of tongue in cheek on display. The Modernist’s ‘Pearly Spencer’ is an effective cover of David McWilliams’ pop gem made famous by Marc Almond’s 1992 cover, Ferenc’s ‘Yes Sir, I Can Hardcore’, re-mixed by head honcho Michael Mayer – all bleeps and snarling riffs which nod back to the dumb early 90s rave of Altern 8 and Mayer’s own ‘Pride Is Weaker Than Love’ – is a white knuckled example of how to thrill with dance music, reciting the lyrics to 80′s coffee table bore Sade’s ’Love Is Stronger Than Pride’ in an emotionless breathy German accent over gated riffs and cranium bothering intense techno swooshes and the fiercest of beats. It’s sinister, on edge, dirty, and you can picture the sweat dripping from the ceiling as it gets dropped to a room full of revellers totally losing their shit to it. In fact, it’s probably one of the greatest techno singles of all time.

Other, harder delights come in the form of ‘Take That’ by Jurgen Paape, who takes the offbeat bass lines and rave stabs of late 90s hard house and throws them into Berghain to fend for themselves, whereas Steadycam continue with the offbeat on ‘Knock Need’ but uses early Yazoo-influenced synth lines over it’s jackin’ beats.

Two compilations in one year from a label who love an opportunity to compile and repackage could be classed as being somewhat excessive, but they have the back catalogue to do so, and therefore the quality remains high. Why not release two? They are Kompakt, and as they’ve proven, they can do what they want.

- Chris Todd