The Kompakt label made a great name for itself in its first decade through a signature sound of bright, light poppy miminal music. This eleventh compilation finds the Total series split between an established past and the need to strive for new sounds. While it’s not true to say that everything here succeeds, there’s certainly enough here for label fans – and also those new to the influential imprint.

Amongst the established stalwarts, joint founder Michael Mayer probably comes off best with a house infused track with soft smooth Rhodes and angelic voices underpinned by intricate skipping percussion. Justus Köchncke’s contribution works well too – a gently funky, slightly camp, electronic song with bass in all the right places. This is less than can be said of Jörg Burger’s eminently forgettable attempt at melancholic 80s indie. 2003‘s Protest Song proved he can write with lyrics, so it’s a shame that he falls flat this time.

Also disappointing are Wolfgang Voigt’s two contributions. Voigt, whose work alone on the Gas and Studio 1 projects would deem him essential, here continues with the austere modernist direction that he’s recently pursued. Neither the track under his own name or the pseudonym Sog are particularly entertaining – or innovative.

Other big label names fair better. Gui Boratto’s ‘Plie’ is an ethereal, pulsating four minute flight that brings in intriguing live percussion just as it really gets going. Robag Wruhme’s Rollmoff meanwhile applies a quirky groove and sparse (if interesting) sound design in a successful seven minute excursion.

Established talent The Field and Superpitcher also score well, albeit with slight reservations. Is it bad to just want The Field to repeat the simple repetition trick he deployed so effectively on his first album and early remixes? Whilst ‘Caroline’ is as good as anything from 70s German gods Ash Ra Tempel or Cluster, personally I could’ve listened to Field 1.0 for a very long time. Similarly, Superpitcher’s ‘Lapdance’ is a competent piece of tracky, trippy minimalism, but a long way – both in title and sound from the soft, sad techno he’s known for.

Less typical for the label are a pair of fun, rockabilly themed wild cards next to one another from Mugwump and Ivan Smagghe’s new project, It’s a Fine Line. Both are similar in scope to some of Andy Weatheralls’ work in recent years. Similarly quirky there’s a great ten minute motorik epic from Maxime Dangles plus a more dance floor friendly reading of new shoegazey signings Walls courtesy of fellow Londoners Allez Allez.

There’s finally solid, strong tracks from Thomas Fehlmann, Jürgen Paape, Coma, Pachanga Boys and Jonas Bearing. Overall, Total 11 won’t change the way you look at music – if you see techno as too repetitive and austere, there’s not much here for you. But for fans of most electronica, Total 11 provides enough proof that the label hasn’t yet run its course.