It’s no stretch to say that the label from Berlin as known as Sonar Kollektiv has been one of the most admired labels over the last twenty years. So it seems proper to salute them for all the quality recordings they’ve blessed us with. “21 years” features thirty plus tracks that have stood the test of time and hearing them again is simply a breath of fresh air. It’s a superb collection of their own compositions as well as re-releasing recordings from artists they’ve been drawn to over the years. What’s more is this is the first of two compilations so expect another batch of thirty more recordings soon but let’s focus on these for now. The disc begins with “Oh Africa”, the infectious 2013 dance track from Alex Barck, one of the founding members of Jazzanova. “Make It Good” is another floor burner that evokes happy memories from The White Lamp which featured Pete Josef. There’s a load of unreleased gems as well. “Charizo Pancho” is a splendid simmering samba treat from Marlow & Truby. For those drawn to slower tempos there’s the sublime “Paradiso” from Lars Barkuhn. “Feel Like a Feel” is melancholy folk from Paul Bryan aka Sergio Sa. We’ve just scratched the surface for there’s so much to savor here you could spends weeks combing through it all. Believe me you’ll be glad you did. As far as compilations go this will be hard to beat.
