Audio Island

Mostly known for his 'pop ambient' side, Markus Guentner released through Ware this album between his two excellent yet more or less abstract albums for Kompakt (check them here and here) that attracted most of the attention. I first heard his stuff from this 12" and immediately decided that I liked him; on the other hand he seemed to be too much into GAS-like loopy deepness. Then came this one.

Besides being the most clubbish material he's ever published and probably the most understated of his albums, in my opinion this is one of the best releases in the whole Cologne mini-tech thing; crispy techhouse and deep techno, richly textured with his customary post-indie sampling, his tracks balance perfectly between club functionality and emotional power, between minimalism and sensuality. A must for lovers of the sound of Cologne (although he's Bavarian, ha ha).

Contains a sweet cover of Talk Talk's 'Such A Shame' that also made it as a 12", and a powerful Acid Maria contribution.

Markus Guentner - 2003 Audio Island
Info here.

My daughter seems to like this one too. Which is weird, since she usually likes slower and more arpeggio-electro pop stuff (the Italians Do It Better compilation is already a standard). Possibly it's the full frequency spectrum she appreciates...