Though Cologne’s Kompakt label is known as a crucial hub for sparse European techno, Michael Mayer’s catalogue proves that minimalism is just one part of the story. Mayer, born in rural Germany in 1971, moved to Cologne in 1991 and soon found a job at the Delirium record store, collaborating with friends like Wolfgang Voigt and Jürgen Paape, with whom he would co-found Kompakt in 1998. He brought to the label both a playful spirit and an appreciation for all manner of pop—New Wave, Italo disco, ’70s singer-songwriters–which he folds into sleek electronic grooves informed by Chicago house and Detroit techno. His many DJ mixes, like 2002’s Immer and 2017’s DJ-Kicks (DJ Mix) offer the most enlightening perspective on his singular approach, mixing up multiple decades and genres in lush, enveloping, completely seamless panoramas rooted in dance music’s ability to delight and surprise.