Throughout 2001 and 2002, Finnish microhouse/experimental techno producer Sami Koivikko released a three-part series of 12" singles for Shitkatapult and a fourth for Festplatten, all of which were received warmly by club DJs. Both Triple R and Tobias Thomas included tracks off these releases for their respective mix albums for Kompakt, which gave Koivikko some additional exposure before his full-length debut for Shitkatapult, 2003's Salmiakki. Though his dark hues have always placed him within the company of Lawrence, Anders Ilar, and Sascha Funke's early singles for Kompakt, Salmiakki was quite different from his prior productions, with thicker rhythms and keyboard patters that were less reliant on atmospheric, drawn-out notes. ~ Andy Kellman