Wolfgang Voigt Pays Tribute to the Roland 303 for Kompakt’s 303rd Release
For a label to reach 303 releases is no small feat, and to commemorate this […]
For a label to reach 303 releases is no small feat, and to commemorate this milestone longstanding Cologne-based outpost Kompakt has announced it will dedicate its 303rd release to the iconic Roland TB-303 synth. Though the TB-303 did not initially cause much of a stir when it first went on the market in the early ’80s, its squelchy bass sound eventually became immortalized with the emergence of acid house, and arguably, much of contemporary electronic music is indebted to the machine in some way.
Taking the helm for Kompakt’s upcoming 303rd release is techno vanguard and label co-founder Wolfgang Voigt, whose early exposure to the “mind-melting” sounds of acid led him to adopt the 303 as a production staple when he operated under the guise of Mike Ink and a myriad of other aliases. On the upcoming INSTANT 303 (artwork above), the self-professed non-conformist sidelines his laptop and returns to the source in a two-part techno jam. The record is due out on 10″ vinyl on August 15, and comes decorated with the ubiquitous yellow smiley faces that became synonymous with the acid house movement.
UPDATE: We have been informed by Kompakt that Voigt’s INSTANT 303 EP will be available only as a limited vinyl release, for which the label is pressing—you guessed it—303 copies, some of which will be included along with Kompakt’s Total 14 vinyl compilation when ordered through the outpost’s own web shop.