Berlin’s slick and gritty surface ripples with a creative urgency that has a special place in my heart. That dark soul is echoed by Heiko Laux’s Berlin-based Kanzleramt label, celebrated here by Germany’s Groove magazine. This compilation details the path of the label, starting with its beginnings in straight-ahead techno-like Johannes Heil’s “Paranoid Dancer” and Laux and Sammy Dee’s Detroit-fueled “Moonside Playground.” It then moves into tech-house territory via hit-maker Alexander Kowalski’s vocal “Hot Spot,” Fabrice Lig’s joyous “Universal Tech,” Christian Morgenstern’s dubby “Malaria”, Diego’s speedy “Me Fragments” and a quality electro cut by Anthony Rother’s Family Lounge. The variety makes for a fun first listen and the quality of the tracks ensures repeat rotations on your iPod.