There's a somewhat funny, quirky nonchalance with which many German's conduct themselves. If you're not prepared for it, it comes across as some foreign combination of indifference, intensity and directness that is likely to leave you wondering how personal you should take it. If you are prepared for it, you know better. It's just the way things are. That's why a title like Sonar Kollektiv's two-disc compilation celebrating the labels first decade of resounding success is so appropriate; Ten Years, Who Cares? In a single statement they both acknowledge and eschew their earned success, so as to neither ignore nor gloat about it. It also tells you they have no intention of stopping now. It's a perfectly efficient, perfectly toned title.

1. Extended Spirit "Fadin' In"
2. Forss "Using Splashes"
3. Micatone "Quiet Boy"
4. Joe Dukie and DJ Fitchie "Midnight Marauders"
5. Nuspirit Helsinki "Seis Por Ocho (Azymuth Live! - Rejam)"
6. RAS "Beat de la Romatique"
7. Outlines "Just a Lil' Lovin' (album version)"
8. Sirius Mo "U-Again"
9. Soulphiction "Used"
10. Dimlite "Back to the Universe (Slapped Eyeballers Remix)"
11. Thief "Hold On, Hold On"
12. Lightning Head "Me and Me Princess"
13. Umod "Rest With You"
14. Fat Freddy's Drop "Flashback (Jazzanova's Mashed Bag)"
15. Soul Quality Quartet "I'm Not Here"
16. Jazzanova "Let Your Heart Be Free (2007 Edit)"
17. Benny Sings "Little Donna"
18. Jazzanova "That Night (Wahoo Remix)"
19. Ame "Safari"
20. ISoul8 "Just The Way I Like It (feat. Diamondancer)"
21. Extended Spirit "Propulsion (AVDC Remix by Dixon)"
22. Platnum "Sweet City (Soulphiction Remix)"
23. Sequel "I've Been Waiting"
24. Solar System "Careless Butterfly (Wahoo Remix)"
25. Markus Enochson "For You to See (Tiger Stripes Remix Vox)"
26. Kabuki "After the Fire (feat. Cleveland Watkiss)"
27. Tokyo Black Star "Black Star (feat. Rich Medina)"
28. Moonstarr "Detriot"
29. Arken "Arken 10"
30. Slope "Komputa Groove"
31. Georg Levin "(I Got) Somebody New (feat. Clara HIll)"

Keeping all this in mind, you can expect the music on Ten Years, Who Cares?, one disc of separate tracks, the other a mix produced by Jazzanova themselves, to be a thoughtful and precise digest of Sonar Kollektiv's first ten years. Expect that and you'll be right. They are a dance music label that doesn't really consider itself a dance music label. Their perspective is more that they are a dance music label for people who love dance music. They know that for these people, there is more to their love than a consistent house beat. The music they release is more eclectic, and still more focused than many other labels I've known, effortlessly providing a modern folk album one month, followed by deep explorations of Brazilian and jazz music the next, and then a mind-blowing house record the month after that.

Perhaps their power is in their numbers, a collective of six DJs and producers who have been working with many of the same artists since the earliest days of the label. You can count on one source of their power being that the label and its musicians operate with the tight knitting of a family, and a group of close friends who have in many ways grown up together. This feeling is extended into the way they view the people who appreciate Sonar Kollektiv. It allows them to tap into the core of the feeling for their music and keeps them from analyzing and second-guessing based on the sales of related sounding records in order to determine what move to make next. Their choices seem to come from instinct alone.

But I suppose I should talk the music itself. On disc one you'll find a collection of new and old work. From Extended Spirit's jazzy "Fadin' In", to Forss' house on "Using Splashes", and then to some torchy sweetness from Micatone called "Quiet Boy". The styles go around and around, with more work from Joe Dukie of Fat Freddy's Drop, Nuspirit Helsinki, Ras, Outline, Sirius, and on, and on. It's a great selection of songs, mixing up a lot of favorites with some I haven't heard before, that really reinforce my appreciation of the label.

One the second disc, Jazzanova play with their more club-oriented persona with a nicely mixed set featuring tracks by Ame, Platnum, Markus Enochson, Tokyo Black Star, Moonstarr, and as you know, many others. It's all bubbles and flows perfectly.

Do I need to say Ten Years, Who Cares? comes with high recommendations?

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Originally released in Europe on June 25, 2007

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