Compest is the work of German composer Martin Steinebach. His other projects include Conscientia Peccati, Monoid, and StillStand. I have been familiar with his work for many years (I did a split with him many years ago and contributed a remix for his amazing Heimat set), so I was interested to hear how his music has evolved. The label describes this particular project this way: “First known as Conscientia Peccati (orchestral and ritual/tribal synthetic atmospheres), Steinebach later launched two other projects to explore new paths: Monoid for more rhythmic industrial sounds, and StillStand for more ambient abstract soundscapes. Then he melted all his influences in Compest that can be seen as a kind of meta-project.”

One of the things that I have enjoyed about his work is that it never seems to stay in one direction. This is by design though. In one interview I found while looking for a website for this project, he was asked, “Many artists dream of a “magnum opus.” Do you have a vision of what yours would sound like?” He responded, “No, I’m sorry. I am rather exploring new directions than going extremely deep into one.” This is oddly fitting for this release as well, which translates out to "Ladders and Paths." Let’s see which direction he is taking us this time.

“Leiter” kicks it off with a track that is a bit darker than some of the stuff I am familiar with, but really engaging. The percussion keeps it moving along, as the synth lines intermingle together. “Aufstieg” is a bit weirder, with pitch bent analogue synth. “Sprossen” shifts gears with droning synth with a hint of distortion. There is a melancholy feel to the composition. “Umweg” closes the side on a noisier note, as if he took a synth line and covered it with a blanket of static which dissipates over time.

Flipping the tape over, we have “Pfad,” which is a heavy synth composition that flows like the waves of the sea. “Oben” has a kind of a cinematic feel to it. This is the part of the film where the battle is just about to commence; the calm before the storm. “Abseits” is perhaps my favorite track on the tape, with pulsing synth lines with bass guitar and clashing cymbals and chimes. A very interesting composition.

Overall, the feel reminds me of some of Asmus Tietchens' more mellow works. I enjoyed how he changes things up to keep it engaging. If you have enjoyed Steinebach’s other works, this is a solid entry into that catalog. If you have not heard his work yet, this is a good place to start. Like all of the Oxidation releases, this is also packaged in an interesting way. The cassette is tied to a wooden tile between two ladders with dirt affixed to it. Those of you on the other side of the pond will have to affix your own dirt because of shipping regulations. Well worth checking out.