International Deejay Gigolo Records is undoubtedly one of Germany’s most successful electronic music labels. Founded in 1996 by Helmut Geier, who is better known as DJ Hell, Gigolo has put out artists like Miss Kitten & The Hacker, Vitallic and Tiga. CD Eleven, non-surprisingly, marks the 11th compilation album put out by the label. Divided into slightly different sounding discs, CD Eleven is filled with spacey techno sounds conjuring up images of a futuristic voyage in subspace, or possibly an advert for the very soon to be reality Richard Branson Virgin Galactic.

Some would argue that podcasts have effectively killed off the DJ mix album. The speed and ease at which a podcast becomes available mean it’s hard for a mix CD to be current and not feature songs that have been thrashed to death already. But, even though mix CDs have become irrelevant, good compilation albums have not. For those that don’t want to purchase vinyl or single downloads, but still want to own interesting dance music, a good compilation can give us access to the songs that may otherwise elude your collection. Of course this can also become the downfall of the album, as the CD is unmixed so some tracks run excessively long for home listens. The skip button, in those cases, will be get a workout. Songs include long introductions and looping endings that make it easy for DJs to mix, but it’s no really ideal for everyday listening.

CD one is filled with dark techno, the type of stuff that’d be perfect for a nightclub. The second disc features more soulful and spacey textures, but at the same time does not stray far from the darker regions. Standout tracks from the first would be album opener DJ Pierre – I’ve Lost Control (WildPitchMix) , which features a fat, deep kick, and DJ Hell – The Disaster (CD11 Edit) , which sounds like a crazy robot child puffing up a hill on his tricycle. My picks from the second CD would be Abe Duque – Life Is So Good To Me , which is full interesting percussion, and Snuff Crew – DJ In Space , which sounds like a person nervously tapping on their chest as they prepare to be blasted into space. The two disc marathon of a compilation finishes with the DJ Hell edit of Phobia – Phobia , a soul driven number featuring a massive oscillating bassline. The perfect closer for the album.

CD Eleven is an interesting compilation from Gigolo. If you’re into your spacey, techno sounds it will be well worth your time as you’re bound to find a few tracks out of the 24 featured that you will like. If you’re not a hardcore fan, however, it may not initially grab your attention.