The only point of criticism with Michael Mayer was that he didn't release enough of his own productions. One of the key figures of Cologne, Germany's electronic music scene, Mayer also had durable reputations as a remixer, DJ, and producer, and released a handful of his own singles on Kompakt -- a label he helped run with founder Wolfgang Voigt -- and Kompakt-related labels like New Trance Atlantic (NTA) and Kreisel 99. His own productions, whether dabbling in house or techno, tended to be minimal with dubby flourishes -- and no two sounded alike. "Kompakt Köln Präsentiert Michael Mayer", a mix album of tracks from the likes of Sanosol, Herbert, Om1, and The Modernist, was released in 1998 by Neuhouse. Four years later, Kompakt issued Für Immer, another mix album; tracing the developments made in microhouse/tech house since Mayer's previous mix, the disc featured material from Carsten Jost, Akufen, Selway, and A Rocket in Dub, and it showcased an unrivaled knack for selecting and sequencing. At this point, Mayer became something of a poster boy for Cologne techno. In 2003, he released a pair of mixes. The first was based on the first several releases in Kompakt's Speicher 34 series, while the second -- a more playful and melodic affair -- was commissioned by London's Fabriclive 33: Spank Rock series. The following year, Mayer released a second Speicher 34 mix and finally delivered his long-promised debut album of productions, Everytime We Touch. During the next few years, as he continued to operate Kompakt, he put together Für immer und ewig (disc 2) and Out Immer (Aerobiose 3), as well as his second and third overview mixes of the Speicher 34 releases. He also collaborated with Superpitcher as SuperMayer, which released an album on Kompakt in 2007. [See also: Forever Sweet; Zimt.] ~ Andy Kellman, Rovi