by Andy KellmanThe only point of criticism with Michael Mayer is that he doesn't release enough of his own productions. One of the key figures of Cologne, Germany's electronic music scene, Mayer also has durable reputations as a remixer, DJ, and producer, and has released a small handful of his own singles on Kompakt -- a label he helps 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, tend to be minimal with dubby flourishes -- and no two sound 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 Immer, another mix album. Tracing the developments made in micro-house/tech-house made since Mayer's previous mix, Immer featured material from Carsten Jost, Akufen, Selway, and A Rocket in Dub. 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 series, while the second was commissioned by London's Fabric series. The following year, Mayer released a second Speicher mix and finally delivered his long-promised debut album of productions (Touch). [See also: Forever Sweet; Zimt.]