Since its founding in 1993—emerging from a subsidiary of the legendary Delerium record store in Frankfurt—Kompakt has become one of Germany's most influential techno labels. 

Based in Cologne, the label has helped shape the sound of techno for over 30 years, pioneering everything from Shuffle- to Schlager-Techno. With iconic artists like DJ Koze, Robag Wruhme and Kölsch, to name just a few, alongside label founders Michael Mayer, Wolfgang Voigt, Reinhard Voigt and Jürgen Paape, Kompakt has consistently redefined the boundaries of club music—and continues to do so today.

Rather than counting the years, Kompakt celebrates milestones—and their 500th release is a landmark worth celebrating: a limited collector’s box set featuring 50 handpicked tracks across five colored LPs, a 10” vinyl, and a stunning 144-page artbook chronicling the Kompakt story from 1993 to the present.

Electronic Beats TV revisited the Kompakt crew—20 years after our first feature on the Electronic Beats Slices DVD—to talk about the anniversary release, the challenges of running an independent label today, and their enduring connection to visual art.

Production: Romi Agel & Holger Wick for Sense Music & Media

Camera: Romi Agel, Holger Wick

Interview: Holger Wick

Edit: Julia C. Weber

Slices DVD Footage: Sense Music & Media archive

Graphics and photos from the Kompakt 500 Artbook

thx kfmw.