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.

A feature-length documentary, Kvadrat explores the realities of techno DJing, using the example of Andrey PUSHKAREV, a Russian DJ recognized worldwide. Filmed as a hybrid between a road-movie and a music video, the film not only illustrates the festive atmosphere of techno night clubs, but also reveals the lesser known side of this profession: weeks of track selection, lengthy travel, difficult schedule. The film suggests to reconsider the stereotype of a popular musician, to find out whether the artist is happy, to ponder what’s most important to him and his audience? Shot in Switzerland, France, Hungary, Romania and Russia, the film omits the typical documentary elements: no interviews, no explanatory voice-over, no facts, no figures. The visuals and the techno music replace them, leaving the detailed interpretation to the viewer.

Kvadrat (en) from Anatoly IVANOV on Vimeo.

danke, ronny.

Läuft - Have a great Friday :-)))

Have a fantastic weekend :-)))

Tonight it's partytime - so be prepared :-)))

Tracklist:

01 - Zero 7 - Home (MCDE Remix) [Atlantic]
02 - Jimi Jules - No Wishes [unreleased]
03 - Bob Moses - All I Want [Scissors & Thread]
04 - Maximiljan - Music Is [Leena Music]
05 - Francys - Crossing The White Line (Gorge Interpretation) [Highway Records]
06 - Konstantin Sibold & Telly - I'm In Need [unreleased]
07 - Graze - Skip/Krush [New Kanada]
08 - Hot Since 82 - Like You (Audiojack Ruff Cut) [Get Physical Music]
09 - Wankelmut & Emma Louise - My Head Is A Jungle (MK Remix) [Poesie Musik]
10 - Round Table Knights & Animal Trainer - Kalmuck [Hive Audio]
11 - Talisco - Your Wish (Wankelmut Remix) [Roy Music]
12 - Bryan Kessler - New York, Baby [unreleased]
13 - Maceo Plex & Maars feat. Florence Bird - Going Back [Ellum Audio]
14 - Laika & Strelka - Dance Till Dawn (Schlepp Geist Remix) [unreleased]
15 - Alex Niggemann - Materium [Poker Flat Recordings]
16 - Cliff Lothar - Running Out Of Time [Viewlexx]
17 - SLAM - Positive Education [Soma Records]
18 - Maré - NYX [unreleased]
19 - GusGus - Crossfade (Maceo Plex Remix) [Kompakt]
20 - Shadow Movement - ID [D.O.C.]
21 - Alex Barck - Oh Africa feat. Christine Salem (Frank Wiedemann Remix) [P&C Sonar Kollektiv]
22 - Wankelmut - Wasted So Much Time feat. John LaMonica [Poesie Musik]

minimal :-)))
via soundcloud.com

via soundcloud.com

Recorded at the Stonebridge Tent at 2pm. First of 3 appearances at Glastonbury on 27.06.14