Stefan Kozalla (born 1972), better known as DJ Koze (), is a German DJ and music producer.

Biography

Born in

Flensburg Flensburg (; Danish language, Danish and ; ; ) is an independent city, independent town in the far north of the Germany, German state of Schleswig-Holstein. After Kiel and Lübeck, it is the third-largest city in Schleswig-Holstein. Flensburg's ...

Schleswig-Holstein Schleswig-Holstein (; ; ; ; ; occasionally in English ''Sleswick-Holsatia'') is the Northern Germany, northernmost of the 16 states of Germany, comprising most of the historical Duchy of Holstein and the southern part of the former Duchy of S ...

, Kozalla first became known in the

Hamburg Hamburg (, ; ), officially the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg,. is the List of cities in Germany by population, second-largest city in Germany after Berlin and List of cities in the European Union by population within city limits, 7th-lar ...

music scene. In the early 1990s, he started as a rapper and DJ for various hip-hop groups in Flensburg. In 1991, DJ Koze reached second place in the German DMC Championship (an offshoot of the Disco Mix Club). Two years later, he moved to

and, together with Cosmic DJ, DJ Stachy, and the "Schreckliche Sven", founded the hip hop formation Fischmob, which persisted for about five years. At the same time, he also worked with electronic music, increasing his name recognition as a DJ and producing remixes, sometimes under the pseudonym Adolf Noise. A collection of such remixes appeared in 2000 under the title ''Music Is Okay''. As Adolf Noise in 2001, with Max Goldt as spokesman, he released the single ''"''Deine Reime sind Schweine''"'', a satire on battle rap tracks in German hip hop. Together with Cosmic DJ and Erobique he founded the project

International Pony International Pony was a band from Hamburg, Germany. It was formed in 1998 by Stefan Kozalla also known as DJ Koze, Daniel Sommer also known as Cosmic DJ, and by Carsten Meyer well known as Erobique. International Pony have released the albums ...

, releasing ''We Love Music'' in 2002 ''Mit Dir sind wir vier'' in 2006. Since 2003, Koze published several Techno-Maxis at the Cologne label

Kompakt Kompakt ( Labelcode: LC 12012) is a Cologne-based electronic music independent record label and vinyl/CD distributor, owned by Wolfgang Voigt, Michael Mayer and Jürgen Paape. They specialize in microhouse and minimal techno, and are known ...

under the name Monaco Schranze (a corruption of Monaco Franze and Schranz). He also released his second mix CD in 2004, titled ''All People Is My Friends''. As a DJ, he also performed at major festivals such as

Coachella Coachella (officially called the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival and sometimes known as Coachella Festival) is an annual music festival, music and arts festival held at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California, in the Coachella Valle ...

, Osheaga,

Outside Lands Outside Lands was the name used in the 19th century for the present-day Richmond District and Sunset District on the West Side of San Francisco. With few roads and no public transportation, the area was covered by sand dunes and was conside ...

Roskilde Roskilde ( , ) is a city west of Copenhagen on the Danish island of Zealand. With a population of 53,354 (), the city is a business and educational centre for the region and the 10th largest city in Denmark. It is governed by the administrative ...

Sónar Sónar is a festival dedicated to music, creativity and technology, founded in Barcelona in 1994 by Ricard Robles, Enric Palau, and Sergi Caballero. The festival has been divided into two parts since its inception: Sónar by Day and Sónar b ...

Tomorrowland Tomorrowland may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * Tomorrowland (Disney Parks), a theme land at a number of Disney theme parks around the world * Tomorrowland (festival), an annual electronic dance music festival in Boom, Belgium * ''Tom ...

, SonneMondSterne, Melt!, Time Warp,

Mayday Mayday is an emergency procedure word used internationally as a distress signal in voice-procedure radio communications. It is used to signal a life-threatening emergency primarily by aviators and mariners, but in some countries local organiz ...

Mutek MUTEK is a Montreal-based festival dedicated to the promotion of electronic music and the digital arts. Its central platform is an annual six-day event in Montreal Montreal is the List of towns in Quebec, largest city in the Provinces and ...

, Amsterdam Dance Event,

Snowbombing Snowbombing is a ski resort festival, held annually in the spring at the Austrian ski resort of Mayrhofen. History The event has been run since 2000 when it was first held at the French resort of Risoul as an après-ski nightclub promotional ex ...

, Nature One, Fusion Festival and Meredith Music Festival. In reader surveys of the music magazines Spex, Intro and de: Bug he was repeatedly voted DJ of the Year. His productions under the name Adolf Noise are generally more experimental and eccentric. After ''Wunden, s. Beine Offen'' in April 2005, the second Adolf Noise album ''Wo die Rammelwolle fliegt'' was released. He has run the label Pampa Records since 2009. On that label, he released the album ''Amygdala'' in 2013, entering the official German and Swiss charts for the first time. In addition, he received the Critics Award at the 2014

Echo Awards Echo Music Prize (stylised as ECHO, ) was an accolade by the , an association of recording companies of Germany to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry. The first ECHO Awards ceremony was held in 1992, and was set up to honor ...

ceremony. On June 15, 2015, his edition of the mix series DJ Kicks was released on the Berlin label Studio !K7, which attracted a great deal of national and international attention. In 2017, he was nominated for two

Electronic Music Awards The Electronic Music Awards is a music award show focused on electronic music genres that debuted on September 21, 2017, in Los Angeles. It was created by Paul Oakenfold and entertainment company Hunt & Crest and produced by L!ve Media. The sho ...

for Record of the Year and Remix of the Year, both for his Extended Disco Version of Låpsley's "Operator". In January 2018, DJ Koze announced his fourth studio album titled '' Knock Knock'', which was released on May 4, 2018 on Pampa Records. On July 12, 2018, his remix of the track " Humility" by British band

Gorillaz Gorillaz are an English virtual band created by musician Damon Albarn and artist Jamie Hewlett in London, England in 1998. The band primarily consists of four fictional members: (vocals, keyboards), Murdoc Niccals (bass guitar), Noodle (gui ...

was released. On October 19, 2018, he was awarded the Prize for Pop Culture in the category "Favorite Producer" at the Tempodrom Berlin. DJ Koze performed at Sydney Opera House Concert Hall for the first time on 12 December 2019 and also debuted his new A/V show, Popup Jungle. ''

Róisín Murphy Róisín Marie Murphy ( , ; born 5 July 1973) is an Irish singer, songwriter and record producer who first became known in the 1990s as one half of the Pop music, pop duo Moloko alongside the English musician Mark Brydon. After the breakup of M ...

'' has announced in March 2023 her signing to ''

Ninja Tune Ninja Tune is an independent record label based in London, with a satellite office in Los Angeles. It was founded in 1990 by musicians Matt Black and Jonathan More, known collectively as Coldcut. The label was established as an outlet for Col ...

'' with a new single, 'CooCool', which was produced by DJ Koze. Her latest album ' Hit Parade', produced by DJ Koze, was released on 8 September 2023 on Ninja Tune and reached #6 in the official German album charts and #5 in the official UK album charts in the week of release. On November 29, 2024, DJ Koze announced the release of his fifth studio album, titled '' Music Can Hear Us'', a release on his own label, Pampa Records. On the same day, the first single from the album, 'Pure Love', a song created in collaboration with

Damon Albarn Damon Albarn (, ; born 23 March 1968) is an English musician, singer, songwriter, and record producer. He is best known as the frontman, main vocalist, and lyricist of the rock band Blur (band), Blur and the co-creator and primary musical con ...

, was released. Kozalla himself pronounces his DJ name as () which, in German, is identical to ''Kotze'' ("puke, vomit"). Internationally, his name is pronounced like ''cozy'' () in (American) English.

Awards

Echo Pop * 2014: Critics' choice award (''Amygdala'')

DJ Awards DJ Awards is a celebration of electronic music, and aims to recognise and honour Disc jockey, DJs and individuals who have influenced electronic dance music worldwide. Held annually in Ibiza at the end of the summer season, DJ Awards has retaine ...

* 2018: Category „Electronica/Downtempo“ (DJ Koze) Faze Magazine * 2023: 1st Place Producer of the Year Groove Magazine * 2023: 4th Place DJ of the Year * 2024: 1st Place Producer of the Year * 2024: 2nd Place Track of the Year Preis für Popkultur * 2018: Category „favourite producer“ (''Knock Knock'')

Pitchfork A pitchfork or hay fork is an agricultural tool used to pitch loose material, such as hay, straw, manure, or leaves. It has a long handle and usually two to five thin tines designed to efficiently move such materials. The term is also applie ...

- The 50 Best Albums of 2018 * 2018: 3rd Place - ''Knock Knock''

- The 100 Best Songs of 2018 * 2018: 5th Place - ''Pick Up''

MIXMAG ''Mixmag'' is a British electronic dance and clubbing magazine published in London. Launched in 1983 as a print magazine, it has branched into dance events, including festivals and club nights. History The first issue of ''Mixmag'' was printe ...

- The Top 50 Tracks of 2018 * 2018: 1st Place - ''Pick Up''

Noisey ''Vice'' (stylized in all caps) is a Canadian-American magazine focused on lifestyle, arts, culture, and news/politics. It was founded in 1994 in Montreal as an alternative punk magazine, and its founders later launched the youth media company ...

- The 100 Best Albums of 2018 * 2018: 9th Place - ''Knock Knock''

Resident Advisor ''Resident Advisor'' (also known as ''RA'') is an online music magazine and community platform established in 2001 and dedicated to showcasing electronic music, artists and events across the globe. Its editorial team provides news, music and ev ...

- 2018's Best Tracks * 2018: ''Pick Up''

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. The magazine was first known fo ...

- 50 Best Albums of 2018 So Far * 2018: Knock Knock FM4 - Most Wanted - 100 besten Clubtracks des Jahres * 2018: 1st Place - ''Pick Up''

Discography

Studio albums * 2005: ''Kosi Comes Around'' ( Kompakt Records) * 2013: ''Amygdala'' (Pampa Records) * 2018: '' Knock Knock'' (Pampa Records) * 2025: '' Music Can Hear Us'' (Pampa Records) Singles and EPs * 1998: ''Happy Hip Hop'' (Yo Mama) * 2001: ''Deine Reime Sind Schweine (Regelrechte Schweine)'' (Buback) * 2003: ''The Geklöppel Continues'' ( Kompakt Records) * 2004: ''Late Check Out'' (Kompakt Records) * 2004: ''Speicher 20'' ( Kompakt Extra) * 2005: ''Lighta Spuba'' (Freude am Tanzen) * 2006: ''Kosi Comes Around – Remixes Part 1'' (Kompakt Records) * 2006: ''Stompin at the Clubfoot'' (Kompakt Records) * 2007: ''All the Time'' (Philpot) * 2007: ''Naked'' (Cereal/Killers) * 2008: ''I Want to Sleep'' (International Records Recordings) * 2009: ''Mrs. Bojangels'' (Circus Company) * 2010: ''Rue Burnout / Blume der Nacht'' (Pampa Records) * 2012: ''My Orphaned Son / It’s Only'' (Pampa Records) * 2013: ''Amygdala Remixes #1'' (Pampa Records) * 2014: ''Amygdala Remixes #2'' (Pampa Records) * 2014: ''La Duquesa / Burn With Me'' (Pampa Records) * 2015: ''XTC'' (Pampa Records) * 2016: ''Driven'' (Hart&Tief) * 2018: ''Seeing Aliens'' (Pampa Records) * 2018: ''Pick Up'' (Pampa Records) * 2021: ''Record Store Day 2021 Exclusive'' (Pampa Records) * 2022: ''knock knock Remixes #1'' (Pampa Records) * 2022: ''knock knock Remixes #2'' (Pampa Records) * 2023:

& DJ Koze – ''Can’t Replicate 12″ Edit'' (

) * 2023: ''Wespennest/Candidasa EP'' (Pampa Records) * 2024: Gerry Read x DJ Koze - ''Highly Recommended'' (8 Head Records) * 2024: DJ Koze feat. Arnim Teutoburg-Weiß & The Düsseldorf Düsterboys – ''Wie schön du bist'' (Pampa Records) * 2024: DJ Koze feat.

– ''Pure Love'' (Pampa Records) * 2025: DJ Koze feat. Ada – ''Unbelievable'' (Pampa Records) Compilations * 2000: ''Music Is Okay'' (Yo Mama) * 2009: ''Reincarnations: The Remix Chapter 2001-2009'' ( Get Physical Music) * 2014: ''Reincarnations Part 2: The Remix Chapter 2009-2014'' (Pampa Records) DJ mixsets * 2004: ''All People Is My Friends'' * 2009: ''

#145'' * 2013: ''

FACT A fact is a truth, true data, datum about one or more aspects of a circumstance. Standard reference works are often used to Fact-checking, check facts. Science, Scientific facts are verified by repeatable careful observation or measurement by ...

387'' * 2013: ''

XLR8R ''XLR8R'' (pronounced "accelerator") is a website that covers music, culture, style, and technology. It was originally also a print magazine. History and profile ''XLR8R'' was founded as a newsprint zine in 1993 by publisher Andrew Smith in S ...

324'' * 2015: '' DJ-Kicks: DJ Koze'' ( DJ-Kicks Vol. 50) Remixes * Herbert – ''It’s Only (DJ Koze Remix)'' *

Moderat Moderat is a German electronic music supergroup (music), supergroup originating in Berlin between Sascha Ring, also known as Apparat (musician), Apparat, and Modeselektor members Gernot Bronsert and Sebastian Szary. The band have released four st ...

– ''Bad Kingdom (DJ Koze Remix)'' *

Mount Kimbie Mount Kimbie is an English electronic music and indie rock group consisting of Dominic Maker, Kai Campos, Andrea Balency-Béarn and Marc Pell. Mount Kimbie was formed in 2008 by Maker and Campos. The duo expanded on the musical template of the U ...

– ''Made to Stray (DJ Koze Remix)'' * Malaria! vs. Chicks On Speed – ''Kaltes Klares Wasser (DJ Koze Remix)'' *

Blumfeld Blumfeld () was an indie pop band from Hamburg, Germany, formed by singer and songwriter Jochen Distelmeyer. The name of the band was taken from the main character of the short story "Blumfeld, ein älterer Junggeselle" by Franz Kafka. Blumfeld a ...

– ''Tausend Tränen Tief (Loverboy Mix)'' * Fettes Brot – ''Silberfische In Meinem Bett (Adolf Noise Meets Fettes Blut)'' * Die Goldenen Zitronen – ''Weil Wir Einverstanden Sind (DJ Koze a.k.a. Adolf Noise Remix)'' *Egoexpress – ''Telefunken (DJ Koze Remix)'' * Rocko Schamoni – ''The Diskoteer (DJ Koze Remix)'' * Die Fantastischen Vier – ''Le Smou (DJ Koze & Mario Von Hacht Rmx)'' * Reinhard Voigt – ''Zu Dicht Dran (DJ Koze Remix)'' *

Hildegard Knef Hildegard Frieda Albertine Knef (; 28 December 19251 February 2002) was a German actress, singer, and writer. She was billed in some English-language films as Hildegard Neff or Hildegarde Neff. Early years Hildegard Knef was born in Ulm in 19 ...

– ''Ich Liebe Euch (DJ Koze Remix)'' *Andreas Dorau – ''Kein Liebeslied (DJ Koze Remix)'' *Ada – ''Eve (DJ Koze Remix)'' *Ada – ''Faith (DJ Koze Remix)'' *Heiko Voss – ''I Think About You (DJ Koze Mix)'' * Mano Le Tough – ''Energy Flow (DJ Koze Remixes)'' *James Figurine – ''Apologies (DJ Koze Rmx)'' * Wassermann – ''Die Schallplatte (DJ Koze Remix)'' *Meloboy – ''Hot Love (DJ Koze Mix)'' *Wechsel Garland – ''Mutes (DJ Koze’s Broken CD-Mix)'' *Blagger – ''Strange Behavior (DJ Koze AKA Swhaimi Remix)'' *

Alter Ego An alter ego (Latin for "other I") means an alternate Self (psychology), self, which is believed to be distinct from a person's normal or true original Personality psychology, personality. Finding one's alter ego will require finding one's other ...

– ''Jolly Joker (DJ Koze’s Nuttich Styler Remix)'' *Battles – ''Atlas (DJ Koze Remix)'' *Gerd – ''1 In the Morning (At The club) (DJ Koze Remix)'' *Sascha Funke – ''Mango Cookie (DJ Koze Remix)'' *Mathias Kaden – ''Kawaba (DJ Koze’s Kosi-San Remix)'' *Nôze – ''Danse Avec Moi (DJ Koze Rework)'' *Matthew Dear – ''Elementary Lover (Dj Koze Rmx)'' *Lawrence – ''Rabbit Tube (DJ Koze Remix)'' * Låpsley – ''Operator (DJ Koze Remix)'' *

Caribou The reindeer or caribou (''Rangifer tarandus'') is a species of deer with circumpolar distribution, native to Arctic, subarctic, tundra, boreal, and mountainous regions of Northern Europe, Siberia, and North America. It is the only represe ...

– ''Found Out (DJ Koze Remix)'' *

– ''Jamelia (DJ Koze Remix)'' *The Big Crunch Theory – ''Distortion (DJ Koze Remix)'' *

Who Made Who ''Who Made Who'' is a soundtrack album by Australian hard rock band AC/DC. Released on 24 May 1986, the album is the soundtrack to the Stephen King film ''Maximum Overdrive''. The album was re-released in 2003 as part of the ''AC/DC Remasters' ...

– ''Keep Me In My Plane (DJ Koze Hudson River Dub)'' *Makossa & Megablast feat. Cleydys Villalon – ''Soy Como Soy (DJ Koze No Voy A Cambiar Repaso)'' *Efdemin – ''There Will Be Singing (DJ Koze Remix)'' * Michael Mayer & Joe Goddard – ''For You (DJ Koze Remixes)'' *

Chilly Gonzales Jason Charles Beck (born 20 March 1972), professionally known as Chilly Gonzales or just Gonzales, is a Canadian musician, songwriter, and producer. Currently based in Cologne, Germany, he previously lived for several years in Paris and Berlin. G ...

– ''Knight Moves (DJ Koze Remix)'' * Apparat – ''Black Water (DJ Koze Remix)'' *Superflu – ''Jo Gurt (Dj Koze RMX)'' * 2raumwohnung – ''Somebody Lonely and Me (Remixes)'' * Matias Aguayo – ''Minimal (DJ Koze Remix)'' *

Underworld The underworld, also known as the netherworld or hell, is the supernatural world of the dead in various religious traditions and myths, located below the world of the living. Chthonic is the technical adjective for things of the underworld. ...

– ''I Exhale (DJ Koze Remix)'' *Roman Flügel – ''9 Years (DJ Koze Remix)'' *Radio Slave – ''Reverse (DJ Koze Edit)'' *

– ''Humility (DJ Koze Remix)'' * Radio Slave – ''Reverse (DJ Koze Edit)'' * Gerry Read – ''It’ll All Be Over (DJ Koze remix)'' *Sebjak & Fahlberg – ''4Ever She May Live (DJ Koze Edit)'' *Lakou Mizik & Joseph Ray – ''Sanba Yo Pran Pale (DJ Koze Remix)'' * José González – ''Tjomme (DJ Koze Remix)'' * Solomun feat.

Jamie Foxx Eric Marlon Bishop (born December 13, 1967), known professionally as Jamie Foxx, is an American actor, comedian, and singer. Known for his work in both the screen and music industries, his accolades include an Academy Award, a Grammy Award ...

– ''Ocean (DJ Koze Remix)'' * Peggy Gou – ''I Go (DJ Koze Remix)'' *Melle Brown feat.

Annie Mac Annie Macmanus (born 18 July 1978), known professionally as Annie Mac, is an Irish DJ, broadcaster and writer. She hosted a variety of shows on BBC Radio 1, including BBC Switch and ''Future Sounds''. She also DJed in various locations, includ ...

– ''Feel About You (DJ Koze Remix)'' *Dumbo Tracks & Markus Acher – ''Everybody Knows (DJ Koze Remix)'' *

& DJ Koze – ''Can’t Replicate 12″ Edit'' With Adolf Noise * 1996: ''Wunden, S. Beine Offen'' * 2001: ''Deine Reime Sind Schweine (Regelrechte Schweine)'' * 2005: ''Wo die Rammelwolle fliegt'' With Fischmob * 1995: ''Männer können seine Gefühle nicht zeigen'' * 1998: ''Power'' With Monaco Schranze * 2003: ''Speicher 11'' (with Naum) * 2004: ''Speicher 25'' (with Gebr. Teichmann) With

Marteria Marten Laciny (born 4 December 1982), better known by his stage name Marteria, is a German rapper. He has met with success in Germany (his 2012 collaboration with Yasha and Miss Platnum, "Lila Wolken", reached Number 1 in the German music char ...

* 2021: ''5. Dimension'' (album producer and co-writer) With

* 2023: '' Hit Parade'' (album producer and co-writer) * 2024: ''Hit Parade Remixes''

References

External links

Official website Pampa Records
*
DJ Koze
on

Discogs Discogs ( ; short for " discographies") is a database of information about audio recordings, including commercial releases, promotional releases, and bootleg or off-label releases. Database contents are user-generated, and described in ''T ...

DJ Koze
on

Allmusic AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Mus ...

*
Pampa Records
on

YouTube YouTube is an American social media and online video sharing platform owned by Google. YouTube was founded on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim who were three former employees of PayPal. Headquartered in ...

{{DEFAULTSORT:Koze, DJ 1972 births Living people People from Flensburg German electronic musicians Musicians from Hamburg