!K7 Music is a music company based in

Berlin Berlin is Capital of Germany, the capital and largest city of Germany, both by area and List of cities in Germany by population, by population. Its more than 3.85 million inhabitants make it the European Union's List of cities in the European U ...

Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG),, is a country in Central Europe. It is the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany lies between the Baltic and North Sea to the north and the Alps to the sou ...

that focuses mostly on

electronic music Electronic music is a Music genre, genre of music that employs electronic musical instruments, digital instruments, or electronics, circuitry-based music technology in its creation. It includes both music made using electronic and electromech ...

. The name is an abbreviation of the company's original Berlin address, Kaiserdamm 7 (it has since relocated, first to Heidestrasse 52, and currently headquartered at Gerichtstrasse 35). !K7 has since opened branch offices in

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the U ...

and

London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

. The company now operates an artist management division, managing a roster of artists including the British musician Tricky. !K7 Music also runs a successful Label Services and Synch and Licensing department. It has five independent imprints as part of the K7 label group: !K7 Records, !7K, Strut, AUS and Soul Bank. K7 had a licensing deal with the New York-based indie label

Frenchkiss Records Frenchkiss Records is an independent record label based in New York City. The label was started in 1999 by Syd Butler, bassist and founder of Les Savy Fav. The label's first purpose was to release Les Savy Fav's second album '' The Cat and The C ...

. It has distributed the labels AGOGO, District 6,

Environ Environ or environs may refer to: * Environ (Loft), a New York performance space * Ramboll Environ, or ''ENVIRON'', a consulting firm in Arlington, Virginia * ''Environs'' (journal), a student-run law review covering environmental subjects * E ...

, Get Physical,

Ghostly International Ghostly International is an American independent record label founded in 1999 by Samuel Valenti IV and currently headquartered in Brooklyn, New York City. Chief artists include Matthew Dear, Dabrye (a.k.a. Tadd Mullinix), Com Truise, Tycho, G ...

, Lo Recordings, Moshi Moshi Records, Piranha, R2, Skint, Salt Records and Muthas of Invention. It also has a

music publishing A music publisher is a type of publisher that specializes in distributing music. Music publishers originally published sheet music. When copyright became legally protected, music publishers started to play a role in the management of the intellect ...

company. It currently distributes Turbo Recordings, Sonar Kollektiv, Luaka Bop, and Rushhour, among others.

History

Stud!o K7 has produced electronic music artists, especially for the '' DJ-Kicks'' compilations. It began in 1985 with the idea of releasing digital video clips. In 1991, the first of the 3LUX series (three volumes) was released, followed by the ''X-Mix'' series (from 1993 to 1998). In 1995, the ''DJ-Kicks'' series was released. At that time it was unconventional to play complete albums with DJ cuts on home stereos. Artists such as Kruder & Dorfmeister,

Nightmares On Wax George Evelyn (born 15 January 1970), better known by his stage name Nightmares on Wax or DJ E.A.S.E., is an English DJ and record producer from Leeds. His music has been released by Warp Records. He is based in Ibiza. Nightmares on Wax were o ...

, Thievery Corporation and Stereo MC's Chromeo,

Booka Shade Booka Shade is a German house duo. It is made up of Walter Merziger and Arno Kammermeier, described as veterans of the Frankfurt electronic music scene. They have released 7 studio albums including Memento (2004) Movements (2006), The Sun & The ...

contributed to its release. The compilation series has since included mixes from Jackmaster, Seth Troxler,

Marcel Dettmann Marcel Dettmann (born 26 October 1977) is a German DJ, producer, and record label owner whom commentators have called "one of the most influential proponents of contemporary techno." Dettmann is a resident at the well-known Berlin nightclub Bergh ...

, Michael Mayer, DJ Koze, Nina Kraviz, Daniel Avery and

John Talabot Oriol Riverola better known by stage name John Talabot (born 8 January 1982), is a Catalan DJ from Barcelona, Spain, record label owner, producer and electronic musician. Musical career After initially producing tracks under the name d.a.r.y. ...

. In 1996, !K7 started launching artist albums. As of 2014 the !K7 discography features albums from artists such as Kruder & Dorfmeister,

Matthew Herbert Matthew Herbert (born 1972), also known as Herbert, Doctor Rockit, Radio Boy, Mr. Vertigo, Transformer, and Wishmountain, is a British electronic musician. He often takes sounds from everyday items to produce electronic music. Career Mat ...

, Dani Siciliano,

Ursula Rucker Ursula Rucker is an American spoken word recording artist. Rucker is known for a diverse repertoire, and for using techniques that catch her listeners' attention. Biography Rucker was born and raised in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where she w ...

, Swayzak, and Boozoo Bajou. In 2001, Rapster Records, a new subsidiary of !K7, started focusing on urban, soul and hip-hop music. Since then, Rapster has released records by

DJ Jazzy Jeff Jeffrey Allen Townes (born January 22, 1965), known professionally as DJ Jazzy Jeff (or simply Jazz), is an American disc jockey (DJ) and music producer. He was a member of DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince with Will Smith. He is credited, alo ...

, Pete Rock, and Roy Ayers, among others. Rapster also forged an alliance with UK-based soul aficionado Peter Adarkwah, head of BBE Records. !K7 founded another subsidiary, Ever Records, in 2006, for indie bands and singer-songwriters such as Cortney Tidwell,

Cyann & Ben Cyann & Ben were a Parisian experimental rock band, formed in 2001. They released three albums and were signed to Gooom Disques before signing to Ever Records. When Cyann left the group in early 2009 to pursue a solo career, the remaining members ...

, and Howie Beck. In 2008 Strut Records & Gold Dust Media joined the !K7 label group. Between 1999 and 2003 Strut released Nigerian

Afrobeats Afrobeats (not to be confused with Afrobeat or Afroswing), or Afro-pop or Afro-fusion (or Afropop or Afrofusion), is an umbrella term to describe popular music from West Africa and the diaspora that initially developed in Nigeria, Ghana, and ...

, Leftfield Discos, Rare Groove and Grandmaster Flash's latest album. Strut's founder, Quinton Scott, is responsible for A&R. In 2013 !K7 started a cooperation with Tricky for releases on his label, including his 2013 album ''False Idols''. In May 2017, !K7 created a subsidiary focused on

Contemporary music Contemporary classical music is classical music composed close to the present day. At the beginning of the 21st century, it commonly referred to the post-1945 modern forms of post-tonal music after the death of Anton Webern, and included se ...

, producing artists such as Niklas Paschburg, Hior Chronik, Echo Collective, Henrik Schwarz,

Luca D’Alberto Luca D’Alberto (born May 6, 1983) is an Italian composer, musician, producer, arranger and multi-instrumentalist hails from Teramo, Abruzzo. Early life and background D’Alberto was born and brought up in Teramo, Abruzzo. He completed his gr ...

, Maike Zazie and Martyn Heyne. In October 2017, !K7 acquired the catalogues of

Patrice Rushen Patrice Louise Rushen (born September 30, 1954) is an American jazz pianist and R&B singer. She is also a composer, record producer, multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, and music director. Her 1982 single " Forget Me Nots" received a Grammy Awa ...

Miriam Makeba Zenzile Miriam Makeba (4 March 1932 – 9 November 2008), nicknamed Mama Africa, was a South African singer, songwriter, actress, and civil rights activist. Associated with musical genres including Afropop, jazz, and world music, she w ...

and The Beginning of the End from

Warner Music Group Warner Music Group Corp. (trade name, d.b.a. Warner Music Group, commonly abbreviated as WMG) is an American Multinational corporation, multinational entertainment and record label Conglomerate (company), conglomerate headquartered in New York C ...

, as part of the major's divestments after acquiring

Parlophone Parlophone Records Limited (also known as Parlophone Records and Parlophone) is a German–British record label founded in Germany in 1896 by the Carl Lindström Company as Parlophon. The British branch of the label was founded on 8 August 19 ...

as a result of the sale and break-up of EMI.

Artists

* John Acquaviva * The Beginning of the End *

Mykki Blanco Mykki Blanco (born April 2, 1986) is an American rapper, performance artist, poet and activist. She has collaborated musically with artists including Kanye West, Teyana Taylor, and Blood Orange. Early life Blanco was born in Orange County, Cal ...

* Boozoo Bajou *

Brandt Brauer Frick Brandt Brauer Frick is a German electronic music ensemble from Berlin. The group's members are Daniel Brandt, Jan Brauer, and Paul Frick. The group's members are classically trained and began performing together in 2009. ''The Guardian'' describ ...

James Alexander Bright James is a common English language surname and given name: *James (name), the typically masculine first name James * James (surname), various people with the last name James James or James City may also refer to: People * King James (disambiguati ...

* Circlesquare * da damn phreak noize phunk *

Erol Alkan Erol Alkan (born 30 May 1974) is an English DJ and producer of Turkish Cypriot descent. He grew up in Archway in North London. Career DJ and club promoter In 1993, Erol Alkan started DJing in various indie nightclubs in London. His firs ...

* Digitalism * Chris de Luca * Sean Deason * Benjamin Diamond *

Vikter Duplaix Vikter Duplaix (born October 14, 1969), is an American singer-songwriter, producer, multi-instrumentalist, and DJ. Duplaix has traditional soul singer's beginnings – being raised in both Philadelphia and Augusta, Georgia singing in church ...

Michael Fakesch Michael may refer to: People * Michael (given name), a given name * Michael (surname), including a list of people with the surname Michael Given name "Michael" * Michael (archangel), ''first'' of God's archangels in the Jewish, Christian and ...

* Fehlfarben * Five Deez *

Funkstörung Funkstörung (sometimes stylized as Funkstorung) are an electronic music duo from Rosenheim, Germany, consisting of Michael Fakesch and Chris de Luca. History Chris de Luca and Michael Fakesch first met in 1992 at a techno party organised by F ...

Ghost Cauldron A ghost is the soul (spirit), soul or spirit of a dead Human, person or animal that is believed to be able to appear to the living. In ghostlore, descriptions of ghosts vary widely from an invisible presence to translucent or barely visibl ...

* The Glimmers *

A Guy Called Gerald Gerald Rydel Simpson (born 16 February 1967), better known as A Guy Called Gerald, is a British record producer and musician. He was an early member of the electronic group 808 State, contributing to their debut LP '' Newbuild'' (1988) and hit ...

The Herbaliser The Herbaliser is an English jazz hip hop group formed by Jake Wherry and Ollie Teeba in London, England during the early 1990s. Although currently releasing on their own label and having previously been signed to !K7 Records, they were one ...

Herbert Herbert may refer to: People Individuals * Herbert (musician), a pseudonym of Matthew Herbert Name * Herbert (given name) * Herbert (surname) Places Antarctica * Herbert Mountains, Coats Land * Herbert Sound, Graham Land Australia * Herbert, ...

Beth Hirsch Beth Hirsch (born October 18, 1967) is a singer-songwriter from Tampa, Florida. Hirsch is best known for her collaboration with Air on their album '' Moon Safari''. Her first solo album, '' Early Days'', was released in 2000, followed by ''Titles ...

* Nick Holder * Interstellar * K-Hand * Khao * Koop * Kruder & Dorfmeister *

Mike Ladd Mike Ladd is an American hip hop musician from Boston, Massachusetts. He is based in Paris, France. ''The Guardian'' described him as "the king of the hip-hop concept." Early life Mike Ladd was born in Boston, Massachusetts. As a child, he live ...

Ladytron Ladytron are a largely British electronic band formed in Liverpool in 1999. The group consists of Helen Marnie (lead vocals, synthesizers), Mira Aroyo (vocals, synthesizers), Daniel Hunt (synthesizers, guitar, vocals), and Reuben Wu (synth ...

* Life Force *

* Milosh * Nicolette * Out Hud * Erlend Øye *

Terrence Parker Terrence Parker is an American house (music), house DJ and music producer from Detroit, Michigan, United States. Biography Parker has a long career in DJing. In 2010 he celebrated his 30th music anniversary. He has been actively DJing in hundred ...

Peace Orchestra Peace Orchestra is a musical solo project from the Austrian music producer Peter Kruder, best known as one half of Kruder & Dorfmeister. History In parallel to his partnership with Dorfmeister, Peter Kruder has always followed his solo project ...

* Playgroup * Princess Superstar * Stacey Pullen * Quiet Village * Rae & Christian *

* Henrik Schwarz *

Ian Simmonds Ian Simmonds (born 1966), also known as Juryman, is a Welsh-born electronic musician. He is one of a few talents "to successfully breach the chasm that keeps DJ culture from more tangible, organic realms."Shantel Stefan Hantel, better known by his stage name Shantel (born 2 March 1968), is a German DJ and producer based in Frankfurt. He is known for his work with Romani brass orchestras, DJing and remixing traditional Balkan music with electronic beat ...

Dani Siciliano Dani Siciliano is an American singer. She has worked with Matthew Herbert on several of his projects including the albums ''Around the House'', '' Bodily Functions'' and ''Scale''. She has also released two solo albums, '' Likes...'' and ''Slapper ...

Smith & Mighty Smith & Mighty are an English trip hop group from Bristol, England, consisting of Rob Smith and Ray Mighty. Their first releases, in the late 1980s, were breakbeat covers of " Anyone Who Had a Heart" and "Walk On By". Both songs entered the U ...

* Spacek * Stateless * Stereotyp * Swayzak * Terranova *

Tosca ''Tosca'' is an opera in three acts by Giacomo Puccini to an Italian libretto by Luigi Illica and Giuseppe Giacosa. It premiered at the Teatro Costanzi in Rome on 14 January 1900. The work, based on Victorien Sardou's 1887 French-language dr ...

* Tricky * Trüby Trio * Gez Varley *

Goose A goose (plural, : geese) is a bird of any of several waterfowl species in the family (biology), family Anatidae. This group comprises the genera ''Anser (bird), Anser'' (the grey geese and white geese) and ''Branta'' (the black geese). Some o ...

* Voom:Voom * Wamdue Kids * When Saints Go Machine *

Earl Zinger Earl () is a rank of the nobility in the United Kingdom. The title originates in the Old English word ''eorl'', meaning "a man of noble birth or rank". The word is cognate with the Old Norse, Scandinavian form ''jarl'', and meant "Germanic ch ...

* Bjarki * Red Axes *

Reto A Ichi Reto is a masculine given name, commonly used in Switzerland only. Origin and meaning The name means "coming from / related to Rhaetia, Rhaetian Alps, Rhaetian people or Rhaeto-Romance languages". Notable people *Reto Berra - Swiss ice ho ...

Tomat Petrella The tomato is the edible Berry (botany), berry of the plant ''Solanum lycopersicum'', commonly known as the tomato plant. The species originated in western South America, Mexico, and Central America. The Mexican Nahuatl word gave rise to th ...

* Bochum Welt *

Hundred Waters Hundred Waters is an American band formed in Gainesville, Florida in October 2011, composed of Nicole Miglis (vocals, piano, flute), Trayer Tryon (production, electronics, bass) and Zach Tetreault (drums, percussion, trumpet). The group came to pr ...

* Sandunes * Michael Mayer

References

External links

Official site

Studio !K7
at

Discogs Discogs (short for discographies) is a database of information about audio recordings, including commercial releases, promotional releases, and bootleg or off-label releases. While the site was originally created with a goal of becoming the la ...

{{DEFAULTSORT:Studio K7 Record labels established in 1996 German independent record labels Electronic dance music record labels Electronic music record labels

History

Artists

See also

References

External links