!K7 Music is a music company based in

Berlin Berlin ( , ) is the capital and largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's most populous city, according to population within city limits. One of Germany's sixteen constitu ...

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwee ...

that focuses mostly on

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

. The name is an

abbreviation An abbreviation (from Latin ''brevis'', meaning ''short'') is a shortened form of a word or phrase, by any method. It may consist of a group of letters or words taken from the full version of the word or phrase; for example, the word ''abbrevia ...

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 List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

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 A talent manager (also known as an artist manager, band manager or music manager) is an individual who guides the professional career of artists in the entertainment industry. The responsibility of the talent manager is to oversee the day-to-day ...

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. It has distributed the labels AGOGO,

District 6 District Six is a place in Cape Town, South Africa. District Six may also refer to: :Government divisions * District 6, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam * District 6 (New York City Council), in the United States * VI District, Turku, in Finland * Distr ...

Environ Environ or environs may refer to: * Environ (Loft), a New York performance space * Ramboll Environ Environ was a privately held, international environmental, safety and health sciences consulting firm headquartered in Arlington, Virginia. ENVIR ...

Get Physical Get Physical Music is a Berlin-based electronic music record label founded in 2002 by M.A.N.D.Y. (Patrick Bodmer & Philipp Jung), DJ T (Thomas Koch) and Booka Shade (Walter Merziger, Arno Kammermeier & Peter Hayo). They were DJ Magazine's "Labe ...

, Ghostly International,

Lo Recordings Lo Recordings is a label founded in 1995 by Jon Tye. They are noted for their strong visual style thanks to Non-Format, with whom they work very closely and won a D&AD award for several of their releases sleeves. Musical style Lo recordings ma ...

Moshi Moshi Records Moshi Moshi Records is a small London-based record label founded in 1998 by Adrian Pike, Michael McClatchey and Stephen Bass. The label has released music by bands including Lykke Li, Fimber Bravo, Bloc Party, Hot Chip, Late of the Pier, Ho ...

, Piranha, R2, Skint,

Salt Records Salt Records (S:alt Records - suitably:alternative) is a UK-based independent label/platform for eclectic music. Founded by Roberto Concina (aka Robert Miles) in 2000, it became the home for artists such as Robert Miles Roberto Concina (3 ...

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 Kruder & Dorfmeister, named after members Peter Kruder and Richard Dorfmeister, is an Austrian duo, known for their trip hop/ downtempo remixes of pop, hip hop and drum and bass songs. Career In 1993, they released their first EP '' G-Stoned ...

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 Thievery Corporation is an American electronic music duo consisting of Rob Garza and Eric Hilton. Their musical style mixes elements of dub, acid jazz, reggae, Indian classical, Middle Eastern music, hip hop and Brazilian music, including ...

and Stereo MC's

Chromeo Chromeo is a Canadian electro-funk duo from Montreal, formed in 2002 by musicians David "Dave 1" Macklovitch and Patrick "P-Thugg" Gemayel. Their sound draws from blue-eyed soul, dance music, rock, synth-pop, disco and funk. , the band has relea ...

, Booka Shade contributed to its release. The compilation series has since included mixes from

Jackmaster Jack Revill, better known as Jackmaster (born 11 January 1986), is a Scottish DJ and Producer from Glasgow. He is a co-founder of the record label and club night Numbers as well as Wireblock, Dress 2 Sweat, Point.One Recordings, Seldom Felt an ...

, 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 Berg ...

, Michael Mayer, DJ Koze,

Nina Kraviz Nina Kraviz (russian: Нина Кравиц, Nina Kravits) is a Russian DJ, music producer and singer. Early life and career Kraviz was born and raised in Irkutsk, Siberia, Russia. She moved to Moscow to study dentistry where she later gained ...

, 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

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 wa ...

, 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 Peter O. Phillips (born June 21, 1970), better known by his stage name Pete Rock, is an American record producer, DJ and rapper. He is widely recognized as one of the greatest hip hop producers of all time, and is often mentioned alongside DJ ...

, and

Roy Ayers Roy Ayers (born September 10, 1940) is an American funk, soul, and jazz composer, vibraphone player, and music producer. Ayers began his career as a post-bop jazz artist, releasing several albums with Atlantic Records, before his tenure at ...

, 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 membe ...

, 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, a ...

, Leftfield Discos, Rare Groove and

Grandmaster Flash Joseph Saddler (born January 1, 1958), popularly known by his stage name Grandmaster Flash, is an American DJ and rapper. He is considered to be one of the pioneers of Hip Hop DJing, cutting, scratching and mixing. Grandmaster Flash and the ...

'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, Maike Zazie and Martyn Heyne. In October 2017, !K7 acquired the catalogues of Patrice Rushen, Miriam Makeba and The Beginning of the End from

Warner Music Group Warner Music Group Corp. ( d.b.a. Warner Music Group, commonly abbreviated as WMG) is an American multinational entertainment and record label conglomerate headquartered in New York City. It is one of the " big three" recording companies and th ...

, 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 192 ...

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

Artists

* John Acquaviva * The Beginning of the End * Mykki Blanco * 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'' descri ...

* James Alexander Bright * Circlesquare * da damn phreak noize phunk * Erol Alkan * 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 ch ...

* Michael Fakesch *

Fehlfarben Fehlfarben is a Neue Deutsche Welle music band from Düsseldorf, Germany, that was formed in 1979. Its founding members were Peter Hein (vocals), former member of the Band ''Mittagspause'' ("lunch break"), Thomas Schwebel (guitar, former Mi ...

* 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 * The Glimmers * A Guy Called Gerald *

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 o ...

* Herbert * Beth Hirsch * Nick Holder * Interstellar * K-Hand * Khao * Koop *

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 ...

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 Life force or lifeforce may refer to: * Spirit (vital essence), in folk belief, the vital principle or animating force within all living things * Vitality, ability to live or exist * Vitalism, the belief in the existence of vital energy ** Energ ...

* Miriam Makeba *

Milosh Mike Milosh, known professionally as Milosh, (born 1976) is a Canadian electronic musician from Toronto, who is currently based in Los Angeles, California. Career Milosh started learning classical cello at age three, later taking up drumming ...

* Nicolette *

Out Hud Out Hud was an American electronic band formed in 1996 in the Bay Area of California and later based in New York City. The band consisted of guitarist Nic Offer, bassist Tyler Pope, cellist Molly Schnick, vocalist/drummer Phyllis Forbes and m ...

Erlend Øye Erlend Øye (born 21 November 1975) is a Norwegian composer, musician, producer, singer and songwriter from Bergen, best known for being one half of the indie folk duo Kings of Convenience, along with Eirik Glambek Bøe. Among other musical pr ...

* Terrence Parker * Peace Orchestra * Playgroup * Princess Superstar *

Stacey Pullen Stacey Pullen is an American techno musician based in Detroit, Michigan, United States. Pullen was raised in Detroit, where he became interested in electronic music early in his life. He began working on the Detroit techno scene in 1990, study ...

Quiet Village "Quiet Village" is an orchestral pop instrumental that was written and originally performed by Les Baxter in 1951 and an instrumental album from 1959 by Martin Denny. In the liner notes to his album, '' Ritual of the Savage (Le sacre du sauvage)' ...

* Rae & Christian *

* Patrice Rushen * Henrik Schwarz * Ian Simmonds * James Sims *

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 ''Slapp ...

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 dramati ...

* Tricky * Trüby Trio * Gez Varley *

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

* Voom:Voom * Wamdue Kids *

When Saints Go Machine When Saints Go Machine is a Danish Danish may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to the country of Denmark People * A national or citizen of Denmark, also called a "Dane," see Demographics of Denmark * Culture of Denmark * Danish people ...

* Earl Zinger * Bjarki * Red Axes * Reto A Ichi * Tomat Petrella * 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 ...

{{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