It’s been well over eight years since Kompakt - the Cologne-based label, record store and distributor - emerged from a series of small record stores (originally called Delirium and the first of which was started by Playhouse's Ata), uniting a collective of local musicians that included Kompakt co-founders Jurgen Paape, Wolfgang Voigt and Michael Mayer.
Launched in 1998 upon the back of pre-existing labels such as Wolfgang Voigt’s “Studio 1” series and the minimal excursions of Profan, Kompakt has since evolved into a major multi-faceted operation including a record store, a distribution centre that houses nearly 80 exclusive record labels and over 200 others, a booking agency, recording studios and of course the Kompakt in-house record labels, Kompakt, Kompakt Pop, Kompakt Extra and more recently, Michael Mayer's re-pressing offshoot Immer and the new minimal imprint K2.
Following the success of their online vinyl record store, in April 2005 Kompakt launched KOMPAKT MP3, a digital record store housing an extensive catalog of over 50 record labels and featuring a large selection of music previously next to impossible to find, especially in regions like North America.
Kompakt co-founder Wolfgang Voigt says,“For Kompakt, 12” vinyl is still the most important format for releasing our music, plus DJs are still our main customers and fans. But we had to face the facts – there are two new generations of music listeners rising up; the iPod listeners who aren’t interested in purchasing records or CDs and the Digital DJs who play mp3s in the clubs. If we want to reach these people with our music, we needed to make them an offer.”
Geared towards the discerning electro, tech-house, minimal, techno and experimental electronica buyer, KOMPAKT MP3 is already filling a niche market previously uncatered to by existing online digital stores. Along with labels like Crosstown Rebels, Traum, Trapez, Sub Static, Sender, Areal, Tic Tac Toe plus many more, it is also the only store where you can legally download the complete catalogue of Kompakt releases.