Contributing Writer300, Pt. 1 – the first of three VA compilations marking the label’s milestone – is out now
Twenty-one years. 300 releases. A catalogue built without ever standing still.
Kittball Records reaches its milestone 300th release with 300, Pt. 1, a various-artists compilation celebrating more than two decades of house music, collaboration and an enduring commitment to the next record.
Bringing together a diverse selection of artists from across the label’s international family for the first of three milestone compilations, Tube & Berger join forces with Frank Sonic and Freddy Muller, while Noah Loco and Mat.Joe, Denace 2 Society, Jochem Hamerling, Roxy Nox, Purple Palms and Raffi Habel, and GIORG each add their own voice to the collection. Together, the names reflect Kittball’s long-standing commitment to established favourites, emerging talent and artists pushing the label’s sound forward.
At the heart of the 300th release is Back to the Stars, a new track from Kittball founders Tube & Berger alongside Frank Sonic and Freddy Muller. More than simply part of the compilation, the dreamy track serves as a musical reflection of the journey behind Kittball’s 300 releases – and the shared belief that authentic music has kept the label moving forward for more than two decades.
Speaking about the milestone, Arndt from Tube & Berger / Kittball mentioned:
“300 releases sounds like a big number, but for us it’s really just a lot of music, a lot of great people and more than 20 years of somehow keeping this thing alive. We’ve had amazing years, difficult ones, made good decisions and definitely a few questionable ones. But we’re still here, still releasing music we believe in. And that probably means more to me than the number 300 itself.”
Founded in Solingen in 2005 by Tube & Berger and Juliet Sikora, when Kittball entered the German house scene, there was no shortage of electronic music labels. Its approach was simple: stay uncompromising, and keep putting quality records into the world. Twenty-one years later, that philosophy remains largely unchanged.
Over the years, Kittball has weathered its share of highs and lows, evolutions and detours, building a catalogue that reflects the artists, sounds and moments that have shaped the label along the way.
Among them is Purple Disco Machine, who released Purple Pianos on Kittball in 2015, years before his sound reached the global charts. Robert Owens brought his unmistakable voice to Slipknot, while artists including Timo Maas, andhim, Ida Engberg, Format:B, Junior Jack and Volkoder have all contributed to the label’s story through singles and compilations.
Kittball’s history has also been captured through projects such as the Kittball Konspiracy compilations and the charity series It Began In Africa, bringing together different generations and corners of the electronic music community.
Some of those records still belong on a dancefloor at 3am. Others are unmistakably products of their time. For Kittball, both matter. A catalogue should document where a label has been – without pretending it always knew where it was going.
Because despite the milestone, Kittball isn’t looking backwards for long. The team behind Kittball are keeping their pedal to the metal keeping the records coming.
300, Pt. 1 is out now via Kittball Records