“We wanted to put our own music but we didn't know how, that's why we decided to do a label”

Starting your own record label might not be the easiest way to go about getting your music released in this day and age, but it's thanks to the naivety and determination of the Keinemusik collective that Berlin now boasts one of the freshest, aesthetically singular labels around.

Founded in 2009 Keinemusik is a collective of five DJ/producers – Rampa, &ME, Adam Port, Reznik and David Mayer – plus the artist, Monja Gentschow, whose hand painted sleeve designs lend the project such a unique and recognisable visual identity. “Monja has been making our artwork since day one and her style's evolving just as the music's evolving,” says Adam Port.

That music is a cool and contemporary take on tech tinged house, although with so many members, coming from extremely diverse musical backgrounds, their influences are extremely diverse.

“Nothing's planned,” says Port. “We don't set out to define a sound and let that be the sound of the label for the following year, the music just finds its own way.”

Since Keinemusik started, that music has found its way onto several high profile labels including Gigolo Records, Defected, Cocoon, Moon Harbour, Strictly Rhythm, Kompakt, Freerange, 20:20 Vision and Souvenir, thanks to the individual or collaborative efforts of the collective members.

“It's always difficult to describe what kind of music you do,” says &ME. “But for other labels you might try and make something to fit their sound. For Keinemusik we just do whatever we want.”

“Our best stuff comes out on Keinemusik, of course,” adds Adam Port with a smile, when asked if it's complicated to decide which productions to keep in house and which to distribute elsewhere. “For Keinemusik, every artist only has one release a year, then you can go and work on something else.”

“It's not too complicated at all,” adds an equally smiling &ME.

Keinemusik will be hosting their very own party at our Defected Croatia festival in August. On the last day of the festival, Adam Port, &ME and David Meyer will be taking over the Beach Stage alongside Nightmares On Wax and Blacksoul B2B with Tom Bug for what promises to be a party where the bass will be rumbling and the boogie is guaranteed.

For tickets, full line-up and info go to the Defected Croatia website