Cologne is a city synonymous with minimal techno. This funky, melodic style emerged in the 90s, gaining popularity around the world in the process. Although other sounds and styles blare from sound systems across the city today, the Sound of Cologne will always be associated with Köln.
Few people understand this sound or city like Kompakt. Founded in 1998 after the old Delirium record store was renamed, this record label, record store, booking agency, and all-around German dance music giant is an institution. Recently celebrating 500 releases with an exhibition at Kölnischer Kunstverein, it’s fair to say every Cologne resident has experienced Kompakt’s legacy in some shape or form.
“Kompakt is first of all a family. People who work there and people who experienced the parties and music that we released. Everybody has a connection to it.”
We caught up with Kompakt family member, producer, and record store maestro Max to get the inside scoop on where to party in Cologne.
Where to go clubbing
- Gewölbe - Let’s start with our really close family. Gewölbe is an institution and is just around the corner from our store. We have worked together for a long time. My co-worker Dennis has thrown his My Dear party there for 15 years and whenever Michael Mayer (one of Kompakt’s owners) throws a birthday party, it’s here too.
- fi – This is a new club in Colonge and the first time a techno club has been built from scratch here. It’s like a techno temple with crazy sound system and two floors. Upstairs is like Panorama bar, while downstairs is like a really big techno temple. fi is where we do our yearly summer party. You can fit 1000 people into the club because of the outside space.
- Open Ground – Everybody is talking about this place. It’s very Berlin-style for the area, so they’re bringing these vibes with their sound too. It’s a sound experience–the sound quality is like being in a studio, so when you listen to a record, you hear everything. People go for the venue and the sound, so it’s a slightly different experience. It’s not in Cologne, but a 45-minute train away in Wuppertal. The club is right underneath the station, and the team behind the venue are nice. Really inspiring to the scene and has created an important space.
Which bars play good music
- OFF BAR – This spot is more of a high-fidelity listening experience. I think they might be connected to fi. OFF BAR has a really nice sound system for a bar. It’s a very techno, house-y sort of vibe.
- [de.lite] – Here you get more bosa nova, jazz, disco–the sound is a lot more varied. The interior is very 70s–it’s cool and retro.
- Elektra – Elektra is a cocktail bar and a bit fancier than the other two I mentioned. But yeh, I’m always going here.
The best venues for gigs and live music
- Kölner Philharmonie – You have, of course, the Philharmonie. They’re always hosting some different music and unique sounds.
- Gebäude 9 – This one’s a concert venue on the other side of the Rhine from our shop. They’re on the more industrial side of things. I think they’re planning a cabaret evening
- artheater – Always hosts a lot of punk concerts. They’re kinda in two scenes: it’s an old techno club but they also host concerts.
- The Loft – Loft is a bit more indie probably. We have a lot of indie music in Cologne as well. Germans singing in English with their cargo bikes going around. Rare!
- Alternativist Centrum – In Germany, you have these institutions called alternativist centrum. They’re mostly organised by the Antifa. Here, you can host events and concerts without needing a lot of money. It’s somewhere I would always check out what’s on. Very community driven with low entry prices. The programme is very local or like friends of friends from another city–they come, sleep at your place, play, and then head onto their next city. It’s a really important place for the community and young people. This is a place for likeminded people to mix.
Collectives and crews you should know
- BRUTALISM – Young people organising concerts, live ambient and electronic acts in cool, unexpected spaces. Hosted a sound installation in a church, recording these performances onto vinyl. I really appreciate their work. They’re also doing an industrial techno party series at Gewölbe. It’s cool that they do something in off spaces.
- Etage 174 – We have a new studio space that wasn’t planned but happened by chance. They’re 10 people from Cologne producing music on the same floor of a building. It was a big coincidence that they discovered this. I’m not sure if they’re aware of how cool it is and how important it could be for the scene. With this kind of space, it’s cool that you have a hotspot for Cologne producers in electronic music. They’re not really actively organising stuff but are doing their thing creatively by making music.
- krakelee club – A diverse group of people who came together after being dissatisfied with the city’s club scene. They wanted to do things correctly–to pay people fairly, create a proper club, welcome guests correctly, and book interesting acts. For the past five years, they’ve been looking for a venue to realise this project. Now they've finally signed the contract for a space, they’re building a new club from scratch using public money from city council. This is not an easy project.
Where to eat before or after the party
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Akira - This Japanese restaurant has a really nice atmosphere. My choice is always the Agedashi tofu–it’s so good! We also released a track called "Akira" by Voigt & Voigt which is a tribute to the restaurant and all the time we’ve spent there.
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Kebapland – A classic Adana Grill joint. It might be a bit of a repeated recommendation, but it is just a nice place and has the best Adana Sandwich in town!
- Haus Scholzen – One of the best Kölsch Breweries going. You’ll get good local food with a nice atmosphere. Perfect for the traditional Cologne experience!
