Sonar Kollektiv: Label of the Week

Sonar Kollektiv: Label of the Week

8 October, 2007 | 2.52PM

• Section: Music News
• Written by: lizwarner

Berlin’s Sonar Kollektiv is a mainstay in a city that seems to represent minimal techno alone. The label, in operation for nearly 10 years, has been on the forefront of new and emerging sounds from all angles — always soulful, sometimes jazzy, and highlighting music made for both the headphones and the dancefloor.

With 2007 standout releases by Roland Appel, Mark Pritchard and Clara Hill, Beatportal caught up with Jürgen von Knoblauch of Jazzanova (the group who runs the label), who took some time to give us some insight on what goes into producing output that has made such an indelible mark on today’s electronic music scene.

If you had to choose a motto for Sonar Kollektiv, what would it be?

One for all, all for one.

How does ‘One for all, all for one’ apply to the decision-making process of releasing a record?

We feel that every release on Sonar Kollektiv is a great release, but whether or not some are commercially successful or more popular and some not is a different thing altogether.

Most important is that the artist identifies with the record, and up to certain level, so do we.

It should fit in Sonar Kollektiv’s world of music.

Another important part for us is to keep questioning the criteria of selection and decision — the discussion about that plays a big role in our every day lives.

Has your approach changed since Sonar Kollektiv’s inception?

The commercial surrounding plays a bigger role in our discussions nowadays.

Also, media and musical trends are more important than in the early days.

How do you recommend listening to music from your label?

A listener with soulful music taste must feel like he or she is in paradise when approaching the Sonar Kollektiv catalogue.

For listeners with a more defined taste, we use the expression “voices”, which is a description to categorize our musical output: elektrish, illicity, jazz club, folkways, travel guide and dem roots.

The idea of voices should make it easier and less time consuming to find what he or she really likes.

Our new site, www.digitalkollektiv.com already features these voices, while our traditional site www.sonarkollektiv.com will soon have these categories.

Congratulations on nearly a decade of solid sounds. Do you have anything planned for your 10-year anniversary?

Well, we’ve already done a few things, like the 10-year party at Cargo in London on August 31st with Drumlesson live, Peter Kruder and us [Jazzanova].

We held a party at the Tape Club in Berlin on September 21st at the Popkomm trade fair with a huge lineup.

The heart of our celebrations will be what we call the Sonar Kollektiv Festival.

Over 10 nights, we’ve organized events in Berlin clubs with artists that are somehow connected to us (check our website for more info www.sonarkollektiv.com).

What’s been the best Sonar Kollektiv event so far?

In Berlin: Jazzanova’s regular night Kaleidoskop, Apollo Soul Festival and the Sonar Kollektiv Festival at Volksbühne.

With all the talk of minimal at the moment, do you ever feel it’s difficult to fit in to the current Berlin scene?

There will always be different scenes and different musical styles.

A city should be proud of a variety of things, and I think Berlin can.

Has the digital age changed your perspective on releasing music?

Yes, the possibility to offer tracks separately and not necessarily in an album format gives new perspectives to a label and the artist.

What’s the most inspiring transformation that an artist on Sonar Kollektiv has made?

The popularity of some of our artists has been astonishing, from Clara Hill and Micatone to Ame and Fat Freddies Drop, Dixon and Jazzanova.

It is inspiring for us when there are people, fans and listeners who appreciate our artists’ work.

What’s in store for Sonar Kollektiv?

With the digital age, will try to give our artists the same basis to express themselves in the same quality through new media as they did in the pre digital time.

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