For 30 years, "DJ-Kicks" has been one of dance music’s most iconic touchstones – a series from !K7 Records that proves what happens when a DJ gets the space to show who they really are. Launched in 1995 by the late Horst Weidenmüller, it flipped the script on what a mix could be: not just a club snapshot, but a fully licensed, deeply considered, long-form piece of art meant to live forever. Every edition is obsessively curated, edited, sequenced, and cleared – a level of detail that turns each release into something much bigger than a mixtape. It’s a statement.

Across 85 installments, DJ-Kicks has tracked the shifting pulse of the underground in real time, threading together techno, house, broken beat, drum & bass, downtempo, experimental club sounds and everything in between. From early landmarks by C.J. Bolland, Carl Craig, Kemistry & Storm, and Kruder & Dorfmeister to game-changing contributions from Maya Jane Coles, Motor City Drum Ensemble, Kerri Chandler, Moodymann, Four Tet, Theo Parrish, Disclosure, Avalon Emerson, Modeselektor, Eris Drew and more – the series has never stopped evolving. Each entry has marked where club culture is, and where it’s about to go.

That’s why being asked to create a DJ-Kicks still hits different. It’s a badge of honor – a milestone, a creative challenge, and a moment that gets etched permanently into a DJ’s story. It captures their taste, their technique, and their worldview at a single point in time, sealed into the DJ-Kicks legacy forever.

To celebrate three decades of this cultural pillar, !K7 teams up with Drumsheds x The Hydra for a massive 30-year anniversary showcase on December 5. With 30 incredible artists and several first-ever B2Bs spread across three rooms, the night turns Drumsheds into a full-blown, living DJ-Kicks archive – a rare coming-together of DJs who helped shape the past and those pushing the future forward. Check out the full lineup below.

Learn more & secure tickets here.

Ahead of the celebration, we tapped ten DJ-Kicks alumni playing the show to break down one standout track from their own mix – and shout out their favorite edition in the series. Together, their stories form a kaleidoscope of influences, moments, and memories that fuel the legacy they’ll be carrying onto the stage at the anniversary event.

ERIS DREW

A Track From My Kicks:

“Detroit” by Hoof is one of my favorite dance records of all time. I first heard it on a mixtape. As was often the case, one night in 1995 the rave got busted, so we all went over to my friend Sasha’s apartment on the West Side of Chicago to get high and listen to music. She had this incredible live recording of DJ Terry Mullan playing a flawless and insanely epic set at a party in Lexington, Kentucky, called Momentum. The rave must have been at a roller rink, because at one point the MC declares, “This one is an all-skate!”

That tape was a time machine. I spent decades trying to track down “Detroit.” Listening over and over to my dubbed copy of the mix, I would try to suss out context clues to no avail. Finally, sometime in 2019, we ID’d the track via a Discogs group, and then Maya (Octo Octa) found me a playable but very delicate copy on eBay. The endeavor felt like a quest to unearth a powerful magical artifact—a piece of history with a forgotten power that I could use to connect modern dancefloors with the ancient healing energy of the Motherbeat. It has been a fixture in my bag ever since, and I was determined to clear it for inclusion in my DJ-Kicks.

Favorite "DJ Kicks" Mix:

Stacy Pullen’s "DJ-Kicks" from 1996 is exemplary. It’s beautifully mixed and programmed. Pullen is a true artist, and it shows on this mix. He connects the music of his Detroit home to the global sounds that techno inspired. This is what the warehouse parties I went to in the Midwest truly sounded like, and I remember hearing Stacy play at them.

I’ve been trying to track down the remix he includes of “Funk De Fino” by Gypsy. The honest truth is that I don’t like the vocal in the original but find the music heavenly. Finally – after much consternation – I figured out that Stacy just mixed between the vocals on the original! No edit, just proper old-school DJing by a world-class selector.

CARL CRAIG

A Track From My Kicks:

I would have to say that it's my "DJ-Kicks Track" that I made for the compilation, taking the elements of each piece and putting them into a track was something that, you know, is definitely within my skills as a remixer. So, you know, to mix the tracks into a mix CD was something that was really fun and challenging for me. But to actually make it into a track is, you know, it's something that I do as a remixer, and something that I do as a DJ. 

I don't even know what they were calling them at that time – maybe mashups. So, you know, !K7 requesting to do something like that was really early days, if not some of the first commissions of what would be considered a mashup. I made the mix with tape and a razor blade. Those days I was watching Derek May making his radio mixes and that of course appeals to me way more as a producer with the kind of mind that I have that I'm always trying to pick things apart and improve them and stuff. I might have even said it in the past that, if I wasn't doing what I'm doing, I'd probably be the guy putting those little miniature boats in the bottles and stuff or soldering wires and microchips, making motherboards.

Favorite "DJ Kicks" Mix:

The Moodymann "DJ Kicks" mix is incredible. Of course, I got to give Detroit love and respect for that one. It definitely shows the soul, the feeling and the energy of what Detroit is from when we were listening to the radio as kids. I won't even call him a DJ. He's a personality man. That guy walks in the room and and it's like, you know, like the superstar walked in the room and stuff. It's great.

LOGIC1000

A Track From My Kicks:

I've chosen to talk about the first track off my mix by Oklou and Casey MQ, titled “Lurk,” because I think it is so timeless, and it truly is a masterpiece. It makes me feel so optimistic, as though the music is lifting me up, figuratively and literally; there’s a weightlessness to it. I think it’s the perfect opener for this particular mix because my intention is for the listener to play this at the start of their day, so Lurk really sets the tone, mainly because it could potentially be the first thing the listener hears that day. 

As the years roll on, I am becoming an ever greater fan of Oklou. I think she is one of those very special artists who have created a universe around themselves that everyone wants to be a part of. Her project has a strong sense of identity, and I think that's why it resonates with so many people. She was pregnant with her son when this song was cleared, and I love the idea of two mums crossing paths in their careers. I hope to collaborate with Marylou on a track one day; she is a dream feature for my project. 

Favorite "DJ Kicks" Mix:

My favourite and most listened to "DJ Kicks" is the Moodymann edition. It’s so fun to have on in my home, like it’s great in the background while you’re doing your thing, but I wouldn’t say it’s a background mix. So many songs jump out at you while you’re listening, and I just feel so inspired when it’s on.

MARCEL DETTMANN

A Track From My Kicks:

I included "Psychick Warriors Ov Gaia - War Chant (Marcel Dettmann Edit)" because it connects deeply to my roots - that hypnotic, industrial pulse that first drew me into techno. When I discovered the original years ago, I was fascinated by its ritual energy and sense of timelessness.

For my edit, I only made small cuts here and there - just enough to sharpen the focus and enhance the groove, to make it slightly more physical and meditative at the same time. It became a key moment in the mix - a bridge between the raw origins of the sound and a more modern, abstract expression.

Favorite "DJ Kicks" Mix:

One of my favorite "DJ-Kicks" compilations is by Claude Young. It’s raw, futuristic, and uncompromising – a true statement of Detroit spirit and individuality that still sounds ahead of its time.

MOTOR CITY DRUM ENSEMBLE / DANILO PLESSOW

A Track From My Kicks:

In a DJ mix, intro and outro songs are crucial; they set the tone and anchor the whole thing. As I was looking for a closing track, I kept coming back to this James Mason album, a big favorite since I first heard it in a mix somewhere, possibly Gilles Peterson? Anyway, the album is considered a holy grail amongst Soul collectors, and for a good reason – it's a killer from start to finish. If you need any further proof, it's now almost 50 years after its initial release, yet James is touring this album again. And the Live show is incredible! 

When we reached out to him for licensing this track, he was very positive about it, and I felt very humbled to be able to close my mix with this beautiful classic. 

Favorite "DJ Kicks" Mix:

I’ve got to name three – sorry, I can’t help it! First up is the Kruder & Dorfmeister edition. When I was a kid, that mix was everywhere – even the trendier cafés in the small rural German town I grew up in were playing it. If you were a ’90s kid, there was no escaping it.

Secondly, Carl Craig’s DJ-Kicks hit me in my early teens and opened the door to several essential techno cuts I still play today. Claude Young’s “Changing Factors” was on there, and it’s probably my favorite techno track of all time.

And finally, Henrik Schwarz's DJ-Kicks. It was the most open-format, genre-fluid commercial mix I’d ever heard at the time – incredibly diverse, boldly mixed, and something that left a real mark on me.

WILL SAUL

A Track From My Kicks:

All the tracks on my mix were new and exclusive and commissioned especially for the mix, which at the time had never been done before for a commercially released mix CD. This was challenging in terms of ensuring a cohesive mix, as you didn’t know what the tracks would sound like until the artists delivered. Thankfully, everyone came through with flying colors. The Leon Vynehall track ‘Time’ stands out as a track I always come back to – I remember Thom (Leon Vynehall) telling me it was Four Tet’s favorite Leon Vynehall track and that he played it in every set for years.

Favorite "DJ Kicks" Mix:

This is a bit challenging for me, as I have curated the series for well over a decade now, and it feels like picking a favorite child! I have a huge connection with all of them. If pushed, I would choose Moodymann, as I had to really work to convince him to do it, as it was his first and only commercially released mix. 

QUANTIC

A Track From My Kicks:

I've got to go with JKriv's "Pifeiro Malandro (feat. Gabriel Oliveira)." I've been a fan of JKriv's productions and edits for some time. He also was one part of Tortured Soul years back, an awesome live house band. I was hyped that he sampled a northeastern track from Brazil, a region I've travelled to, and I love the sound of Pifanos from Caruaru.

When I heard the track, I asked J where he had recorded the flutes, and he told me he had sampled them from Gabriel's Instagram reel! This track is a jam that I love placing in my mixes when things are just heating up. It evokes memories of the Brazil Nordeste but with some mid-tempo acid goodness! I love how JKriv weaves between traditional sounds and deep dance floor vibes.

Favorite "DJ Kicks" Mix:

"The first time I heard a DJ-Kicks, it was the Kruder & Dorfmeister one. This set a benchmark for mixes and sparked a deeper curiosity about the whole series."

MODESELEKTOR

A Track From Our Kicks

We put all the music we like, that moves us, into a file folder, without knowing whether we would use it or not. These are mostly emotional and physical connections that you build up to a track or song. You can't just listen to it casually. There is that first moment of listening. You look at each other and agree without having to talk about it for too long.

Maybe it’s Beirut "Spillhaugen" from Beirut or Maxime Denuc's "Overture." We are also particularly proud of Siriusmo's "KOKO" and the exclusive tracks by Modeselektor. But that's a story in itself.

It's the feeling that it's just right at that moment, something you can't put into words. The mix was created in a relatively short period of time during freezing cold outdoor temperatures. Full concentration and inspiration.

Favorite "DJ Kicks" Mix:

That’s a tricky question to answer, so here’s a selection. Logic1000, Laurel Halo, Apparat and DJ Koze.

MOODYMANN

A Track From My Kicks

Well, one of my favourite tracks on my DJ-Kicks compilation is a track called “Serve This Royalty” by a cool cat named Cody Chesnutt. I remember at the time I was coming out of a record store in London, as he was walking into said store. He was virtually unknown at the time, and he gave me that vinyl record, and he told me he had made the whole EP on his headphones and he was looking for distribution. At the time, he only had a few copies, and they had a special artwork on them. We talked for a few minutes, and as we said goodbye, my thought was, “If Jimi Hendrix were here today, that would be him.” His whole style, his whole demeanor, I just thought that was a cool MF.

Favorite "DJ Kicks" Mix:

Picking one favourite DJ-Kicks compilation, that’s a lil difficult.

I mean you got Dâm-FunK, Honey Dijon, Theo, Marcel Dettmann… the list goes on but I was listening to a few of em, randomly going through tracks and I didn’t know which one to pick… until my Grandmother walked into the house and I just happened to be playing a Roy Ayers track, I think it was “Liquid Love” and she comes in and say “Oh, I love this.” and she wanted to hear it several times. That track happens to be on Kerri Chandlers DJ-Kicks, so just within that moment, Grandma, God bless her, made it easy. So, I’m gonna go with Kerri Chandler, which is one of five or ten I could name, most definitely. And there she walks out taking my ganja again, yea, Grandma, love her. 

CINTHIE

A Track From My Kicks

I chose St. David’s “I See U' Movin” because I’m a huge fan – honestly, I think he’s one of the best and most talented house producers out there right now. I personally think St. David is the best and most talented house producer out there at the moment. When he sent me some tracks, this one immediately tickled my ear. It's house, it's groovy and the vocal is nuts. So it was an instant yes from me.

Favorite "DJ Kicks" Mix:

Next to my own, I absolutely love love love the Kruder & Dorfmeister and the Motor City Drum Ensemble "DJ Kicks." The K&D because back in the days it was something completely new with their more trip hope or drum & bass approach, and MCDE for being the absolute GOAT when it comes to find rare stuff.