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Horst Weidenmüller was a German music executive, entrepreneur, and the creator of!K7 Music. He was born in 1964.
He got his start in the music business in the early 1980s, first making concert video footage for punk bands. He started !K7 in 1985, a label that significantly influenced Berlin’s electronic and techno music scene.
He oversaw!K7’s rise to prominence in the 1990s Berlin techno movement helped to shape the era’s sound and culture.
Career
Horst Weidenmüller established Studio!K7 (now!K7 Music) in Berlin in 1985 when he was just 21 years old. The original Kaiserdamm 7 location served as the inspiration for the label’s name.
Before music videos were popular on television, Weidenmüller first concentrated on creating concert videos for punk bands, which were shown at places like Berlin’s Café Swing. Weidenmüller was a major player in Berlin’s techno scene by the early 1990s.
He introduced the first X-Mix video cassette in 1993, a ground-breaking invention that combined computer animation and DJ mixes for home viewing. These videos, which included Richie Hawtin and Laurent Garnier, became well-known and were eventually shown on MTV in the middle of the 1990s.
Weidenmüller kept growing his power in the music business. He bought Strut Records in 2008 and reopened it under the!K7 banner. He established an artist management section in the early 2010s and signed well-known artists, such as rapper Tricky.
His influence was not limited to electronic music. He established the classical music company 7K! in 2017 and signed neoclassical musicians and composers such Henrik Schwarz, Niklas Paschburg, and Luca D’Alberto. Weidenmüller was Creative Director of Paschburg’s 2018 album Oceanic and Executive Producer of D’Alberto’s 2017 album Endless.
In 2019, he further diversified his portfolio by establishing Ever Records, a jazz label, and signing acts such as the Kansas Smitty’s House Band.
What was the Cause of Horst Weidenmuller?
Weidenmüller died on 10 February 2025, at the age of 60 after a serious illness.
References
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Horst_Weidenm%C3%BCller
https://www.musicbusinessworldwide.com/k7-music-founder-and-ceo-horst-weidenmueller-dies-aged-601/
