Biography

Horst Weidenmüller founded !K7 in 1985 at the age of 21. He has consistently represented the wider independent music sector on a political level during the last decade. Serving as a board member of Merlin since its inception in 2008, Horst has been on the Impala board since 2003. 

In Spring 2021 Horst initiated – together with Paul Pacifico from AIM – the Impala Sustainability Programme aiming for a net positive Independent Music Community by 2030. Working hand in hand with IMPALA’s initiative, Horst released !K7’s carbon report and sustainability statement in early 2022.

!K7 is a global brand that is synonymous with authenticity and high quality in the world of music. As the landscape has evolved over the years, !K7 has become much more than a record label releasing its flagship DJ-Kicks series, and now operates out of Berlin, London and New York with partners all over the world offering a truly global infrastructure that has been developed and expertly shaped over many years. The !K7 label group includes in-house labels !K7, AUS, 7K!, Soul Bank and the award-winning Strut Records, plus a collective of like-minded independent label partners like which benefit from !K7’s firmly established label services, synch, marketing and distribution network. Five years ago !K7 expanded again into the area of artist management and represents an ever-growing international roster. Over its three decades of history, !K7 has had the pleasure of working with artists such as: Tricky, Kruder & Dorfmeister, Matthew Herbert, Fat Freddy’s Drop, Mykki Blanco,  Peggy Gou, Whitest Boy Alive,  Floating Points – Pharoah Sanders, Moodymann,  Henrik Schwarz,  Carl Craig, Einstürzende Neubauten,  Fela Kuti, Grandmaster Flash, Hercules & Love Affair, Madlib, and many more.