Kittball Records is marking its 300th release, and the German house imprint is celebrating with a three-part VA compilation called Kittball 300. The milestone lands on September 11, capping off a run that stretches back more than two decades.
Founded in Solingen, Germany in 2005 by Tube & Berger and Juliet Sikora, Kittball has quietly built one of house music’s more durable catalogs. The label’s early roster reads like a who’s-who of dance music’s last twenty years, having put out formative work from Purple Disco Machine, Robert Owens, Timo Maas, andhim, Ida Engberg, and Junior Jack, among others. That kind of track record is rare for an independent imprint that’s stayed largely under the radar compared to bigger house and tech-house labels.
Tube & Berger, the German production duo behind the label, have spent years releasing music that moves between deep house and tech-house, while Juliet Sikora has built her own reputation as both a producer and DJ within that same scene. Running a label alongside an active production and touring career isn’t easy, and reaching 300 releases says something about the consistency both artists have brought to Kittball’s A&R over the years.
The first instalment of the Kittball 300 compilation is out now, giving listeners an early look at how the label is choosing to mark the occasion. Rather than a single retrospective release, Kittball is spreading the celebration across three separate parts, presumably pulling from both catalog veterans and newer names on the roster.
You can stream the first part of Kittball 300 now, with the remaining installments expected to follow as the label continues its rollout around the anniversary. For a label that’s stayed active since the mid-2000s without much fanfare, 300 releases is a quiet but significant number.
