Horst Weidenmueller, the founding father of label and music firm !K7, has died at age 60.
An announcement from !K7 supplied to Billboard says his dying adopted “a critical sickness” however didn’t elaborate on the specifics.
Born within the Black Forest area of Germany, Weidenmueller moved to Berlin and based !K7 in 1985, when he was 21 years outdated. !K7 started as a music-video manufacturing firm, later launching the DJ-Kicks combine collection that might go on to turn into an influential and globally recognized platform for a variety of DJs and producers.
!K7 started releasing artist albums in 1996, placing forth music from throughout the huge digital spectrum. The corporate now has places of work in Berlin, London and New York, with its label group together with the in-house labels !K7, AUS, 7K!, Soul Financial institution and Strut Data.
In 2024, Weidenmueller was acknowledged with the celebrated IMPALA Excellent Contribution Award for his influential work within the European unbiased music sector, an award that coincided with the fortieth anniversary of !K7 Music.
The award acknowledged Weidenmüller’s advocacy for sustainability and inclusion within the music business. As a long-time IMPALA board member and the founding father of its Sustainability Job Power, he spearheaded the event of a bespoke carbon calculator for labels, in partnership with Julie’s Bicycle, Merlin and Murmur. He additionally helped set up IMPALA’s Enterprise Case for Sustainability, emphasizing the monetary advantages of environmentally acutely aware practices.
The assertion from !K7 continues that “past his position at !K7, Horst was a passionate advocate for the unbiased music group. As a long-standing board member of Merlin and IMPALA Unbiased Music Corporations Affiliation, he performed a significant position in strengthening and championing the unbiased sector on a world scale. His contributions have left a long-lasting influence on the business and won’t be forgotten.
“Our ideas are along with his household, pals, and everybody whose lives he touched. We are going to honour his reminiscence by carrying ahead the work and values he instilled in us. !K7 stays dedicated to persevering with his imaginative and prescient with the identical ardour and integrity that he embodied.”
The corporate’s assertion provides, “We kindly ask to respect his household’s privateness right now.”
