With the spotlight focussed on Berlin, the importance of Cologne on the international techno scene is often overlooked. However, before DJ's started flocking to Berlin record labels like Traum Schallplatten and Trapez were redefining German house and techno music, and in the process helping to bring a new generation of dance artists from underground clubs to living rooms and mainstream music magazines worldwide. Traffic wanted to find out what's special about Cologne, so Michael Curtis met the Traum label owners Jacqueline and Riley Reinhold to learn more.
The city of Cologne in western Germany (named Köln on the Germans own maps) has been home to some of the most renowned techno artists and labels. Many still remain there, resisting the magnetic pull Germany's capital has on those devoted to electronic music. Labels such as the groundbreaking Kompakt, with its a shop and distribution business; tech house imprints like Treibstoff, Platzhirsch and Boxer Sport; Sender and Areal, with their uniquely trippy techno sound; and the internationally renowned Traum Schallplatten. The Kompakt label, with its shop and distribution business, has done more than any to spread the Cologne sound worldwide, along with Traum's melodic, thoughtful releases and the dancefloor friendly cuts of sub-label Trapez.
Founded by the husband and wife team of Riley and Jacqueline Reinhold in 1998, Traum and its sub labels (Trapez, Trapez Ltd, My Best Friend and MBF Ltd) now have over 300 releases behind them.
As much a home to avant-garde electronic music as dance floor rockers in its early years, Traum was one of the first European labels to work with South American artists. They've had success with producers like Gabriel Ananda and Minilogue, and have introduced people like Dominik Eulberg, Dinky, Ryan Crosson and Burnski to the world. Having spent 7 years writing reviews for music magazine De:bug, its no surprise that Riley has an ear for a good beat.
I meet the Traum bosses in relaxed mood at their spacious offices. Locally based producers come and go talking mastering and promotion with Steve Barnes, the labels promotions manager and the man behind Process and Cosmic Sandwich. When I ask why a guy from Brighton is doing their promo in Cologne they start to talk about how things work there.”He’s the boyfriend of my sister,” Jacqueline explains. “ My sister studied in Brighton so they got to know each other then… Cologne people are still very family orientated, smaller companies and indie companies.” Many of the labels started as collaborations between family and close friends, and have endured that way through growth and success.
Riley emphasises the strong indie background of the city. “I would say the key word for the whole techno scene in Cologne is that do-it-yourself, where usually we don’t have a producer or something. I mean the producer is often a DJ, and is doing the artwork, and is doing the music and producing and sometimes he is also doing the mastering.”
Riley and Jacqueline met in the early 90’s when Riley was running raves, and she was soon involved with the running of the parties, hosting a second room where she could spin ambient records. “It was a soundsystem called Cosmic Orgasm which we used to do for 7 years, me and Sascha Kösch who is now head of De:bug magazine,” Riley recalls.
The rave scene wasn't restricted to Cologne - underground raves were going off across Germany in the early 90's - but they were important for the developing Cologne sound. Back then it was the only way you could run an all night party, and was a necessary opposition to the mainstream, commercial clubs. The out of town environment had an influence on the developing sound. "We had lots of freedom, we could experiment," says Riley. "There was no threat because we were organising our own parties where we were also the DJ's, so I think this is super important for Cologne because we all had lots of freedom.
“I started in ’89 to make parties and there were 2 or 3 other people [running soundsystems] in town so we make raves in industrial spaces and other places. At that time Kompakt didn’t have a soundsystem - Wolfgang Voigt was producing music, Jorg Burger was producing music but they were not involved with the party scene. So we were 3 or 4 soundsystems and we were getting all the early records from Wolfgang."
The name of Wolfgang Voigt is often mentioned. A prolific producer, he founded the Profan, Studio 1 and Auftrieb labels which preceded Kompakt, and his releases, under many aliases, have been the driving force for all these labels. Lately he has been able to take a back seat, but in the early days Profan had only the music of Wolfgang and his brother Reinhard to release. As a producer he has probably done more than any to shape the Cologne sound - though in the confines of their scene it is impossible for anyone to work in isolation. "We were all influencing each other in the middle of the 90's," comments Riley.
DJ's have had people dancing in Cologne since the start of the 80's, with a strong disco scene up to 1985 led by one of the sons of famous electronic music composer Karlheinz Stockhausen. Aside from a few dusty tapes not much has survived from this era. In '88 they were directly exposed to the burgeoning acid house scene. With EMI records German HQ there, people like Marshall Jefferson flew in from the US.
Riley had previously been heavily into new wave, and had a strong connection to the north of England with his passion for bands like Joy Division and the Fall (he fondly remembers spending a whole day with Mark E Smith when they toured Germany.) So while Cologne was experiencing its very own 'summer of love' he also visited Manchester's infamous Hacienda club, and fell irretrievably for techno.
Through the 90's the scene developed on the back of an intimate group of producers and promoters, who went on to make some great music and found successful music labels, shops and magazines. Back then they were religiously attending nights like the midweek sessions at the Liquid Sky club. Riley says, "We were always there, like every Wednesday I think it was, and we were all there in the middle of the week. You know, fuck it, Thursday, Friday, go to work, fuck it, just enjoy the music and everything was very unprofessional but super quality music and nice people. Eventually its business, nowadays all of the labels grow into companies. Its a lot of responsibility, we employ people."
Electronic music in Cologne blossomed and by the end of the 90's its distinguished producers and far reaching record labels gained global recognition. Distinct from the movements in other German cities, Jacqueline speaks of it being "very west orientated, where Berlin is more east orientated. Its also very close to the borders." As close to Paris as it is to Berlin, its much quicker to get to Brussels or Amsterdam than it is to reach the capital. Mentioning Napolean's occupation of Cologne, Riley suggests that historically it is almost a Franco-German city, and attributes a laissez-faire attitude to the influence of their neighbours. Like Berlin, it has a reputation for being a very liberal and tolerant city.
While their dance scene is now well established, compared to what's happening in Berlin it's tiny. The capital has its advantages and Jacqueline admits to have considered relocating. "You've got more people and more artists there, you meet up in clubs which you don't do here... you always meet the same people, in Berlin you probably always meet different people."
With not only their family but many of their artists still based in Cologne there would be too much for them to lose it they left. "Some people are coming back from Berlin, their dreams are scattered and they go home, go back to their hometown because they see there is a lot there," Riley observes. "I don't know how much Berlin can still take, this is a question, so I think we are quite happy here."
As I'm preparing to leave, seeing Riley animated as he and Patrice Baumel enthusiastically skip through CDs, I have to conclude that whatever might make the scene in Cologne unique, some things are the same everywhere. Those people who are passionate about their sound always stand out, and after 10 years there's still no shortage of enthusiasm at the Traum offices.
Michael Curtis
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