Horst Weidenmüller
Biography
Horst Weidenmüller founded !K7 in 1985 at the age of 21. He died after a short illness on February 10, 2025, with the independent sector paying tribute.
!K7 Records originally started as a music video production company in Berlin, and later transforming it into a multifaceted music enterprise. !K7 is renowned for its pioneering DJ-Kicks series, which launched in 1993, featuring mixes by influential artists like Carl Craig, Kruder & Dorfmeister, and Peggy Gou. Over the years, !K7 has expanded to include several sub-labels, such as Strut Records (focusing on funk, soul, and world music), 7K! (for neoclassical releases), and Ever Records (jazz).
In addition to his label work, Horst contributed significantly to the broader independent music sector, including as IMPALA board member since 2003 (vice-president until 2011) and board member of Merlin, advocating for the value of independent music rights, sustainability and inclusion. Horst works with drive and a business vision advocating for a broader change in the sector. He was awarded IMPALA’s outstanding contribution award in 2024.
Horst was founder and chair of IMPALA’s sustainability task force and helped launch the industry’s first sector wide programme and the first bespoke carbon calculator for labels, along with Julie’s Bicycle. The calculator was originally crowdfunded by a group of IMPALA members and is now supported by Merlin and Murmur. Horst was also instrumental in building IMPALA’s Business Case for Sustainability, putting the spotlight on the commercial benefits of taking sustainability action.
Under Horst’s leadership, !K7 Music received significant recognition for its commitment to sustainability and ethical practices. !K7 is certified as a B Corporation, a prestigious designation for businesses meeting high standards of social and environmental performance, transparency, and accountability. Achieving this status reflects !K7’s commitment to reducing its carbon footprint, fostering a diverse and inclusive workplace, and positively impacting the community.
Alongside its sustainability efforts, !K7 Music actively supports social inclusion through its community initiatives. One notable project is its partnership with Ernst-Reuter-Schule in Berlin. Through this collaboration, !K7 staff work with local students to teach music production, marketing, and distribution. This hands-on experience empowers students, particularly from underprivileged backgrounds, to create and release their own music. The initiative fosters creativity, promotes technical skills, and encourages youth engagement in the arts, strengthening ties between the company and its diverse local community in Wedding, a multicultural district of Berlin with high inequality rates.
Paying Tribute
“Horst had such a positive impact on all who knew him, the “Horst halo effect”. We will miss him and will continue his work as he would have wanted. It was an honour to recognise his work with !K7 last year, just ahead of the fortieth anniversary of the iconic label, one of my personal favourites. Horst’s contribution at IMPALA on the board and as founder of our sustainability task force four years ago is inspirational. He was instrumental in so many of our successes. Always funny and caring, Horst was a friend and a mentor.”
Helen Smith, Executive Chair of IMPALA
“Horst’s vision was centred around advocating for broader change in the sector whether in relation to digital or as a leader in sustainability or inclusion. When he received our outstanding contribution award last year, he spoke of how we are on a shared journey, where the independent sector underlines time and time again that we are leaders, something he was very proud of. Horst taught us a lot about what being a responsible business means, really cementing the sector’s position as a leader. It was an honour to have shared part of this journey with him, we will miss him dearly.”
Dario Draštata, Chair of IMPALA and Executive Director of regional association RUNDA Adria:
“Horst was instrumental in shaping our association’s mission and values. His relentless commitment to equality and sustainability guided our collective efforts that we will continue in his honour. Over the years, Horst stood with us in every battle, demonstrating unwavering dedication to the independent music community. In recognition of his exceptional efforts, he was honoured with IMPALA’s Outstanding Contribution Award last year. His absence leaves a profound void, and my thoughts are with his family and all who had the privilege of working alongside him.”
Francesca Trainini, IMPALA’s President and Vice President of Italian association PMI
“Horst was a key driver of the European independent movement, and globally through Merlin. That he was the last original board member speaks for itself. The initiative to set up Merlin was a huge lift, and his passionate advocacy of the concept was crucial. As a board member, and a very engaged one, his principles always drove his actions, and his advocacy of smaller members’ interests was truly influential. As a guiding light of the EMI divestment group which brought so many rights home, he was the personification of the enormous independent wins of the last two decades. As well as which, he created and ran a truly innovative music label. His influence will live on.”
Martin Mills, founder of Beggars Group
“Horst had a clarity of vision that never wavered. Climate action was business critical not just to his own label, but to the wider independent community at large: the question was never whether to do something, but how. In the process, he not only steered !K7 through the process of becoming one of the only B Corp Certified labels in the world, but continued raising the ambition of what collective action by the sector could look like. The IMPALA Environmental Sustainability programme has been the collective work of many, but we doubt a single one of them would deny that without Horst, it wouldn’t exist at all. (…) He leaves behind an immeasurable gap. As we feel his loss, we also celebrate his memory and everything he has set in motion. We hope many more will join us in doing the same – asking how we might all be a little bit more Horst today.“
Julie’s Bicycle team, find the full text here
