Danny Faber is clearly a visionary with a pioneer spirit. In Berlin, during the 2000s, he opened the legendary Bar 25 Club with a few friends – a cultural microcosm that would become a source of inspiration to an entire techno generation in the years that followed.
Now, his main label Bar25 is celebrating their 100th release with a special compilation. Here’s our conversation with him.
Electronic Groove: Hello Danny. First of all, congratulations on the 100th release of Bar25 Music. How does it feel to have reached such a milestone?
Danny Faber: Thank you very much, it feels fantastic! It has been a long and sometimes exhausting path getting to where we are now. We are all very proud at the moment.
EG: Going back in time, what can you tell us about the beginning days. How did it all start?
Danny Faber: It all started with the legendary club Bar25. After the first two years, we asked ourselves how we could bring the spirit of the venue to listeners outside of the club. So the idea of a label was born and has developed into a larger platform for artists of various genres. We started out very spontaneously and without a clear framework. The Bar 25 showcase was eventually our international breakthrough.
EG: What would you say is the hardest part of running the label?
Danny Faber: Definitely finding new and interesting music. Sometimes, things work out by themselves, but mostly it is like looking for a needle in a haystack. Luckily, we are well connected.
EG: What can you tell us about the team behind the imprint? Who does what?
Danny Faber: The core team consists of three people, including myself. We take care of the artist and marketing management as well as the necessary operational procedures. In addition, we have a global network of friends and freelancers that support us in various areas such as A&R, IT or artwork.
EG: How did the compilation ‘Bar 25 Music: 100’ come together? How is the selection process?
Danny Faber: For this anniversary compilation, we wanted to put together twelve exclusive tracks that work well on the dancefloor and spread a party feeling. In other words, music for the DJ case. Therefore, there will be a 4 track vinyl included with the release. We really appreciated that so many artists sent their music to us, since we were a bit late to send out our call for submissions. In the end, we chose the tracks most fitting to our idea.
“We really appreciate all the demo tracks that are sent to us and usually listen to everything we receive”
EG: How is the selection process of artists on your label? How can someone submit a promo?
Danny Faber: We meet regularly and discuss the tracks and artists with which we are currently working or which were presented as demos. We talk a lot about the quality of the music and the work, motivation, and potential of the artists and decide whether or not it fits the label and our vision. We really appreciate all the demo tracks that are sent to us and usually listen to everything we receive.
EG: You are planning to launch your new label Sounds of Sirin soon, tell us about the concept behind it?
Danny Faber: Yes, in the next three months, we will launch Sounds of Sirin, for which we have already been collaborating with many interesting artists for some time. This will be a great project, which already featured two initial compilations by the same name on Bar 25 Music. The music is between electronic downtempo and deep house. With the label, we will increasingly deal with different themes, such as people, cultures, and places and create a connection to the music.
EG: What are the plans for the rest of the year. Any new releasing coming up?
Danny Faber: There will be many new releases until the end of the year. These include music by Tantsui, Umami, N‘to, Phonique, Schleppgeist, Dead-Tones, Den Ishu, Bondi, Kellerkind to name a few. Our new label S.o.S. will feature by Zuma Dionys, Kermesse, Lee Jones, Robbie Akbal and Treceveinte.
Finally, our film, ‘Bar 25 – Days out of Time’ will be available with English, French and Spanish subtitles starting on August 2nd. We and many others have waited a very long time for this. Another reason to celebrate 🙂
EG: What advice would you give to those who want to start their own label?
Danny Faber: Do your homework. A lot of know-how is necessary in addition to a lot of motivation in order to master this complex endeavor.
Get your copy of ‘Bar 25: 100’ here.
