Kombinat 100

It all began in 1998 at a smoked out bar in the northeastern corner of Germany - a place called Neustrelitz. Three young and aspiring musicians met and contemplated on their newest musical adventures, talk of synthesizers, drum machines, sequencers and those lovely dubby bass lines floated through the thick air. Than Jens, Molle and Henry realised that an idea slowly grew into more than talk. One, two sessions at Molle's home study and the three felt that their musical passion grew together, and thus their decision was born: "Lets find a studio and start a project together." Since than the three tweaked night and day - in their little studio in the attic of a former East German "House of Culture" in Neustrelitz - on their machines. Searching for their own sound their music quickly crystallized into a mix of dub, techno and house, with a little pop in between, into a dynamic danceable style. They decided to call themselves Kombinat100 and welcomed in the year 2000 a new member, the blind musician Mark into their group. Following their wild celebration in endless studio sessions their concept was cemented. Just like in the studio their music should be on stage they thought. A jazzy character, that clearly defines each song and yet remains free to interpretation at every gig while intuitively capturing the mood of the crowd, Kombinat100 wanted to incorporate those emotions into their live act and through it back onto the dance floor thus creating an organism of audience and band. Kicking Bass drums, dubby grooves, shrieking harmonies, melancholy and euphoria combined in a rush, holding suspension, building suspension and poignantly igniting explosions, that's what the sound of Kombinat100 would be defined by. Now Kombinat100 needed gigs. Luckily Jens and Molle already worked as resident DJ's at SOS parties in Neustrelitz and played a crucial rule as founding members of Fortschritt3000 a local youth organization fostering a music culture in the barren lands around them – while giving them the chance to organize gigs and try their sound in front of an already existing audience. Their first promotional CD followed soon and found its way into the hands of the U-Site System crew, the good people behind the Fusion Festival. And thus, what a surprise, came the offer to play at 11am right after Zion Train, one of their musical legends and role models at the upcoming Fusion festival. In retrospect this was surely the beginning of it all and their musical career was on the way. Gigs followed in clubs like Sternradio, Watergate, Polar TV and 103 in Berlin, Click, Wagenbau and Überseehafen in Hamburg or in Rostock at the Speicher, JAZ, Mau and the legendary MS Stubnitz with whom they took a trip to play for their polish friends. Other gigs followed in Leipzig, Bremen and in clubs and at festivals in and around their home state of Mecklenburg. In 2004 Kombinat100 released their first record "Tanz in den Mai" or "Dance into May" on VMR Records followed by a production on Ostwind Records which was prompted by their decision to create their own label Acker Records.