Ostgut Ton: The History of Berghain's Record Label

Most clubs sell a night. Berghain also has a label. Ostgut Ton is the in-house imprint that put out mix CDs, twelve-inches and albums by the DJs who play the building, and it is where many listeners first met the names behind the Friedrichshain heating plant. The label launched in 2005, released steadily for sixteen years, went quiet after 2021 and came back in May 2025. This is its history, with the catalogue numbers and dates checked against Discogs, the label's own channels and the trade press.

A note on scope. We cover the label, not the club's corporate structure. For who runs the venue, what is public and what is not, see our companion piece on who runs Berghain. Nothing below makes a claim about ownership or finances beyond what the sources we cite say directly.

From Ostgut the club to Ostgut Ton the label

The name comes from the club that preceded Berghain. According to English Wikipedia's Berghain entry, Ostgut opened in 1998 in a former railway repair depot in Friedrichshain, next to the Snax fetish nights' permanent home, and closed in January 2003 when the site was cleared for redevelopment. Berghain opened in 2004 in a former heating plant, with Panorama Bar starting in October that year and the main floor following in December. For a flavour of how the two clubs overlapped, an Electronic Beats feature from 2018 describes Ostgut as a place of marathon sets, two dance floors and an industrial setting, and calls Ostgut Ton the successor to that identity.

The same Wikipedia entry says the label was launched in 2005 by the club's owners and that it was conceived by Nick Höppner after Ostgut closed. Höppner would go on to release on the label himself, which we come back to below. Discogs, whose contributors list the label's address as that of Berghain OstGut GmbH, describes it simply as the record label of Berlin's Berghain club. Resident Advisor, in its report on the label's return, calls it Berghain's in-house label and says it was founded in 2005.

The first releases: Berghain 01 and Panorama Bar 01

Ostgut Ton opened with a mix, not a single. Discogs catalogues Berghain 01 by André Galluzzi as OSTGUTCD01, dated 2005, and Electronic Beats confirms it was the first mix CD released on the label. Discogs also lists companion twelve-inches for many of the later mixes, split into Part I and Part II.

The twelve-inch numbering, in the "o-ton" series, began in 2006. Discogs lists o-ton01 as the Marcel Dettmann and Ben Klock single "Dawning / Dead Man Watches The Clock", o-ton02 as Brtschitsch's "TwirlUnder" and o-ton03 as Dettmann's "Quicksand / Getaway". In the same year, Cassy delivered Panorama Bar 01 as OSTGUTCD02, the first entry in the Panorama Bar mix series and the house-leaning sister to Berghain's techno. English Wikipedia's entry on the label names Galluzzi, Cassy and Klock as the people behind its first releases. If you want the individual stories, we have profiles of Ben Klock, Marcel Dettmann and Cassy.

2007 gave the label its first run of defining singles. Discogs lists Len Faki's "Rainbow Delta / Mekong Delta" as o-ton04, Klock's "Czeslawa / Warszawa" as o-ton05, Nick Höppner's "Who Needs Action" as o-ton06 and Dettmann and Klock's "Scenario" as o-ton11, with Âme's "Fiori" as o-ton10 in between. Len Faki's profile on RTS.FM notes that "Mekong Delta" was the record that broke him through that year.

The mix series

The two numbered mix series were the label's public face, and they are still the easiest way to see who the club thought of as its voices. From Discogs:

• Berghain 01 (2005): André Galluzzi.
• Panorama Bar 01 (2006): Cassy.
• Berghain 02 (2008, OSTGUTCD05): Marcel Dettmann.
• Berghain 03 (2009, OSTGUTCD08): Len Faki.
• Panorama Bar 02 (2009, OSTGUTCD10): Tama Sumo.
• Berghain 04 (2010, OSTGUTCD13): Ben Klock.
• Panorama Bar 03 (2011, OSTGUTCD17): Prosumer.
• Berghain 05 (2011, OSTGUTCD19): Marcel Fengler.
• Panorama Bar 04 (2012, OSTGUTCD21): Nick Höppner.
• Berghain 06 (2012, OSTGUTCD23): Norman Nodge.
• Panorama Bar 05 (2013, OSTGUTCD25): Steffi.

Discogs also lists later numbered entries: Berghain 07 as twelve-inches in 2015, Berghain 08 in 2018, Panorama Bar 07 in two parts in 2018, and Berghain 09 by Vatican Shadow in 2019 (OSTGUTMIX05). In 2020 Luke Slater followed with Berghain Fünfzehn (OSTGUTMIX06), a mix whose title points to the fifteenth year.

The albums: 2008 to 2021

Ostgut Ton's LP numbering, per Discogs, starts in 2008 with OSTGUTLP01, Prosumer and Murat Tepeli's Serenity, and OSTGUTLP02, Shed's Shedding the Past. Klock's debut album One followed in 2009 (OSTGUTLP03), then Planetary Assault Systems' Temporary Suspension (LP04) the same year. In 2010 Dettmann's self-titled album arrived as LP05 and Shed returned with The Traveller as LP06. Steffi's Yours & Mine (LP08, 2011) and Tobias.'s Leaning Over Backwards (LP09, 2011) round out the first wave.

The second wave shifted the roster. Function's Incubation (LP12, 2013), Dettmann's Dettmann II (LP14, 2013) and L.B. Dub Corp's Unknown Origin (LP15, 2013) came first, followed by Code by Answer Code Request (LP17, 2014), whom our artist profile describes as Ostgut Ton's second generation. Discogs also shows Steffi's Power of Anonymity (2014), Nick Höppner's Folk (2015), Kobosil's We Grow, You Decline (2016), Virginia's Fierce for the Night (2016), Planetary Assault Systems' Arc Angel (2016) and Barker and Baumecker's Turns (2016). The back half of the decade brought Tobias.'s Eyes in the Center (2017), Steffi's World of the Waking State (2017), Martyn's Voids (2018), Terence Fixmer's Through the Cortex (2018), Efdemin's New Atlantis (2019), Barker's Utility (2019), Shed's Oderbruch (2019), Phase Fatale's Scanning Backwards (2020) and JASSS's A World of Service (2021, OSTGUTLP35).

The singles ran alongside the albums throughout. By Discogs' numbering the "o-ton" twelve-inches reached o-ton100 in 2017, with Dettmann and Klock's Phantom Studies, and o-ton127 by 2020, with Luke Slater's Berghain Fünfzehn.

The anniversary compilations

Ostgut Ton marked its birthdays with large compilations, and they chart the label's mood. In October 2010 it released Fünf, a five-year anniversary set, per English Wikipedia; Discogs lists it as a double CD (OSTGUTCD15) and a seven-twelve-inch box (OSTGUTLP07), alongside a limited cassette called 5 Years in 60 Minutes.

In 2015 came Zehn, a 30-track compilation issued as a limited box set of ten twelve-inches. The Berghain shop notes that the box sold out quickly and that the label reissued the ten records individually in 2016; the individual part Zehn / Neun, for example, is catalogued as ostgutlp20-09 with a 6 May 2016 date and carries tracks by Ben Klock, Ryan Elliott and Len Faki.

The last big compilation, Fünfzehn + 1 (OSTGUTLP36 as a five-twelve-inch set, OSTGUTCD50 as a double CD, per Discogs), came in 2021. Resident Advisor described it as the label's 16th anniversary release and its final one before the pause.

The pause

The hiatus is the part of the story where the sources do not agree, so we will be explicit about it. English Wikipedia says Ostgut Ton closed in December 2021, citing Resident Advisor. RA's October 2022 report on the Ostgut Booking agency says the label closed in December and that the agency was the latest arm of the Berghain operation to shut after it. RA's June 2025 review of the label's comeback, however, says the label quietly shut down at the end of 2022 after its last release in 2021. We cannot reconcile these from public information, and we found no official announcement explaining either date or giving a reason, so we describe it as a pause that began after Fünfzehn + 1 in 2021.

What is documented is the agency. RA reported on 6 October 2022 that Ostgut Booking, the Berghain-linked agency, would close at the end of 2022, with eight people made redundant. The roster of 28 acts included Ben Klock, Steffi and Marcel Dettmann, and RA said it was unclear what would happen to them. For how the club itself has fared in the rankings since, see our piece on Berghain falling to 21st as UNVRS topped DJ Mag's poll.

The return: Klubnacht 01

On 30 May 2025 the label came back. Resident Advisor reported the release of Klubnacht 01, an 18-track compilation on Ostgut Ton marking the 20th anniversary and the first release since the pause. The Berghain shop gives the catalogue number as OSTGUTLP37 and the release date as 30 May 2025, lists artwork by Miriam Mondshein, and describes a limited edition of 150 copies consisting of a poster, a laser-engraved key ring and a velvet pouch, with the music itself on digital platforms. (Another retailer blog lists 100 copies, so treat the exact edition size with care.) The Quietus noted that the tracklist covers both the main floor and Panorama Bar.

The artists, per RA's tracklist, include Efdemin, Quelza, Azu Tiwaline and Cinna Peyghamy, Altinbas, GiGi FM, JakoJako, Fadi Mohem, Steffi, Verraco, Virginia, Cinthie, Lydia Eisenblätter, Wallace, LADYMONIX, Jinjé featuring Yolanda Wyns, Gallegos, Snecker and Hard Ton. It is a mix of established residents and newer names.

Reaction was measured. Resident Advisor's review, published on 12 June 2025 by Michael Lawson, called the compilation solid in craft and club utility but said it did not restore the label's old authority, because the purpose of the label seemed unclear, caught between preserving its legacy and moving on. The review singled out Azu Tiwaline and Cinna Peyghamy's "Chrome Fever", GiGi FM's "Overseas" and Verraco's "youngblood (la verdad mix)" as highlights.

Where it stands in 2026

As of 5 November 2026, Ostgut Ton is releasing again, though at a slower and more varied pace than in its 2010s peak. The Berghain shop lists Efdemin's Poly as OSTGUTLP38 with a 17 October 2025 date. Resident Advisor reported on 7 October 2025 that it is Efdemin's first album in six years and the first solo release on the relaunched label, and the shop describes eleven tracks running about an hour.

The label's own catalogue page then lists a run of 2025 and 2026 numbers: o-ton128, Isabel Soto's Morphosis EP; o-ton129, Quelza's Above the Clouds I Finally Found Peace; o-ton130, Inox Traxx's Love Letter; o-ton131, Justine Perry and Paula Koski's Paired Works; and o-ton132, Altinbas's Beyond the Veil. Alongside them it lists OSTGUTLP39, Planetary Assault Systems' Planetary People, which Electronic Groove reported for 15 May 2026 as the project's first Ostgut Ton album since Arc Angel in 2016. (A retailer listing gives a later date, so the day is not firm; the month is.)

The catalogue page also lists the sub-label A-TON, which carries a project called DIALOGUE, credited to Luke Slater with Anthony Child, KMRU, Lady Starlight, Speedy J and Tom Moth, and an "unterton" strand in its label filter. We have not found a published explanation of how those sub-labels relate to the main numbering, so we describe them only as they appear.

None of this settles whether Ostgut Ton regains the central role it once had. The relaunch is a new chapter, and the Klubnacht 01 tracklist does include names well beyond the original residents, but the label has not published a statement of direction that we could find. If you are following the Berlin scene more broadly, our guide to Berlin's best clubs in 2026 covers where the music is currently played, and our report on the Berghain Hollywood comedy film covers another side of the club's public profile.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Ostgut Ton?

Ostgut Ton is the record label of Berlin's Berghain club. Wikipedia and Resident Advisor both describe it as the club's in-house label, founded in 2005. It is best known for the Berghain and Panorama Bar mix series and for albums by residents such as Ben Klock, Marcel Dettmann and Steffi.

When was Ostgut Ton founded?

The label dates from 2005, according to Resident Advisor and Wikipedia. English Wikipedia says it was conceived by Nick Höppner after the original Ostgut club closed in January 2003. The first release in the catalogue is André Galluzzi's Berghain 01, listed on Discogs as OSTGUTCD01.

What was the first Ostgut Ton release?

Discogs lists Berghain 01 by André Galluzzi (OSTGUTCD01, 2005) as the first catalogue entry, and Electronic Beats calls it the first mix CD on the label. The first twelve-inch in the "o-ton" series, o-ton01, was Marcel Dettmann and Ben Klock's "Dawning / Dead Man Watches The Clock" in 2006.

Did Ostgut Ton close?

Releases stopped after the Fünfzehn + 1 compilation in 2021. Wikipedia says the label closed in December 2021, while Resident Advisor's 2025 review says it quietly shut down at the end of 2022. No official statement we could find explains the pause. The label returned on 30 May 2025.

What was Klubnacht 01?

Klubnacht 01 is an 18-track compilation released on 30 May 2025 as OSTGUTLP37, marking the label's 20th anniversary and its return after a four-year hiatus. It includes Efdemin, Steffi, Verraco, GiGi FM, JakoJako and Fadi Mohem, among others.

Who owns Ostgut Ton?

Wikipedia describes the label as owned by Berghain, and Resident Advisor calls it the club's in-house label. We found no separate ownership or management details published by the label, and we make no claim about them. For what is public about the club itself, see our piece on who runs Berghain.

Is Ostgut Ton releasing music in 2026?

Yes. The label's catalogue lists o-ton129 to o-ton132 and the album OSTGUTLP39, Planetary Assault Systems' Planetary People, among its 2026 entries, following Efdemin's Poly in October 2025.

Sources

• Wikipedia: Ostgut Ton
• Wikipedia: Berghain
• Discogs: Ostgut Ton label profile and discography
• Ostgut Ton label catalogue (Berghain)
• Berghain shop: Klubnacht 01
• Berghain shop: Efdemin, Poly
• Berghain shop: Ostgut Ton, Zehn / Neun
• Resident Advisor: Berghain relaunches Ostgut Ton after four-year hiatus
• Resident Advisor: Klubnacht 01 review
• Resident Advisor: Berghain to close Ostgut Booking
• Resident Advisor: Efdemin to release first album in six years on Ostgut Ton
• The Quietus: Berghain relaunches Ostgut Ton label following four-year hiatus
• Electronic Beats: 10 tracks that defined Ostgut
• Electronic Groove: Planetary Assault Systems, Planetary People