As a creative outlet for the club's residents, the label Ostgut Ton was founded in 2005, managed by Nick Höppner, himself a distinguished producer for house outfit My My. The club's reputation ensured that eyes were peeled on the Ostgut's output from the very start and fans were not disappointed when 'Dawning / Dead Man Watches The Clock' by Berghain residents Marcel Dettmann and Ben Klock started off the label to much acclaim. Subsequent releases did not disappoint either, all coming from producers closely related to the club, such as Paul Brtschitsch, Marcel Fengler, Âme or Len Faki, who scored the biggest hit for the label so far with 2007's club anthem 'Rainbow Delta / Mekong Delta'.

Asked how the distinct atmosphere of Berghain/Panoramabar translates into the choice of material for Ostgut, Nick Höppner explains that the label does almost no traditional A&R work, instead granting its artists almost complete autonomy over what to release: "Our resident DJs know best what makes up the club's distinct sound and we don't see a reason to question their judgement. It can even happen that tracks are mastered and cut before anyone in our office has listened to them." Höppner reveals.

Where the label does come into play however is the intricate packaging of its releases. Just like the club itself, where large-scale works by renowned artists like Wolfgang Tillmanns or Piotr Nathan adorn the walls, the label extends its high aesthetic standards to the visual domain. "Most photographic covers come from the large archives of Norbert (Thormann, one of Berghain's owners), who is a collector and photographer himself", explains Höppner. "They get selected by his partner Michael (Teufele) and are then layed out by Yusuf Etimann (curator of Berlin's Basso club)." Other artists also have a close connection to the club: Marc Brandenburg, today a celebrated artist who designed the cover of Höppner's own 'Who Needs Action' release, used to work at Ostgut as a barman for many years.

Prompted for the label's future, Höppner praises Shed's debut album 'Shedding the Past', which will be released on September 1st: "The album somehow marks a departure from Ostgut's club-oriented approach, incorporating elements from classic techno but also from 90s listening electronica." Two more 12"s this year still remain under wraps, but the third in the 'Berghain' series of mix CDs - with previous outings by André Galluzzi and Marcel Dettmann - will be done by Len Faki and appear in early 2009. A Ben Klock album is also confirmed for 2009 as well as a new 'Panoramabar' compilation, the first of which was mixed by Cassy.

And Höppner's own plans? "My My will for now stay with Playhouse, where the 'Everybody's Talkin'' 12" has just been released in July. A solo 12" for Ostgut is however a possibility, perhaps even still in 2008 - if I find time to finish it", he adds with a smile.