Latest News
KKI will be closed for vacation from October 15 to 25
We're taking a break this fall and will be available as usual again starting October 26.
Another round of sample CDs from the Cologne-based label JazzHausMusik
For many years now, the Cologne-based label "JazzHausMusik" has been providing us with its latest CD releases. Founded in 1979, JazzHausMusik is the only European label in the field of improvised music that has been entirely owned and operated by the performing musicians from the very beginning. The label’s long-time managing director is the Cologne-based pianist Georg Ruby. To date, JazzHausMusik has released a total of approximately 330 albums. We would like to express our gratitude for this trusting collaboration and look forward to continuing to receive releases from this high-quality, multi-award-winning Cologne-based label. The four newest CDs are by Stefan Bauer & Band, the Hannes Zerbe Jazz Orchestra Berlin, the Morenco Project (Georg Ruby, Daniel Weber, and Andreas Steffens), and the duo Stephan Mattner & Filippa Gojo.
For more information, click the link to the label: https://www.jazzhausmusik.de/en/
Presentation by the KKI director at the "50 years of KKI" anniversary celebration
now available online
On November 25, 2025, the KKI celebrated its 50th anniversary in the concert hall of the University of the Arts Bremen. As part of the anniversary celebration, KKI Director Nico Thom gave a presentation titled "Archiving, Researching, and Representing Popular Music". You can now watch the presentation on the KKI YouTube channel.
Here is the link: https://youtu.be/Pv-sXIpq0bc?si=VTZqkHJrxSenUeuY
New Exhibition on Progressive Rock by Lea Nolte
Our intern, Lea Nolte, has put together a small but excellent exhibition on the history of progressive rock. The exhibition focuses on the two bands Genesis and Porcupine Tree. It can be viewed right outside the KKI’s entrance and will remain on display there at least until the end of the year. The digital version can be viewed/read in our online magazine "S[æ]itenanschläge".
New FaMI Intern
From September 21 to October 16, Rieke Berkenheger will be completing a four-week internship at the KKI. A native of Bremen, she is currently in her second year of an apprenticeship as a media and information services specialist (FaMI) at the Bremerhaven City Library. We are happy to give her a glimpse into our day-to-day work and look forward to her support!
KKI will be closed from September 8 through 20 due to a hospital stay
Since the KKI director will be undergoing surgery followed by a hospital stay from September 8 to 20, the KKI must remain closed during this period. The KKI will be open as usual again starting September 21.
New Intern
In September and October 2026, Lea Nolte will complete a two-month internship at the KKI. A native of Bremen, she is currently studying cultural and music studies at the University of Bremen and has several years of experience as a student assistant at the Leibniz Institute for Materials-Oriented Technologies (IWT) in Bremen. We are happy to give her a glimpse into our day-to-day work and look forward to her support!
Donation from the Kohlmeyer Family: Music Cassette Collection
At the end of August, Mr. Kohlmeyer’s children bequeathed to us their recently deceased father’s collection of music cassettes. It consists of approximately 1,000 MCs and several hundred MiniDiscs containing various homemade recordings, including many radio recordings of concerts in Bremen.
New Intern
From August 24 to 28, Florian Skwirblies will be completing a short introductory internship with us. He is looking for a new professional challenge and would like to learn about the tasks involved in running a music archive. We are happy to give him a glimpse into our day-to-day work and look forward to his support!
Recently
Two New Schlager Single Collections from Bremen & Hanover
During the month of June, we received two more collections of vinyl singles featuring German Schlager music from the 1960s and 1970s, including several recordings from or about Bremen. These small, cheerful records were donated to us by Mr. Schlick from Bremen and Mr. Heinneicke from Hanover. Thank you very much!
KKI director to perform a moderated DJ set at Bremen's "Science Day" on June 27
On Saturday, June 27, the director of the KKI will present a 90-minute moderated DJ set as part of Bremen’s "Science Day". The venue is the Domshof at the upper Bremen Market Square. There, starting at 9:30 p.m., Nico Thom will play and comment on two sets:
1) 45 minutes on the theme of "Bremen" and
2) 45 minutes on the theme of "Science".
More information on the full program is available here:
https://www.hausderwissenschaft.de/tag-der-wissenschaft.html
KKI Music Exchange at the HfK's "Open House: Fête de la Musique" on June 21
On Sunday, June 21, we will once again be participating in the "Open House: Fête de la Musique" event hosted by the Music Department of the University of the Arts Bremen with a KKI music exchange. From 12:00 PM to 6:00 PM, you can visit us in the foyer of the HfK (at Dechanatstraße 13-15) and take home duplicates from our collection at low prices.
More information about the full program is available here:
https://www.hfk-bremen.de/en/events/open-house-fete-de-la-musique-2026/15529
New record donation from Holger Veleba
On June 2, we received four new packages from Holger Veleba in Tespe. They contained 125 vinyl singles with covers, 24 vinyl singles without covers, 14 vinyl maxi-singles, and 71 vinyl albums. The historical period covered by these records spans the 1960s through the 1980s. The musical focus is on Neue Deutsche Welle, as well as 1980s electro-pop and punk. We also received several gems of German-language Schlager music from the 1960s. We would like to thank Mr. Veleba once again for his generous donation.