Thinner
Thinner was a German netlabel known for distributing dub-influenced techno, house, ambient, and experimental electronic music online.
Last updated August 26, 2026
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Overview
Thinner was a German netlabel launched in 1998 and based in Frankfurt. It specialized in releasing electronic music through digital channels, at a time when the internet was beginning to provide an alternative to the physical record industry for independent artists and listeners. Its catalogue centered on dub-informed forms of techno and house, while also extending into ambient, experimental, and related electronic styles. Releases were generally made available as downloadable digital recordings rather than conventional retail products. The label was founded by Thomas Jaldemark and was subsequently operated principally by Sebastian Redenz and Ole Schulte, who worked with an international volunteer-based team. This organizational model was an important part of Thinner’s identity: it combined curatorial activity, online distribution, artist support, and community participation without relying on the conventional infrastructure of a major record company. The label’s approach reflected the early netlabel movement, in which music could be distributed globally at low cost and listeners could discover artists outside established physical-label networks. Thinner initially became associated with dub-influenced minimal techno and house. Some of its early virtual releases drew on stylistic models associated with influential physical labels such as Basic Channel, but the catalogue broadened considerably between 2001 and 2006. Over that period, Thinner released music incorporating ambient textures, experimental production, minimal electronics, and other variations on techno and house. Artists connected with the catalogue included Digitalverein, Marko Fürstenberg, Benfay, Pheek, krill.minima, Vladislav Delay, and Christian Bloch, among many others. The scale of the label’s online reach was notable for its period. By September 2006, Thinner productions had generated more than two million MP3 downloads. The label also developed a reputation within electronic-music and netlabel circles, being repeatedly voted the best netlabel in annual de:Bug magazine polls. In 2008, Der Spiegel described Thinner as having a leading reputation among the thousands of netlabels then operating worldwide. In 2007, Sebastian Redenz was invited to present Thinner’s volunteer-based business model to senior Sony BMG executives, an indication that the label’s methods had attracted attention beyond the independent digital-music scene. Thinner also operated the Autoplate sublabel, which focused more specifically on experimental and ambient music. This imprint allowed the wider Thinner operation to separate some of its more exploratory releases from its core dub-techno and house-oriented identity. The label’s activity continued into the late 2000s, with its principal operating period and team described as extending until 2009. It is now best understood as a historically significant German netlabel from the formative era of online music distribution rather than as an active contemporary record company.
History
Thinner emerged in Germany in 1998 as part of the early netlabel movement, which used the internet to distribute music outside the traditional physical-record system. Founded by Thomas Jaldemark and based in Frankfurt, the label concentrated on electronic music and made its releases available primarily as digital downloads. This approach reduced manufacturing and distribution costs while allowing the label to reach listeners internationally. The label’s early identity was closely linked to dub-influenced minimal techno and house. Some initial releases reflected production ideas associated with influential physical labels such as Basic Channel, but Thinner did not remain confined to a single stylistic formula. From approximately 2001 through 2006, its catalogue widened to include ambient, experimental electronics, and other forms of techno and house. This development was reflected in the work of artists such as Digitalverein, Marko Fürstenberg, Benfay, Pheek, krill.minima, Vladislav Delay, and Christian Bloch. Thinner was run largely through the efforts of Sebastian Redenz and Ole Schulte, together with an international volunteer-based team. Its organizational structure distinguished it from conventional commercial record companies. Rather than depending on a large physical distribution network, the label combined online curation, digital archiving, artist collaboration, and community participation. Its releases could circulate globally without the geographic limitations of standard retail distribution. The model achieved substantial reach for an independent netlabel. By September 2006, Thinner’s productions had exceeded two million MP3 downloads. The label was also repeatedly recognized in annual polls conducted by the German electronic-music magazine de:Bug. In 2007, Redenz was invited to present the label’s volunteer-based business model to top Sony BMG executives, showing that the major-label sector was monitoring the organizational and distribution innovations emerging from internet-native music projects. Thinner maintained a related sublabel, Autoplate, whose focus was experimental and ambient music. Autoplate gave the operation a distinct outlet for more exploratory work while Thinner retained its broader association with dub-derived techno, house, and electronic music. In 2008, Der Spiegel characterized Thinner as one of the strongest examples of its kind among the large number of netlabels operating internationally. The label’s main period of operation extended into 2009, with Redenz, Schulte, and the wider international team described as leading the project until that point. Although no longer an active label, Thinner remains significant as an example of early digital music entrepreneurship. Its history illustrates how netlabels helped normalize online discovery, downloadable releases, international artist networks, and alternative organizational structures before streaming became the dominant form of digital music consumption.
- 2009
Principal operating period ends
[1]The period during which Sebastian Redenz, Ole Schulte, and the international team are described as leading the label reaches its endpoint.
- 2008
Recognition as a leading netlabel
[1]Thinner receives continued recognition in de:Bug polls and is highlighted by Der Spiegel for its standing in the international netlabel community.
- 2007
Volunteer-based model presented to Sony BMG
[1]Sebastian Redenz presents Thinner’s operating model to senior executives at Sony BMG.
- 2006
More than two million MP3 downloads recorded
[1]Thinner productions pass the two-million-download mark by September.
- 2001
Catalogue broadens stylistically
[1]Thinner begins moving beyond its initial dub-influenced techno and house profile into a wider range of ambient and experimental electronic music.
- 1998
Thinner is launched
[1]Thomas Jaldemark establishes Thinner in Germany as a netlabel for digitally distributed electronic music.
Products and positioning
An internationally oriented independent netlabel that used online distribution and a volunteer-led operating model to promote dub-influenced techno, house, ambient, and experimental electronic music.
Digital record releases · 1998
Thinner digital catalogue
The core Thinner offering consisted of downloadable electronic-music releases. The catalogue was primarily associated with dub-inspired techno and house, but it expanded to include ambient, experimental, and other electronic forms. Releases by artists including Digitalverein, Marko Fürstenberg, Benfay, Pheek, krill.minima, Vladislav Delay, and Christian Bloch helped establish the label’s international profile.
Netlabel sublabel
Autoplate
Autoplate was Thinner’s sublabel for more experimental and ambient music. It functioned as a specialized outlet within the wider operation, giving exploratory electronic work a distinct identity while complementing Thinner’s broader techno- and house-oriented catalogue.
Brand decisions
2001
Broaden the catalogue beyond dub-techno foundationsStrategyBackground
Thinner had initially become recognized for dub-influenced techno and house, but the label operated within a wider electronic-music environment and sought to accommodate more varied artistic approaches.
Action taken
The label expanded its releases to include ambient, experimental, and other related forms of techno and house.
Aftermath
The broader catalogue increased Thinner’s stylistic range while preserving its association with dub-derived electronic music.
2000
Develop a volunteer-based international operating modelStrategyBackground
As a netlabel, Thinner operated outside the conventional physical-record infrastructure and needed a low-cost way to coordinate curation, releases, and international participation.
Action taken
Thinner relied substantially on Sebastian Redenz, Ole Schulte, and an international volunteer team to manage the project and its digital catalogue.
Aftermath
The model became a notable feature of Thinner’s identity and was later presented to Sony BMG executives as an example of internet-era music organization.
Recent events
- 2008
Thinner receives recognition in the netlabel scene[1]
Other
Der Spiegel reports on Thinner’s strong reputation among global netlabels, while de:Bug polls repeatedly recognize it as a leading netlabel.
- 2007
Sebastian Redenz presents Thinner’s operating model to Sony BMG[1]
Other
Sebastian Redenz is invited to explain Thinner’s volunteer-based business model to senior Sony BMG executives.
- 2006
Thinner surpasses two million MP3 downloads[1]
Other
By September 2006, recordings associated with Thinner had accumulated more than two million downloads.
- 2001
Thinner expands beyond its initial dub-techno sound[1]
Product generation
The catalogue starts to encompass a broader range of ambient, experimental, techno, and house-oriented electronic music.
- 1998
Thinner launches as a German netlabel[1]
Other
Thinner begins operating as an online label focused on electronic music and digital distribution.
Sources2 sources
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