It all began back in 1975 with director Werner Schretzmeier´s TV Series "11 1/2" for which he asked his friend Wolfgang Dauner to put together a studio band. Seeking to produce the fitting music for this program, directed at young people, somewhere between Rock and Jazz: The United Jazz + Rock Ensemble was born.

When due to their TV success, the band decided to release a record of their live show at "Altes Schützenhaus" they encountered all kinds of problems from major companies. So Mood Records was born, a reaction to the big companies unwillingness to release new music. The decision was crowned with success from the start, the "Alte Schützenhaus" recording has become Germany´s best selling Jazz release to date.

A label owned and run by the musicians themselves enabled them to produce the music they loved and considered to be of importance to their audience. This was and is the concept to this day. Over the years a whole string of musicians has received the chance to produce their own music, often asisted by Wolfgang Dauner as producer, without having to conform with record- or money- market criteria.

A wide range of music and names has been produced over the past 20 years resulting in the relaease of around 100 records. With Jazz as the main field of interest, we have none-the-less produced records on the fringes of the genre; Kolbe Illenberger´s Folk guitar work, Dino Saluzzi the Argentinian Bandoneon player, Biermösl Blosn with Bavarian Comedy, Modern String Quartett´s Bach Kunst der Fuge and our uo-commming release for 98 a double CD of Jazz + Ravel with the Quintett featuring Albert Mangelsdorff and Wolfgang Dauner.

We considered it in part our accomplishment at Mood, that records will be produced in 1998 featuring the same musicians that were once the founders of the company, that most of our releases of the past 20 years remain available and well worth listening to and that the company is alive and striving.