FORMAT:B — Tech House Duo & Label FoundersFORMAT:B
Format:B are a German tech-house duo formed by Franciskus Sell and Jacob, also known as Jakob, Hildenbrand. Sell came from Erfurt and Hildenbrand was based in Berlin; they met at SAE Institute Berlin and formed the project in 2004. Their early releases arrived as 12-inch records on Highgrade Records from 2005, followed by work with Stil Vor Talent and Opossum Recordings.
They returned to Highgrade for their 2008 debut album Steam Circuit, then developed into in-demand touring DJs. A defining part of their club story is their residency at Berlin's Club Watergate, where their direct, dancefloor-focused tech house found a natural home. By late 2009 they had founded Formatik Records, giving the duo a platform for club material such as Gospel and Dog Tag and later bringing artists including Daniel Steinberg, DJ Madskillz and Tobi Kramer into the label's orbit.
Their second album, Restless, followed in 2011. The track Chunky, first released in 2014 and reissued by Ministry of Sound in 2015, became their highest-profile crossover moment, reaching 29 on the UK Singles Chart and appearing on The Annual 2016. Built around German tech house, Format:B's career connects a Berlin club residency, independent label work and the kind of sharply sampled, functional records that travel from specialist dancefloors to wider audiences.