The idea here is to have a list of electronic music labels that everyone on here should know about: labels that defined a genre or labels that have/had a big influence on the scene, and then labels of general interest for braindance enthusiasts. People can come here when they’re curious to dig into idm/braindance culture, and discover some new names.
I’ll put some here that come to mind right away, and then please help me with suggestions cause I am not an encyclopedia.
I’ll edit this post so we have a nice list in the OP.
I wasn’t sure if I should include labels that are less experimental but still huge in their respective genres, in the likes of Hyperdub or Metalheadz, R&S, Hessle Audio, Subtle Audio… Cosmic Bridge… I guess the list could go on forever if I did
Awesome taletwist, congrats. Yeah brainstorm lab started some very talented people in that glitchy idm style. Will it be released under the taletwist alias?
oh, the good times of breakcore. I wasn’t aware it only existed for 4 years! some landmark stuff in that catalog.
Have you heard that datach’i is releasing a new lp on planet mu? The sample track sounds weirdly downtempo, but I guess he was already heading a different direction when he picked up the eurorack on “System”.
I am stunned really, I can’t stress enough that I would never dream of some like that, especially because I am Brazilian and this genre is practically inexistent in here.
damn I recognize how fundamental those are, but I’m still divided on whether I should start including genre-specific labels. Drum’n’bass for example has so many subgenres and respective labels that served as a platform for those sounds, that I feel it would make the list very long and take the focus away from the more experimental/idm stuff (I do realize that a lot of that experimental stuff makes so much more sense when you know the classics).
And then, there’s also the fact that some huge labels like Trojan records (if that’s the one you’re talking about when you said king tubby and scratch lee perry) aren’t independent anymore, and maybe I’d rather stay focused on the more underground stuff.
Sorry if it sounds like I’m cockblocking you, I’m not, I’m really just saying what’s on my mind. I’m still considering adding a section for “other genres”, but then maybe focus on the stuff pushing the boundaries.
They were one of the most important indy labels on the early UK synthpop/industrial scene and were devoted to experimental electronic music from the start. The Novamute subsidiary put out a lot of important underground dance music in the '90s. They were bought out for a while but are back as an independent label with Miller in charge.
The label was formed by Daniel Miller just to release his own single Warm Leatherette/T.V.O.D., but that went well enough that he started releasing other experimental artists like DAF and Fad Gadget. Then Miller signed Depeche Mode with a handshake deal and quickly became one of the largest indy labels around, consistently dedicated to promoting experimental electronic music, and they’re still at it.
Oh, and a shout out to Moonshine Music, RIP. Moonshine put out a lot of great stuff in the '90s, it got to where I’d just go to a record store and buy anything from that label with interesting cover art. That was before you could hear new music on the Internet and that stuff sure as hell wasn’t on the radio, so it was a crapshoot when you bought something new so you looked for certain labels.
Oh and Tommy Boy Records…so many great labels of the past but I guess I’ll stop there.
Good call; Enigmatik verges a bit on the dubstep/bass music side of things, but some of their catalogue was very influential to me too. I remember those woulg releases. Good stuff.
For some reason I can’t edit my OP anymore, but I’d definitely add it to the list.
