Label of the month
- The stories behind record labels.
2021
- Nov 9, 2021For eight and a half years, the label cofounded by Aïsha Devi has helped create space for the radical underground, bringing critical infrastructure to experimental artists who have sat on the fringes of the electronic music industry.
- Sep 22, 2021We take a look at the imprint breaking dystopian stereotypes of Asia.
- Aug 4, 2021Ten years since its first release, we look back on a label that changed the course of UK dance music.
- May 20, 2021The New York label has been releasing some of the most exciting music from US underground and experimental scenes. Kiana Mickles traces its roots.
2020
- Oct 20, 2020Kiana Mickles chats to the founders of a label that deepened LA's relationship with footwork.
- May 5, 2020Since the early '90s, Schatrax has represented a distinct UK twist on house and techno. In his first interview in 25 years, Josh Brent explains the roots of his sublime sound.
- Apr 2, 2020Vivian Host speaks to Dre Skull, the enigmatic producer whose ten-year old label is fanning the flames of the Brooklyn-Caribbean connection.
- Feb 25, 2020Chal Ravens profiles a label on the front lines of UK club music.
- Jan 31, 2020Andrew Ryce profiles the Shanghai label leading the inspiring club music movement in China.
2019
- Oct 25, 2019Andy Webb meets the founders of a label specialising in uniquely Australian electronic music.
- Aug 20, 2019We go deep on Grant Wilson-Claridge and Richard D. James's trailblazing record label.
- Jul 29, 2019Jacob Arnold profiles the unassuming but high-quality vinyl label run by Chicago's m50.
- Jun 20, 2019We tell the story of the Finnish outlet with one of the most distinctive discographies in electronic music.
- May 16, 2019Holly Dicker goes deep on the label that put Holland's techno scene on the map.
- Apr 30, 2019"I love to rewrite history." Meet Ziggy Devriendt, the Belgian digger whose label specialises in overlooked music from the 1980s and '90s.
- Mar 26, 2019Elissa Stolman speaks to Tony Fairchild, a Pittsburgh DJ whose labels are leading the charge in a new school of artists from the Midwest.
- Feb 21, 2019Matt Unicomb dials up Casablanca to find out about an exciting new label pushing techno and electro.
- Jan 29, 2019Andrew Ryce profiles Rabit's label, which has become an outpost for young queer electronic artists around the world.
2018
- Dec 31, 2018On its 25th anniversary, we examine the roots and philosophy behind one of techno's most beloved labels.
- Nov 15, 2018Will Lynch checks in with one of Germany's best sources for sub-heavy sounds.
- Oct 29, 2018Andrew Ryce talks to the artists behind the influential label as it celebrates its 25th anniversary.
- Sep 25, 2018We celebrate 20 years of this Japanese label's humble dedication to obscure music.
- Aug 29, 2018Waajeed, Specter, Lakuti, Gerd Janson and more reflect on 20 years of Theo Parrish's pioneering label.
- Jul 27, 2018Noise, blood and chaos—Matt McDermott heads to the Sonoran Desert to hear the unlikely story behind one of America's most prolific underground crews.
- Jun 27, 2018Ray Philp travelled to the UK's south coast to meet Lara Rix-Martin, founder of a crucial outlet for emerging experimental artists.
- May 25, 2018This Polish label and party intentionally pushes dance music beyond its comfort zone. Elissa Stolman catches up with its curator, RRRKRTA.
- Apr 27, 2018Oli Warwick profiles the immaculately curated French label that tries to programme its catalogue like a DJ set.
- Mar 28, 2018We toast to a decade of Will Bankhead's label, an exceptionally curated outlet for noise, techno, house, drone and much more.
- Feb 28, 2018Gabriel Szatan spends a day in Hamburg with the deeply eccentric label boss behind this deeply eccentric label.
- Jan 29, 2018Matt Unicomb speaks to a Dutch collective that's laser-focussed on house music's most essential goal: making dance floors move.
2017
- Nov 29, 2017The San Francisco label is a prolific source of esoteric dance music from the '80s and the present day. Matt McDermott talks to Josh Cheon, the man making it all happen.
- Oct 25, 2017Andy Webb hears how two youngsters from the Melbourne suburbs developed one of Australia's essential dance music labels.
- Sep 27, 2017Holly Dicker explains how this small DIY operation based in Copenhagen became a globally respected experimental label.
- Aug 29, 2017Through her radio show, mix series and record label, Izabel Caligiore has created a sound world for the midnight hour.
- Jul 27, 2017Andrew Ryce profiles the label at the forefront of one of electronic music's most exciting new scenes.
- Jun 28, 2017This Sheffield label is keeping its hometown's musical legacy alive, even if its artists have never set foot in the city. Andrew Ryce tells its story.
- May 30, 2017For Mannequin Records' Alessandro Adriani, "there is no such thing as old and new music, only the music of now." Holly Dicker explains.
- Apr 26, 2017Strange sounds are creeping out of the Frankfurt area. Mark Smith checks in with a new wave of producers shaking up dance floors with an eclectic but infectious style.
- Mar 29, 2017Andrew Morgan has channeled his love of private-press synthesizer funk into a bustling label and mail order business. Matt McDermott speaks to the outsider soul expert at PPU headquarters in Washington, DC.
- Feb 24, 2017Andrew Ryce profiles one of club music's most daring and inventive labels, inspired by hardcore and the hustle and bustle of Mexico City.
- Jan 25, 2017Over the last ten years, this German label became a cult favorite by releasing subtle, untitled 12-inches best suited to the "in-between" stages of the night. Will Lynch meets its main players, Lowtec and Even Tuell.
2016
- Nov 30, 2016Angus Finlayson gets to grips with the weird world of трип, the highly distinctive label project from Nina Kraviz.
- Oct 31, 2016This Belgian label's focus on homegrown talent has given it a unique—and very peculiar—identity. Angus Finlayson travels to Dour Festival to meet Vlek's founders.
- Sep 28, 2016Angus Finlayson profiles a Manchester party and label defined by its colourful take on dancehall, garage and grime.
- Aug 26, 2016This Japanese label puts a hypnotic twist on classic club sounds. Matt Unicomb gets a rare interview with its founders, DJ Masda and So Inagawa.
- Jul 27, 2016With an artist roster and aesthetic that makes major labels salivate, this collective faces an enviable challenge: how to grow without getting too big? Ray Philp traces the rise of an inspired Glasgow label.
- Jun 28, 2016Will Lynch explains how Ital's New York-based label has become a totem for a distinctive new group of American artists.
- May 31, 2016This Dutch label specialises in strange dance floor sounds. Holly Dicker meets the crew behind it.
- Apr 29, 2016Whether it's serving up blistering ghetto house or lo-fi Memphis rap, Delroy Edwards' label is always raw and unpredictable. Matt McDermott meets the outfit's key players at their base in LA.
- Mar 25, 2016Andrew Ryce charts the rise of DJ Haus's mercurial label.
- Feb 26, 2016Matt McDermott hears how whisky, melancholy and messiness fuel this singular Scottish label.
- Jan 29, 2016Andrew Ryce profiles one of the quirkier labels driving the Pacific Northwest's techno renaissance.
2015
- Dec 4, 2015For 20 years, this paranormally-inspired label has fought to keep Detroit's scene alive. Will Lynch hears its story.
- Nov 25, 2015This Bristol label's "anything-goes" policy has made it an essential outpost for fresh club sounds. Angus Finlayson visited the crew on home turf.
- Oct 30, 2015This forward-thinking Mexican collective is using club music to explore Latin American identity. Max Pearl meets them on their home turf.
- Sep 30, 2015This Stockholm collective—led by Abdulla Rashim—is behind some of the most mesmerising techno of recent years. Matt Unicomb gets to the roots of their sound.
- Aug 25, 2015More than running one of their city's best labels, Heartbeat and Francois X are devoted to helping techno flourish in Paris. Holly Dicker takes a close look at this inspired family of artists.
- Jul 31, 2015This consistently intriguing Tokyo label releases grime from Visionist and Rabit alongside reimaginings of '80s Japanese pop. Ryan Keeling attempts to connect the dots.
- Jun 29, 2015Mike Grant bowed out of Detroit just as the city's techno scene was about to take off. Jordan Rothlein found out how his label put together one of the city's best discographies anyway.
- May 28, 2015On the occasion of its 15th anniversary, Will Lynch finds out why this much-loved label isn't what you think it is.
- Apr 29, 2015Hypnotic, stripped-back and utterly unconventional, SW and SVN's label is becoming a cult favorite. Will Lynch gets a peek into this mysterious operation.
- Mar 27, 2015Keysound survived dubstep's demise and became one of the UK's most vital underground dance music labels. Andrew Ryce hears how.
- Feb 27, 2015Angus Finlayson profiles one of America's finest outposts for ambient, drone and experimental music.
- Jan 31, 2015A knack for quality techno is propelling this Italian label into the big leagues. Matt Unicomb investigates.
2014
- Dec 5, 2014Andrew Ryce speaks to Vancouver's Richard MacFarlane about running one of the most unpredictable—and exciting—new labels in electronic music.
- Nov 26, 2014Angus Finlayson hears the winding story behind this mental techno and electro label.
- Oct 29, 2014This Sydney label with humble beginnings is now one of Australia's most important independent music operations. Matt Unicomb explains.
- Sep 24, 2014The Weimar label is all about a certain feeling, one that no one can quite describe. Will Lynch tries to suss it out.
- Aug 26, 2014Oli Warwick meets the CEOs at Public Possession, a Munich-based label, record shop, graphic design studio and catering company that is showing excellent Q3 growth.
- Jul 30, 2014Dario and Marco Zenker's label has quietly become one of the best in techno. Matt Unicomb tells its story.
- Jun 25, 2014The Berlin outfit is firmly devoted to offbeat and challenging electronic sounds. As Will Lynch finds out, that's exactly why they've struck a chord.
- May 19, 2014Aaron Coultate tells the story of Versatile Records, from Acid Arab to Zombie Zombie.
- Apr 28, 2014As they gear up for Hyperdub's tenth anniversary, Angus Finlayson meets the figures behind the famously forward-thinking UK label.
- Mar 28, 2014Leif Knowles and Joe Ellis look for records that "other labels probably won't want." So far, the results have been fantastic.
- Feb 28, 2014Andrew Ryce meets the figures behind ClekClekBoom, a label whose sound has become known simply as "Paris club music."
- Jan 23, 2014Aaron Coultate meets Matt Werth, the force behind of one New York's pre-eminent experimental dance labels.
2013
- Dec 6, 2013This new Brooklyn label has a modest aim: to bridge the gap between US and European techno. Matt Unicomb explains.
- Nov 29, 2013Aaron Coultate catches up with one of this year's most talked-about new labels.
- Oct 30, 2013Ryan Keeling finds out how a scene stalwart met with a world famous club to create one of this year's best new labels.
- Sep 12, 2013Ryan Keeling meets the multitasking duo behind the party-starting Bristol imprint.
- Aug 29, 2013This small and enigmatic label has never had much of plan. But as Will Lynch found out, that's exactly what makes it so good.
- Jul 29, 2013Based in the rolling hills of Tuscany, Bosconi Records has spent the past five years flying the flag for Italian house music. RA's Oli Warwick visited the label as they prepared for their biggest project to date.
- Jun 27, 2013For the freaks, by the freaks: RA's Aaron Coultate enters the world of Crème.
- May 28, 2013The dense, labyrinthine streets of Paris's 11th arrondissement are home to one of France's most promising new labels. RA's Aaron Coultate investigates.
- Apr 29, 2013RA's Jordan Rothlein chats with Anthony Parasole, whose new label captures the grit of New York's mean streets.
- Mar 28, 2013One of Amsterdam's busiest labels and promoters is also its most laid-back. RA's Will Lynch sees how they do it.
- Feb 25, 2013The Brooklyn outfit is assembling one of the unruliest rosters in the game. RA's Jordan Rothlein investigates.
- Jan 29, 2013RA's Andrew Ryce meets Stephen Bishop, the man behind the homespun cassette label that's making waves in the electronic music underground.
2012
- Dec 2, 2012An interview with Presha, the man behind one of the most ambitious drum & bass labels going.
- Nov 23, 2012One of underground electronic music's most vital labels.
- Oct 30, 2012The dreamy, melody-drenched home to Genius of Time is among a new breed of Swedish labels making a name for themselves.
- Sep 24, 2012Dub techno from the depths of the Canadian forest.
- Aug 31, 2012Big hooks, big hits: The Italian imprint isn't as big as Hot Creations, Visionquest or Crosstown Rebels...yet. RA's Todd L. Burns explains.
- Jul 31, 2012The Belgian label has been quietly pushing some of the most compelling techno around. RA's Todd L. Burns give them their close-up.
- Jun 29, 2012The Moscow label is a logical extension of one of the best clubs in the world.
- May 30, 2012RA's Andrew Ryce profiles one of the hottest UK labels of the moment.
- Apr 30, 2012The raw and dirty sounds of New York's underground.
- Mar 20, 2012RA's Ryan Keeling scores a rare interview with Loefah, the man behind one of the UK's most exciting imprints.
- Feb 21, 2012Oklahoma: The unlikely home to one of experimental electronic music's most fascinating labels of recent vintage.
- Jan 24, 2012A California imprint digging into the unexplored possibilities of the 303.
2011
- Dec 1, 2011What happens when a label that's already been around a while hits its stride? RA's Ryan Keeling recently found out when he talked to Ali Perc.
- Nov 1, 2011Modeselektor's clubby outlet is one of the most prolific post-everything imprints. We asked the artists behind the label to explain why.
- Oct 5, 2011Sweden's southernmost house and techno label gets a look in from RA's Christine Kakaire.
- Sep 9, 2011Guilt, envy, revenge: The core values of electronic music's darkest imprint.
- Aug 3, 2011Low end, high end and midrange theories from Los Angeles.
- Jul 7, 2011RA catches up with the duo behind the raw and analogue house music that has captured the attention of tastemaking DJs in both Berlin and London.
- Jun 3, 2011The new house (and techno and acid and downtempo and more) sound from Dresden.
- May 3, 2011One of the few drum & bass labels that credibly toes the line between underground and overground, Kasra's London imprint is one of the reasons that the genre is so vital at the moment.
- Mar 4, 2011Hand-crafted works of ambient bliss from the UK.
- Feb 4, 2011A freewheeling take on house and techno, straight out of Washington DC.
- Jan 4, 2011In a city littered with labels, this Berlin techno outpost composed of the work of three friends stands out as one of the most consistently engaging.
2010
- Dec 2, 2010The strange and wonderful world of the Norwegian imprint may not make much sense to outsiders. But as RA's Philip Sherburne tells it, there's little mystery as to why they're a favorite of so many.
- Nov 1, 2010UK bass music is ever-changing, and Bok Bok and L-Vis 1990's new imprint is at the forefront of its most recent mutation.
- Oct 4, 2010An edit may have been its starting point, but Phil South's label is far broader than that. RA's Andy Beta talks to the man behind one of the best parties (and labels) in New York City.
- Sep 3, 2010Belgium has always been known as a techno bastion. As RA's Thomas D. Cox explains, however, there's at least one outlet pushing any and all forms of house music.
- Aug 6, 2010Enter a world of "compressed dub" with the young Berlin-based imprint that has been making waves in the techno community over the past year.
- Jul 6, 2010The close-knit family behind the London imprint doesn't have an identifiable sound. But label bosses Alexander Nut and Floating Points like it that way. RA's Richard Carnes reports.
- Jun 4, 2010The Seattle-based imprint has brought cassette culture back to electronic music. RA's Will Lynch investigates.
- May 3, 2010The music that Claremont 56 releases, meticulously designed and often coming in hand-numbered editions, conjures laconic equatorial latitudes and the gaseous regions of outer space, no matter where your physical location might be.
- Apr 8, 2010Quality over quantity has been the guiding principle for this London techno label over the past decade, and it has been better than ever since its relaunch in 2009. RA delves into the history of James Ruskin's Blueprint.
- Mar 5, 2010Third Ear Recordings have been flying the flag for heavy transatlantic house for almost ten years now. RA's Ryan Keeling pays a visit to the UK home of Beatdown.
- Feb 8, 2010With their productions as Instra:mental, Alex Green and Damon Kirkham have managed to breathe new life into the drum & bass scene. In advance of their upcoming performance at Bloc Weekend, RA's Richard Carnes investigates.
- Jan 22, 2010The house imprint of Valencia's most famous club, Barraca Music has quickly made a name for itself. Encompassing both the sound of its home city, as well as the sound of clubland at large, it's RA's January 2010 label of the month.
2009
- Nov 24, 2009Jamal Moss' Chicago-based label has had a prolific 24 month period, seeing the imprint's catalogue nearly double. RA's Lee Smith calls up the man called Hieroglyphic Being to see why there's so much noise to be heard.
- Oct 30, 2009The French Touch this ain't: RA's Derek Miller celebrates the unconventional sounds of the Circus Company imprint, one of Paris' finest labels.
- Sep 30, 2009Not everyone understands house music; it's a spiritual thing, a body thing, a soul thing, a...Spanish thing? This month, Todd L. Burns celebrates Madrid's Deep Explorer Music.
- Aug 31, 2009In a city renowned for its cutting-edge imprints, liebe*detail flies under the radar, consistently releasing some of the finest tech house around. RA's Todd L. Burns finds out more.
- Jul 31, 2009The Munich-based Prologue has stormed out of the gates in 2009 with a heady collection of deep, trancey techno. It will only get better from here.
- Jun 30, 2009Be it techno, electro, dubstep, house or UK funky, Glasgow's Wireblock have got it all after just three years in the game. RA's Richard Carnes tracked down the trio behind the label's diverse and consistent output to discover more.
- May 7, 2009Touchdown! Gerd Janson's Running Back label has scored hit after hit by embracing a wide-ranging music policy. RA's Bjørn Schaeffner tracked down the multi-tasking label owner to chat about what his playbook looks like.
- Apr 20, 2009Burning Man sculptures, steam room breaks and a fake hotel: It's all part of what has made Wolf + Lamb one of the most exciting labels of 2009. RA's William Rauscher sweats it out to find out more.
- Mar 13, 2009No website, no promos, no problem: London's Dissident imprint keeps a low profile, but the quality of its limited edition disco-inclined offerings make it one of the hottest labels around.
- Feb 26, 2009Daniel Lyons is a self-professed slacker, yet he runs three quirky imprints that span house, techno and beyond in their limitless scope. RA's Todd L. Burns calls up Copenhagen to get to the bottom of things.
- Jan 12, 2009Taking the original spirit of dubstep and running with it, Hessle Audio are cementing their influence on both dubstep and techno's DJing fraternities. RA's Richard Carnes investigates.
2008
- Nov 11, 2008After a string of seminal releases in the late '80s and early '90s, R&S Records slowly slid into obscurity. But now, the imprint is back and better than ever, with releases celebrating its past and looking firmly into the future. RA's David Stubbs investigates...Resident Advisor
- Oct 22, 2008Frankfurt-based Connaisseur has made a name for itself for it as the place for "minimal trance," but as RA's Eike Kühl tells it, the imprint (and its two sublabels) is much more than that.Resident Advisor
- Sep 23, 2008Forget every "hyphen-disco" genre you know. The crew behind Dirty elide any sort of easy categorization. RA's William Rauscher talks to the masters of the edit to find out where they're taking their knife next.
- Aug 27, 2008Straddling the blurry line between house, disco and soul, Chicago's Still Music label group is one of the most vital labels operating today. RA's Thomas D. Cox investigates.
- May 23, 2008Richard Brophy profiles enigmatic techno label Sandwell District.
- Apr 23, 2008Todd L. Burns talks to Matt Edwards and James Masters, the minds behind the UK's most successful export since the light bulb - Rekids.
- Mar 4, 2008In the first of a new series on RA, Todd L. Burns profiles fairground house imprint Diynamic.