It takes an immense amount of dedication and passion to run a label. That’s a given. Running two labels with as much musical credibility as the parent label – now that’s a whole new process and challenge. In addition to some of our labels to watch in 2016, here is a small collection of our favorite sub-labels that are off-shoots of their esteemed parent labels.
Over the years Jesse Rose has flexed his musical muscles when it comes to running labels. His former label Made to Play, and current label Play it Down, are the byproducts of well curated catalogs of music focusing on the groove oriented house rhythms, with A-Sided following suit. In an homage to vinyl gems, A-Sided focuses on quality over quantity, with each release being one single, or A-side, that is destined for dance floor domination.
From releases like “Let’s Get Tight” by Dansson and “Bare Mountain” by Claude Von Stroke, A-Sided is a quality sub-label with a unique theme for electronic music.
Connect with A-Sided: Soundcloud / Twitter / Facebook / Beatport
Most will be familiar with Adam Beyer’s dominant techno label, Drumcode, as it has risen to international stardom over the past decade. Equally impressive with slight sonic disparities is his other label, Truesoul. The label keeps a moderately techno aesthetic, but does so with noticeable differences that you won’t necessarily find on Drumcode. Since 2002 Truesoul has been going strong with continual releases from artists such as Nick Curly, Hot Since 82, Tiger Stripes, Nicole Moudaber, Joel Mull, Reset Robot, and the esteemed list goes on and on.
Connect with Truesoul: Official Website / Soundcloud / Twitter / Facebook / Beatport
Octopus Recordings is a label that has become synonymous with techno and nightlife culture. With Sian at the helm of the label, the brand has flourished over the years and has become an international staple for quality productions and showcases. In addition to the parent label, Octopus Recordings, Sian also has his hand in the sub-labels of Octopus Black and Hydrozoa, both fulfilling the techno ethos established by Octopus.
Octopus Black has seen releases from artists like Ramiro Lopez, Jordan Van Pol, and Eduardo de la Calle, while Hydrozoa builds it’s catalog with releases from Ashwin Khosa and a powerful release from Aardy – the rising techno star hailing from India.
Connect with Octopus Recordings: Soundcloud / Twitter / Facebook / Beatport
Under the guidance of Luciano, Cadenza has grown into an international power house of cutting edge electronic music. Using Cadenza as a platform he has built a large roster of fellow Vagabundos, with this ethos transcending into the sub label of Cadenza Lab. While Cadenza may have more of the “A-list” artists on the roster such as Carl Craig, Dennis Ferrer, Valentino Kanzyani, and Luciano himself, Cadenza Lab fills their roster with a widespread range of popular underground selectors. While both catalogs are full of great music, take some time to go through the Cadenza Lab releases to load up on some dance floor gems.
Connect with Cadenza: Official Website / Soundcloud / Twitter / Facebook / Beatport
Viva Music has been focused on quality house music since it got its start in 2006 by Steve Lawler. The UK based-label has a historic catalog while providing a strong platform for artists such as Cuatero, Leon, Guti, Detlef, Steve Lawler, and countless more. As impressive as Viva Music has been over the years, the sub label of Viva Limited follows right in it’s parents footsteps. Adhering to a similar aesthetic as Viva Music, the labels “limited” counter-part stays true to the massive house grooves that we’ve come to know and love. With over 50 powerful releases on Viva Limited, there’s something for everyone to enjoy
Connect with Viva Music: Official Website / Soundcloud / Beatport / Facebook / Twitter / Resident Advisor
Rebellion was born approximately eight years after the inception of it’s parent label, Crosstown Rebels, and over the years the labels catalog has been filled with quality releases from a variety of talented producers. Damian Lazarus worked wonders for Crosstown Rebels as their main A&R visionary, and the similar ethos established by Lazarus is found in Rebellion. Even as a sub-label, Rebellion has curated a strong catalog with releases from Solomun, Tim Green, SIS, Fur Coat, and many more.
Connect with Rebellion: Beatport / Resident Advisor
Enzo Siragusa and the Fuse crew have developed one of the most iconic brands in the underground music community. They’ve championed the fine art of deep tech, and their style is well reflected with the Fuse London label. When artists release on Fuse the tracks have a signature sound that can be immediately traced to the crews roots. Infuse is the off-shoot of Fuse London, and even though Infuse is only 10 releases in they’re showing incredible promise.
Connect with Fuse and Infuse: Facebook / Twitter / Soundcloud / Beatport / Resident Advisor
Anjunabeats has established themselves at the forefront of upbeat and melodic progressive house suited for big rooms. With Above & Beyond at the helm, the label has grown tremendously and achieved global success. Take the BPM down a couple notches and you’ll have their sub-label, Anjunadeep. The only real disparity between the two is simply the tempo and groove. Anjunadeep keeps the same melodic intricacies as Anjunabeats, but clearly is adapting with the times and tastes of the masses.
Connect with Anjunadeep: Official Website / Facebook / Twitter / Soundcloud
