Image via Complex Original
No matter how DIY EDM can get, you cannot deny the importance of a good record label. Getting music out there in 2013 is as easy as setting up a Bandcamp account, but if you don't have the muscle (or connections) to get your music in the right hands, no one will hear it. A good EDM label will not only take a chance on a new, emerging artist, but will give them just as much attention as they do established producers.
When looking at the best labels in the EDM scene right now, we have look at a number of factors: how important is that imprint to its genre? Which artists are currently signed to the label? If they're representing a niche sound, are they the cream of the crop for that particular genre? Have they stood the test of time? Are they just putting out releases, or are they really trying to highlight important artists within the culture?
By no means is this to say that these are the only labels out there, but right now, these are the best labels doing it.
Big Beat
Founded: 1987
Notable Releases: Flux Pavilion - "Starlight" / Knife Party - "Centipede"
Big Beat has actualy been around for a while, starting out in 1987 as a hip-hop imprint, but with a new vision came new changes, and over the last few years, Big Beat has assembled a forward-thinking group of producers that includes Skrillex, Flux Pavilion, DJ Chuckie, Doctor P, Knife Party, and other Warner-associated EDM acts, giving them the edge musically (and the financial push) to make a serious impact on the EDM scene going forward.
Boysnoize Records
Founded: 2005
Notable Releases: Boys Noize - "Don't Believe the Hype" / Strip Steve - "Money Trouble Funk"
Boys Noize started his name-sake imprint eight years ago to have a home for his music, both as Boys Noize and under his many monikers, and has since helped push the sounds that he's fallen in love with, with artists ranging from Le1f and Peaches to Spank Rock, Mixhell, and Housemeister. And if you remember our conversation with Boys Noize, BNR is looking to have a pretty solid 2013.
Deep Medi Musik
Founded: 2006
Notable Releases: Mala - "Changes" / Swindle - "Forest Funk"
Mala's one third of the legendary Digital Mystikz crew, but he's also the man behind Deep Medi Musik, a label that wears "deep" right on it's sleeve. Focusing on the deeper side of the bass music scene, we've seen some of his best tracks get released on this imprint (including "Changes"), but it's also been a place where captivating producers like V.I.V.E.K., Quest, Silkie, Goth-Trad, and others have been able to shine, whereas established talents like Calibre, Kromestar, Coki, Loefah, and Skream have been able to highlight that deeper side of their production.
dirtybird
Founded: 2005
Notable Releases: The Martin Brothers - "Stoopit" / Claude Von Stroke - "Deep Throat"
Claude Von Stroke and the dirtybird folk might not be on your particular radar but they have to be. They don't release the big festival sized anthems like others on this list, but they do release some of the finest, booty-shakin', bass-heavy, groovy jams we've ever heard. Not only is big bird Claude Von Stroke a don behind the decks and in the studio, dirtybird is also home to talents like Justin Martin (check out "Ghettos & Gardens" for an introduction), Eats Everything, Catz N Dogs, and many more. If you're listening to these records on your laptop speakers, please just stop. There's no reason you don't get it. Get a good subwoofer or some good cans, or even take a risk and go see this crew live and you'll begin to "get" it. Minimally massive, dirtybird is just too dirty.
Dub Police
Founded: 2004
Notable Releases: Trolley Snatcha - "Pass My By" / The Others ft. Emalkay - "Fallout"
Caspa's Dub Police imprint has been going strong for seven years, helping introduce the dubstep lovers to artists like Rusko, Emalkay, The Others, Trolley Snatcha, and many more. Dub Police has gotten behind the next group of dubstep producers, with The Others' Red Planet LP quietly showcasing how diverse the genre can be, while giving Subscape enough freedom to be himself with his Elements EP release. While many labels have followed trends, trying to make more "commercial" sounds, Caspa has steered his ship in the best way he knows how: staying consistent, staying true, and staying gold.
Astralwerks
Founded: 1993
Notable Releases: Chemical Brothers ft. Noel Gallagher - "Setting Sun" / Swedish House Mafia ft. John Martin - "Don't You Worry Child"
Astralwerks has been at it for two decades, and when the Last Great American Dance Music Push (aka "Electronica") was going down, they were in the thick of it, releasing quality music from the Chemical Brothers, Photek, Cassius, Basement Jaxx, and many others. Currently, Astralwerks is the home to the Chemicals, David Guetta, Swedish House Mafia, NERVO, Eric Prydz, and Kraftwerk, showing that they both understand the current climate of dance music, but know how to keep their roster stacked with proven EDM veterans. If they keep this up, we'll still be talking about them in another two decades.
Size Records
Founded: 2003
Notable Releases: AN21 & Max Vangeli vs. Steve Angello - "H8RS" / Qulinez - "Troll"
While all three of the Swedish House Mafia boys have got their own imprints, (Axwell's Axtone, Ingrosso's Refune), Steve Angello has really shown that Size Records is the dominant one. Pardon the pun, but Size Records has just dominated the last few years. Huge records like Nari & Milani's "Atom," the AN21 & Max Vangeli album People of the Night (including the huge single, "H8Rs"), and Qulinez' "Troll" have all passed through the peeps at Size. More than that, Steve Angello made history in 2012 when he took his Size label showcase to NYC's famed Central Park; so while the SHM might be done (har har har, we'll see), but Angello is determined to make sure we all know that "Size Matters."
sizerecords.com
Spinnin’ Records
Founded: 1999
Notable Releases: Nicky Romero - "Toulouse"
If you know anything about house music then you must know Spinnin'. With a constant stream of high-quality jams, the people at Spinnin' have proven they are indeed, the Dutch masters. Whether it's a release through any one of their great imprints (Sander Van Doorn's Doorn Records or Afrojack's Wall Recordings) or through their own name, Spinnin' has routinely been responsible for some of the biggest hits. Just in 2012 alone they dominated with singles from Nicky Romero ("Toulouse"), Basto ("I Rave You"), and Firebeatz & Schella ("Dear New York"). They've recently stepped out of their house strength to bring you dubstep tracks from the likes of Candyland and TheFatRat, but Spinnin' will always first and foremost be known as a house label; a premiere one at that.
mau5trap
Founded: 2007
Notable Releases: Noisia - "Tommy's Theme" / Skrillex - "Scary Monsters And Nice Sprites"
Quality over quantity, right? Right. Mau5trap doesn't have the biggest assortment of releases, but just look and you know that it doesn't matter. Of course the mau5 releases through his own label, but it's also put out some astonishing high-quality and significant releases not from the mau5 himself. Although it might be lost on most, Noisia's sound design is routinely noted as one of the most advanced and cleanest out there, and their album Split The Atom was released through mau5trap, and the same goes for all of Feed Me's releases and hip-hop/bass dons Foreign Beggars, too. And although he's no longer with mau5trap, it wasn't too long ago we caught wind of a little lop-haired kid named Skrillex, so thank you mau5trap!
Ram Records
Founded: 1992
Notable Releases: Origin Unknown - "Valley of the Shadows" / Calyx & Teebee - "Elevate This Sound"
When it comes to drum & bass, there are a number of great labels: Metalheadz, Hospital, and Critical Music to name a few. If you're looking for the imprint that's on the forefront of the dnb scene, you can't get any better than Ram. Headed by Andy C, Ram recently celebrated 20 years of quality drum & bass and jungle music, with their current roster boasting a who's who of important dnb acts: Sub Focus, Loadstar, Delta Heavy, Wilkinson, Rene LaVice, and Hamilton. It's the imprint where Chase & Status really spread their wings, and also released the amazing sophomore album from Calyx & Teebee last year. If your dnb folder doesn't contain any recent Ram Records, you're doing it wrong.
Dim Mak Records
Founded: 1996
Notable Releases: MSTRKRFT ft. NORE - "Bounce" / Dirtyphonics "Dirty"
Steve Aoki's Dim Mak Records was formed in 1996, but it's the label's constant strive for the new that keeps it heads above other EDM labels. Without even mentioning Aoki's own releases, Dim Mak regularly surprises DJs and fans alike with releases from The Bloody Beetroots, Infected Mushroom, Dirtyphonics, Atari Teenage Riot, and Zedd. Dim Mak also throws some great parties in the California area, and already have their fingers on the pulse of the scene, with Clockwork's Surge EP set to cap off a fine 2013.
Fool's Gold
Founded: 2007
Notable Releases: Yeah Yeah Yeahs - "Heads Will Roll (A-Trak Remix)" / Flosstradamus - "Rollup (Baauer Remix)"
The future of electronic music will definitely have a hip-hop bend, and thanks to A-Trak and Nick Catchdubs' Fool's Gold Records, we'll know which way to look. Not only has the label put out some high-quality releases on the electronic side of things (like A-Trak's most recent Tuna Melt EP), but they've also been home to up-and-coming hip-hop acts like Danny Brown. Flosstradamus, Carnage, Baauer, Crookers, Babylon, Tommy Trash, and many, many more have all put out jams through this Brooklyn, NY based independent label.
Mad Decent
Founded: 2005
Notable Releases: Major Lazer ft. Flux Pavilion - "Jah No Partial" / Rusko ft. Amber Coffman - "Hold On (Sub Focus Remix)"
Mad Decent is the house that Diplo created, and it mirrors his love of, well, everything. If it's hot, it's here, with everyone from Dillon Francis and Rusko to Crookers and Lil Jon having released tracks on the multi-genre imprint. Mad Decent has been known to hop on trends at their birth, with the sounds of moombahton and trap being discovered by many through Mad Decent releases. It has also spawned a free label, The Jeffrees, which has helped push new artists, including UZ, Bro Safari, and others, while Mad Decent has also ran an annual series of Block Parties, starting as small Philly parties to 2012's series, which saw parties being thrown in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, and in Canada. Basically, if you want to know what's hot before everyone else knows what's hot, impress your friends and stay up on Mad Decent's release schedule.
OWSLA
Founded: 2011
Notable Releases: Skrillex ft. Sirah - "Bangarang" / Kill the Noise - "Black Magic (Kill the Noise, Part. 2)"
Despite only being two years old, Skrillex's OWSLA label has risen to the forefront of the EDM scene. Not only has it been a home for his own releases (like the Grammy-nominated Bangarang EP), but it has helped introduce the world to acts like Zedd, Porter Robinson, Alvin Risk, Koan Sound, and Birdy Nam Nam, as well as dropping tracks from Dog Blood (Skrillex's project with Boys Noize), Skream, and Sub Focus. When the world considers EDM to be one thing, and Skrillex to only have "one sound," it's funny to look through how diverse his label truly has been.
Ultra Music
Founded: 1995
Notable Releases: deadmau5 feat. Chris James - "The Veldt" / Armin van Buuren – "Shivers"
When you hear "Ultra," many rightfully think of their humungous festivals, annual celebrations of the EDM scene that go on worldwide. Many forget that Ultra Records has been one of the leading independent American EDM labels for years, with acts like Benny Benassi, Calvin Harris, Armin van Buuren, Deadmau5, Steve Aoki, DJ Muggs, Laidback Luke, and many others dropping tracks on the imprint over the last few years. Most importantly, Ultra's Patrick Moxey was made President of Electronic Music at Sony, solidifying EDM's mainstream appeal in a deal that will unify Ultra through Sony's channels. If that's not huge, we don't know what is.
