Best Record Labels

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THere have been a few records labels that just consistently put out things that completely do it for me. How about you?

Mine include:

ESP Disk
Bomp!
Midnight
Okka Disc
PSF
FMP
Eclipse
Woronzow
Camera Obscura
Stiff

― John Bullabaugh (John Bullabaugh), Friday, 28 March 2003 03:06 (twenty-three years ago)

siesta, 555, carpark

― keith (keithmcl), Friday, 28 March 2003 03:29 (twenty-three years ago)

Smells Like Records

― Al (sitcom), Friday, 28 March 2003 03:34 (twenty-three years ago)

transmat, planet e, kompakt, basic channel, factory.

― Mike Taylor (mjt), Friday, 28 March 2003 04:38 (twenty-three years ago)

rough trade!!!

moving shadow, reinforced, suburban base, locked on, basic channel/chain reaction, factory, kompakt, blah blah

― jess (dubplatestyle), Friday, 28 March 2003 04:44 (twenty-three years ago)

Right now, I'm all over 5 Rue Christine. Xiu Xiu has become an obsession and I love Deerhoof and Hella too.

― lou (lou), Friday, 28 March 2003 04:48 (twenty-three years ago)

Perlon
MEGO
Säkhö
max.Ernst
Bruchstuecke
Context
Tigersushi

note... this list isn't "best," "most influential," or anything like that - simply labels that a) i buy on sight, and b) have a ridiculously high hit/miss ratio. i buy kompakt on sight, for instance, but i know i'll be disappointed a good portion of the time.

― philip sherburne (philip sherburne), Friday, 28 March 2003 04:54 (twenty-three years ago)

Ambush, early Warp, Too Pure, No U Turn, Trojan, Greensleeves, etc. . .

― Alex in SF (Alex in SF), Friday, 28 March 2003 04:55 (twenty-three years ago)

rough trade. jonathan whiskey. 555 were unbeatable until recently, when the quality control took an alarming dive. i still buy everything poptones and fierce panda put out despite the fact the best years of both labels now seem to be in the past.

― electric sound of jim (electricsound), Friday, 28 March 2003 04:55 (twenty-three years ago)

Dischord, Load, Hospital Productions, Thunderrecords, Animal Disguise, Freedom-From, Gravity, Bulb, Repercussion, Inchworm

― Ian Johnson (orion), Friday, 28 March 2003 05:07 (twenty-three years ago)

Mego, Drag City, Kompakt, Subpop, Tomlab

― Jeff-PTTL (Jeff), Friday, 28 March 2003 05:19 (twenty-three years ago)

and Erstwhile!

― Jeff-PTTL (Jeff), Friday, 28 March 2003 05:21 (twenty-three years ago)

SILTBREEZE!

― ddb, Friday, 28 March 2003 06:05 (twenty-three years ago)

Rough Trade
Minus
K
Star Time
!K7
Murder Records
On!!
Thrill Jockey

― webcrack (music=crack), Friday, 28 March 2003 06:09 (twenty-three years ago)

Peekaboo Records

― miloauckerman (miloauckerman), Friday, 28 March 2003 06:42 (twenty-three years ago)

yeah, some of my fave folx who had the cash & went out of their way to document, like good stuff

Okeh
Bluebird
Prestige
Riverside
Blue Note
Stax/Volt
ESP
BYG
Nessa
Delmark
Rounder
SST
Rough Trade
Homestead (GC era)
Trax
Sub Pop
K
Warp
Siltbreeze
Okka
Atavistic
Kompakt
Erstwhile

― Mr. Diamond (diamond), Friday, 28 March 2003 07:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Creation, Factory, Transmat, Strictly Rhythm, Nervous, Henry Street, KMS, Junior Boys Own, 4AD, SST

― Spencer Chow (spencermfi), Friday, 28 March 2003 08:03 (twenty-three years ago)

CRI, hat hut, black saint, base, EG, revenant, charly/BYG, nonesuch, koch, phillips, WATT, JAPO, flying nun, arista, FMP, CIMP, leo, cadence, intakt, ralph, het apollohuis, tzadik, avant, wergo, DG, INA grm, forced exposure, harmonia mundi, alternative tentacles, cherry red, nessa, prestige/impulse, protest-records

― george gosset (gegoss), Friday, 28 March 2003 08:27 (twenty-three years ago)

Warner Brothers!

― James Blount (James Blount), Friday, 28 March 2003 09:08 (twenty-three years ago)

not lauded yet on this thread, but doin' good-to-excellent work with reasonable consistency: WINTER & WINTER

― t\'\'t (t\'\'t), Friday, 28 March 2003 09:56 (twenty-three years ago)

Ones that spring to mind immediately: Matador, Southern Lord, Warp, Tresor, Domino, Soul Jazz (mostly reissues obviously, but still), GSL. There are labels whose ethics and general outlook I like more - Touch and Go or Tigerbeat6 for example - but find there to be a few clunkers in their catalogue.

― DJ Mencap (DJ Mencap), Friday, 28 March 2003 11:17 (twenty-three years ago)

Present: Kitty-yo, Skam, City Centre Offices, Warp, Rephlex, Palace, Touch + Go, Tigerbeat 6.

Past: Sub Pop, K, Wiija, Basic Channel, Chemikal Underground.

― neil simpson, Friday, 28 March 2003 11:33 (twenty-three years ago)

Stiff Records had some incredibly good artists - Ian Dury, Lene Lovich, Rachel Sweet, Jona Lewie... and they deserve a mention as a really special label and time in music.

Rough Trade too.

Also, Mute deserves a special mention.

― russ t, Friday, 28 March 2003 12:02 (twenty-three years ago)

Apart from those already mentioned, Fact Products and Postcard were both great at their peak.

― Stewart Osborne (Stewart Osborne), Friday, 28 March 2003 13:47 (twenty-three years ago)

Fact Products? FACT Products? What AM I talking about? Could I possibly mean FAST Products?

― Stewart Osborne (Stewart Osborne), Friday, 28 March 2003 13:48 (twenty-three years ago)

Some active and current faves:

Areal
Bruchstuecke
Delsin
Frictional
Kompakt
Persona
Planet E
Sound Signature
Young God

And probably one of the broken-beat labels (I get them all confused).

― Andy K (Andy K), Friday, 28 March 2003 14:18 (twenty-three years ago)

Junior Boys Own, Skint, Subliminal (sometimes), Intec.

― Ronan (Ronan), Friday, 28 March 2003 14:20 (twenty-three years ago)

Southern Fried, Roule, Loaded.

― Ronan (Ronan), Friday, 28 March 2003 14:20 (twenty-three years ago)

Warner Brothers
BMG
Sony
EMI
Polygram
MCA

― A Nairn (moretap), Friday, 28 March 2003 14:38 (twenty-three years ago)

Pickled Egg are pretty consistent. Lovely Hasslehound 10 incher I'm now playing.

― flowersdie (flowersdie), Friday, 28 March 2003 14:39 (twenty-three years ago)

http://www.soc.duke.edu/~s142tm01/image/chart03.gif

― A Nairn (moretap), Friday, 28 March 2003 14:41 (twenty-three years ago)

It+´s War Boys
Black noise
Fast products
early Rough trade
early Factory
Les disques des crepuscule
99 RECORDS
refill
Fuck off
STreet level
Deleted
West end
hmm... more?

― Jens (brighter), Friday, 28 March 2003 15:02 (twenty-three years ago)

Parlophone (60s to present)
Charisma (70s)
Virgin (70s and 80s)
Wea (80s)
Creation (90s)
Food (90s)
Motown (60s and 70s only)

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Friday, 28 March 2003 15:12 (twenty-three years ago)

Yes, and Harvest and Deram too

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Friday, 28 March 2003 15:13 (twenty-three years ago)

Accoustic Disc
Blue Angel
Riverside
Arhoolie
Saturn
Okeh
ECM
4AD

― christoff (christoff), Friday, 28 March 2003 15:44 (twenty-three years ago)

Drunken Fish (seemingly MIA, *sniff*)
Bomp
Kranky
IRS (once great, unsure if they even exist other than as reprints)
SST
4AD
Woronzoa
Flying Nun
Touch and Go (for the Dirty Three and Man or Astro Man, more than anything)

― Matt Maxwell (Matt M.), Friday, 28 March 2003 15:54 (twenty-three years ago)

in one word : 4ADKrankyCreationTouch&GoDischordPeaceville

― JP Almeida (JP Almeida), Friday, 28 March 2003 16:08 (twenty-three years ago)

sympathy for the record industry.

― otto, Friday, 28 March 2003 16:14 (twenty-three years ago)

Ninja Tune (I can't believe I'm the first person to mention Ninja Tune!), Tzadik, Ipecac, American, whatever David Byrne's record label is called again (I forgot), I loved and now miss MoWax, Bar/None, Alternative Tentacles, and as major labels go I think Interscope is pretty damned spiffy and on their toes.

― nickalicious (nickalicious), Friday, 28 March 2003 16:21 (twenty-three years ago)

I second Mr. Diamond's list and Thes-One's (of People Under the Stairs) rhymin' list on the cut "43 Labels I Like".
I'll add Def Jux, Stones Throw, Blood&Fire, and Barely Breaking Even.

― oops (Oops), Friday, 28 March 2003 16:48 (twenty-three years ago)

not mentioned yet... Amobeic, For 4 Ears, Wholly Other, Corpus Hermeticum, Apestaartje, (K-RAA-K)3, Paradigm Discs, Matchless, Incus

seconded (thirded, whatever...): Erstwhile, Eclipse, Mego.

― summerslastsound (summerslastsound), Friday, 28 March 2003 17:00 (twenty-three years ago)

i cannot believe i'm the only person to mention the holy triumverate so far

― jess (dubplatestyle), Friday, 28 March 2003 17:11 (twenty-three years ago)

Amoebic, obv. and add IMJ to the shortlist. young, but not a dud yet.

― summerslastsound (summerslastsound), Friday, 28 March 2003 17:18 (twenty-three years ago)

sarah records
subway organisation
def jam

― kieron, Friday, 28 March 2003 17:56 (twenty-three years ago)

My square list:

Thrill Jockey
Mego
A-Musik
Hefty
Sonig
Drag City
Anticon
Perishable
Eastern Developments
Moikai
Erstwhile
Touch & Go

― Nathan Webb (Nathan Webb), Friday, 28 March 2003 20:38 (twenty-three years ago)

Thanks for the reminders everybody!! I too like Drag City, SST, SubPop, Atavistic, and BYG/Actuel. Sympathy For the Record Industry, and Tombstone (because Dead Moon is on it, owns it, etc.) deserve mention as well. Worry Bird has done some interesting things. Squealer is great, if only for making some rare Japanese madness available at reasonable prices.

― John Bullabaugh (John Bullabaugh), Friday, 28 March 2003 21:25 (twenty-three years ago)

People Records = my all-time favorite label, of course.

I also would like to own everything on 99, Black Noise, (pre-'84) Rough Trade, El Saturn...

And it's really easy to take e.g. K for granted, but I love 'em still.

― Douglas (Douglas), Saturday, 29 March 2003 00:07 (twenty-three years ago)

TAPE fuckin MOUNTAIN rules your sorry ass with trinkets and love.

― Chris P (Chris P), Saturday, 29 March 2003 00:09 (twenty-three years ago)

HELLO??!?!? Why the FUCK hasn't ANYBODY mentioned Rhino Records yet??!?!?

― Evan (Evan), Saturday, 29 March 2003 00:24 (twenty-three years ago)

Kranky
Iridal
Drunken Fish
Flying Nun
IPR
Kill Rock Stars
Elefant
S.H.A.D.O.
Creation
Wholly Other
Squealer
Eclipse
Munster
Rhino
Bomp!
Rotting America
Third Stone
Acme
Space Age Recordings
Ochre

― Chris Barrus (Chris Barrus), Saturday, 29 March 2003 02:33 (twenty-three years ago)

Skipping 13 messages at this point... Click here if you want to load them all.

have to say that happy couples never last records is the bomb,

because i ordered one cd and they sent me five

― ron (ron), Thursday, 30 October 2003 02:10 (twenty-two years ago)

lil chief records

― keith (keithmcl), Friday, 31 October 2003 02:07 (twenty-two years ago)

six months pass...

HAUSMUSIK is a fantastic German label...

― klara, Friday, 28 May 2004 05:17 (twenty-two years ago)

two months pass...

No Colours
Moribund Cult
Chondritic Sound
Animal Disguise
SST

― D ZNYDR, Saturday, 21 August 2004 23:39 (twenty-one years ago)

dee snider?

― cinniblount (James Blount), Saturday, 21 August 2004 23:59 (twenty-one years ago)

one year passes...

warp! warp! warp!

― yo, Saturday, 21 January 2006 20:03 (twenty years ago)

how was dischord not mentioned on here at all?

― jonathan - stl (jonathan - stl), Sunday, 22 January 2006 01:54 (twenty years ago)

three months pass...

morr music

― palbo, Tuesday, 2 May 2006 15:00 (twenty years ago)

Chess

― Washable School Paste (sexyDancer), Tuesday, 2 May 2006 16:12 (twenty years ago)

http://www.acuterecords.com

― Dan Selzer (Dan Selzer), Tuesday, 2 May 2006 17:08 (twenty years ago)

Salsoul

― rentboy (rentboy), Tuesday, 2 May 2006 17:28 (twenty years ago)

Marina

― hank (hank s), Tuesday, 2 May 2006 17:38 (twenty years ago)

I like Touch a lot . . . great field recordings and conceptual works.

― andrew b (klik99), Tuesday, 2 May 2006 17:45 (twenty years ago)

not mentioned yet...

Dual Plover
ICR
RRRecords
United Dairies
Post Office Records

― S- (sgh), Wednesday, 3 May 2006 01:56 (twenty years ago)

I like pretty much everything released on Small Wonder. Apart from Demon Preacher. And the ones I haven't heard yet.

― Colonel Poo (Colonel Poo), Wednesday, 3 May 2006 07:26 (twenty years ago)

four years pass...

I see I started this thread with my old screen name, so I think its only fair I give it a bump. Besides there's a ton of great labels to mention!:

Captured Tracks
Florida's Dying
Not Not Fun
In the Red
Three Lobed
Clean Feed
Root Don Lonie for Cash

more?...

― ImprovSpirit, Tuesday, 4 May 2010 18:01 (sixteen years ago)

ahhh so thats who you are!

― pfunkboy (Herman G. Neuname), Tuesday, 4 May 2010 18:02 (sixteen years ago)

I wondered what had happened to you.

― pfunkboy (Herman G. Neuname), Tuesday, 4 May 2010 18:03 (sixteen years ago)

Still living, near as I can tell. thanks for noticing! Is Julio DeSouza still around under some other name?

― ImprovSpirit, Tuesday, 4 May 2010 18:15 (sixteen years ago)

xyzzzzz is he

― pfunkboy (Herman G. Neuname), Tuesday, 4 May 2010 18:29 (sixteen years ago)

Mmkay... I'll keep my eyes open for that. Oh!... and:

Em Records
Fuck It Tapes
Mississippi Records

― ImprovSpirit, Tuesday, 4 May 2010 20:09 (sixteen years ago)

I've been digging Night People Records out of Iowa City.

― Trip Maker, Tuesday, 4 May 2010 20:12 (sixteen years ago)

ahhh so thats who you are!

― pfunkboy (Herman G. Neuname), Tuesday, May 4, 2010 11:02 AM (2 hours ago) Bookmark

― bug holocaust (sleeve), Tuesday, 4 May 2010 20:13 (sixteen years ago)

Suprised to find no mention of Constellation. I bought most of their early output on the basis of it being released by them. So glad I did to, without that I'd never had disovered Polpo Polmo.

― AnotherDeadHero, Tuesday, 4 May 2010 21:51 (sixteen years ago)

Me too. Not bought any for a while though.
Anyway Blue Note wins this.

― pfunkboy (Herman G. Neuname), Tuesday, 4 May 2010 21:53 (sixteen years ago)

do reissue labels count? (i know i started a separate thread devoted to this narrower topic a few years ago). if so: the numero group.

― Daniel, Esq., Tuesday, 4 May 2010 21:54 (sixteen years ago)

Warp, Matador, Creation (that includes MBV). I don't really pay attention though, truthfully.

― kelpolaris, Tuesday, 4 May 2010 21:55 (sixteen years ago)

I think reissue labels count. That's why I mentioned Em Records.

...and I had forgotten about Night People. Good one!

While I'm at it: Woodsist ! ! ! They seriously kill it.

― ImprovSpirit, Tuesday, 4 May 2010 21:57 (sixteen years ago)

Woodsist/fuckittapes has been my fave for the last year or 2

― pfunkboy (Herman G. Neuname), Tuesday, 4 May 2010 22:00 (sixteen years ago)

Fat Cat are worth a mention too.

― AnotherDeadHero, Tuesday, 4 May 2010 22:04 (sixteen years ago)

Atlantic
Impulse!
Milestones
Curtom
Def Jam
Warp
Planet E
Tresor
Mille Plateaux
Harvest
Moving Shadow
Metalheadz
Incoming!
Elektrolux
~scape
Nonplace

― Tuomas, Tuesday, 4 May 2010 22:10 (sixteen years ago)

No mentions of a few of my favorites:

Brah
Jagjaguwar
Secretly Canadian

― he's always been a bit of an anti-climb Max (jon /via/ chi 2.0), Tuesday, 4 May 2010 22:16 (sixteen years ago)

hyperdub.

― Daniel, Esq., Tuesday, 4 May 2010 22:16 (sixteen years ago)

Ektro - even if only for their hand in the Circle albums.

― he's always been a bit of an anti-climb Max (jon /via/ chi 2.0), Tuesday, 4 May 2010 22:18 (sixteen years ago)

DFA
Innervisions
Eskimo

― micarl, Tuesday, 4 May 2010 22:19 (sixteen years ago)

it may not be cool, but if i'm honest, the label i listen to the most is $tateside and all their reissues ie. axelrod, northern soul compilations, TK disco, forgotten gems etc

another fave of mine is ds93 a black dog affiliated label which involves a series of 9 12" singles of which only 93 copies are pressed of each one.

currently up to the 4th release.

each release has been rather good so far with (vector lovers, scanner, alex smoke, and the brilliant mark archer being the goodies on offer.

― mark e, Tuesday, 4 May 2010 22:45 (sixteen years ago)

sacred bones
columbus discount

― van smack, Tuesday, 4 May 2010 22:58 (sixteen years ago)

network records, the uk based label that licensed loads of early us house and techno in the late 80s/early 90s. so many amazing releases that can now be had for ridiculously cheap prices

― hotel califor.nia (r1o natsume), Tuesday, 4 May 2010 23:02 (sixteen years ago)

Yep Sacred Bones & Columbus Discount are da shizzznit.

Also a reissue label: Monk Records

In case it ain't mentioned above: Trance Syndicate

― ImprovSpirit, Tuesday, 4 May 2010 23:44 (sixteen years ago)

I'll buy most anything if it's on Kranky, Warp, DFA or Hyperdub.

― I just wish he hadn't adopted the "ilxor" moniker (ilxor), Wednesday, 5 May 2010 02:27 (sixteen years ago)

seven months pass...

i'm trying to remember the name of a record label that specialises in reissuing forgotten/obscure items and - i think - only in limited editions. anyone help an old man here?

― xavi hoarder type (whatever), Thursday, 9 December 2010 21:45 (fifteen years ago)

mississippi records?

― nakhchivan, Thursday, 9 December 2010 21:47 (fifteen years ago)

sounds like mississippi, could be a lot of things though... shadoks, sublime frequencies maybe (are their albums reissues?)

― jeevves, Friday, 10 December 2010 06:47 (fifteen years ago)

could be numero group.

― Daniel, Esq., Friday, 10 December 2010 06:51 (fifteen years ago)

a general genre of music would be helpful.

― mini-skirt and gogol books (GOTT PUNCH II HAWKWINDZ), Friday, 10 December 2010 09:53 (fifteen years ago)

a general genre of music would be helpful.

― mini-skirt and gogol books (GOTT PUNCH II HAWKWINDZ), Friday, December 10, 2010 9:53 AM (7 hours ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

i know it was a pretty lame post. problem is i can't think of a general genre. i think sublime frequencies looks the closest match - and i should have been less specific on the reissue front, it's more about unearthing long-forgotten stuff. thanks all for input though, there are some other interesting labels to look into there.

― xavi hoarder type (whatever), Friday, 10 December 2010 17:14 (fifteen years ago)

Wounded Bird unearth a lot of stuff.

― Moving Pixels (J3ff T.), Friday, 10 December 2010 17:40 (fifteen years ago)

Rather like those guys that dig up septic tanks.

― mini-skirt and gogol books (GOTT PUNCH II HAWKWINDZ), Saturday, 11 December 2010 03:27 (fifteen years ago)

island
motown
(best record labels)

― jeevves, Saturday, 11 December 2010 11:02 (fifteen years ago)

four weeks pass...

This label's image makes me laugh

http://www.fuckoffanddi.co.uk/main/main.gif

― van smack, Sunday, 9 January 2011 02:19 (fifteen years ago)

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