Lists
15 of the most influential techno labels of the past decade
These imprints are pushing techno forward
2 BPitch Control
Ellen Allien has always directed her BPitch Control imprint with a sense of openness, creating a space for its artists to thrive and produce stylistically broad techno that journeys across the board in the range of atmospheres and emotions it touches upon.
Vote for BPitch Control in our Label Of The Decade Poll here
3 Clone
With a sublabel roster longer than many imprints' release discography, Clone has grown into one of techno’s most dominant forces, unleashing a relentless stream of dancefloor fire that powers through international club systems on a weekly basis. It may be called Clone, but you’ll be hard pushed to find many other labels that can hope to replicate its influence.
Vote for Clone in our Label Of The Decade Poll here
4 Cocoon Recordings
Parents are generally pretty influential figures on their brood. Sven Väth, or Papa Sven as he is affectionately known, is the daddy of the German techno scene, and his impression has been plentiful. This shines through in his Cocoon Recordings imprint, which has put out records from innovators like Legowelt and Onur Özer, and housed a stunning mix series with contributions from Ricardo Villalobos, Sonja Moonear, Richie Hawtin and many more.
Vote for Cocoon in our Label Of The Decade Poll here
5 Drumcode
Techno has burst from the underground and taken root in large-scale festivals and warehouse events across the globe in the past decade. Adam Beyer’s Drumcode has been ahead of the curve, serving as a hub for artists making sense of this transition that has elevated techno from dark basements to big room heights.
Vote for Drumcode in our Label Of The Decade Poll here
6 Ilian Tape
Ilian Tape’s lifespan directly parallels with the past decade, and the Munich-based imprint has built an impressive legacy over the past 10 years. Powered by the progressive attitudes and passion of co-heads the Zenker Brothers, the label has broken out any defined mould of techno to craft a style that is quite distinct, deftly mixing hazy ambience and spiky floor-primed foundations.
Vote for Ilian Tape in our Label Of The Decade Poll here
7 M-Plant
Robert Hood has contributed nearly all of the releases that have arrived through his M-Plant label since its relaunch in 2009. He doesn’t need anyone else. In going it alone the Detroit native has built up an outstanding discography that showcases minimal, flickering, woozy style of techno he pioneered. Artists across the planet have strived to replicate the beauty and hypnotic quality of his productions, but few have matched up to the original.
Vote for M-Plant in our Label Of The Decade Poll here
8 Ostgut Ton
Berlin’s status as the capital of European techno has been underscored this decade, and Berghain and the Ostgut Ton label it birthed have been at the heart of this. Pretty much all of the club’s residents and label’s artists have risen up to the ranks to stand among the most sought-after selectors in the world, and they push the sound of Ostgut Ton in their sets. The label’s influence can be felt in clubs across every continent.
Vote for Ostgut Ton in our Label Of The Decade Poll here
9 Planet E
Carl Craig hails from Detroit and was a foremost figure in the techno birthplace’s second generation of pioneering artists. He counts many the genre’s most compelling and inspirational producers among his friends and peers, such as Kevin Saunderson, Stacey Pullen and Kenny Larkin, and over the past decade they have continued to define the genre’s sound together through forward-thinking releases on his Planet E imprint.
Vote for Planet E in our Label Of The Decade Poll here
10 Plus 8
Richie Hawtin and John Acquaviva have spent the breadth of their extensive career pioneering. They’ve experimented with different musical styles through a range of aliases, and helped invent gear such as the Final Scratch and “performance instrument” mixer PLAYdifferently Model 1. Plus 8, the label founded by the two Canadians, has been fuelled by their desire to constantly evolve. As well as releasing forward-thinking music from the likes of Speedy J and Kenny Larkin in the past 10 years, Plus 8 has also trialled unconventional release methods such as putting out a record as mousemat and t-shirt. And it’s even got deadmau5 to go techno with his Testpilot project.
Vote for Plus 8 in our Label Of The Decade Poll here
11 R&S
With a discography that includes Aphex Twin and Joey Beltram’s timeless ‘Energy Flash’, R&S is one of the most influential imprints of all time. In the last 10 years it’s maintained this impactful form, hosting Paula Temple’s return from the musical wilderness in 2013 and signing up artists who push the boundaries of techno as a genre such as brothers Tessela and MPIA3.
Vote for R&S in our Label Of The Decade Poll here
12 Soma Quality Recordings
Founded by Slam, the Glasgwegian duo’s artist name gives a pretty good description of the records they put out through their Soma Quality Recordings label. It’s a discography of pumping club cuts that star in many of the world’s finest techno selector’s sets when looking for records to send dancefloors into submission.
Vote for Soma Quality Recordings in our Label Of The Decade Poll here
13 Transmat
As one of the Belleville Three techno originators, Derrick May’s influence is etched into the nucleus of the genre. People take notice of any move he makes, and equally all eyes are on his Transmat imprint whenever its cuts a release, with the scene made up of May’s disciples looking to the OG for inspiration.
Vote for Transmat in our Label Of The Decade Poll here
14 Tresor
One of the most recognisable names in dance music. Every release from the revered Tresor camp is an event in the techno calendar, and its quality never falters. Last year alone outings came from genre architect Juan Atkins & Moritz Von Oswald, Porter Ricks, Mike Parker, Mønic, Zadig and a breathtaking mix CD from Objekt.
Vote for Tresor in our Label Of The Decade Poll here
15 Underground Resistance
The formation of Underground Resistance saw the group fire out the blocks with the raw energy of the Detroit streets and make an unshakeable impression in a whirlwind of masked faces, militant aesthetics and ferocious music. The ripples of their impact continue to spread throughout the techno sphere, in part through the label arm that has maintained a mighty release schedule over the past 10 years.
Vote for Underground Resistance in our Label Of The Decade Poll here
Patrick Hinton is Mixmag's Digital Staff Writer, follow him on Twitter
