The Top 20 Record Labels Of 2016

Dance music is peppered by tales of record store workers making it big as DJs. London has Phonica, Glasgow has Rubadub, Berlin has Hardwax, and Bristol has Idle Hands, which has produced the likes of Shanti Celeste and Kowton from its ranks. But in 2016, the institution itself has been the star.

Under the direction of founder Chris Farrell, the label arm of the operation has had a standout year with a diverse array of releases. Three albums have arrived: Matt Karmil explored dusky new territory on his first full-length away from PNN; Young Echo duo O$VMV$M turned in a sample-saturated, succinctly trimmed effort; and Rhythmic Theory, another former employee, crafted a subtle sci-fi journey through sub bass and ambient haze in a style typical of his shadowy profile.

Elsewhere the label entered the summer fittingly with the euphoric garage-indebted house of mysterious twosome L.M.Y.E., put out one of the year’s best EPs in the heartache techno of Bruce’s ‘The Trouble With Wilderness’, took off on a minimal tangent with Christian Jay’s metallic sprung ‘Contrail’, tipped its hat to the Bristol continuum through Parris’ ‘Burr’, a sleek blend of old-skool low-ends and stylish melody trips, and hosted a pioneer in Om Unit. Quite a release schedule from an imprint that has been far more industrious than its name lets on. P Hinton

There's something potent in the air in Manchester. Whatever it is, though, it can carry on lingering if the spawning of Kaizen is anything to go by. Just two years old, Madam X's label is waving MCR's gully flag high alongside the likes of Levelz and Swing Ting. After launching with 'Kaizen Movements Vol.1' in 2014, the label got back to releasing with Biome's 'Griddled' 12" in January. Swamp81 boss Loefah picked it up, giving all three tracks a run-out on his Rinse FM show. Shady and sinister, they're on a strictly hoods-up, heads-down tip. Think moody dubstep with the addition of some subtle percussive seasoning and you're there. The same goes for Silas & Snare's 'Biometric' – it's just straight sub-heavy attitude made for darkened clubs.

Kaizen got around a fair bit in 2016, too. September saw it hook up with Swamp81 for a BBQ bash, with Madam X playing back-to-back with Loefah, while they joined Ivy Lab and a few of the Levelz crew for Hit & Run at Manchester club Hidden in October. London got the rough 'n' ready north-west sounds in May as well when Kaizen Klub took over The Yard. There's a whole load of NTS Manchester shows to sift through, so if you're after a concoction of grime, bass and off-kilter techno, here’s where you need to go. D Turner

If you've been following our exclusive premieres this year, you'll have noticed the name Infinite Machine popping up a fair amount of times. The Canada-based label, launched in 2011, deals in the type of raging, experimental club music pioneered by the likes of Lotic and KABLAM. It's far from easy listening, but there's plenty of pleasure to be had if you're turned on by harsh synths and crashing mechanics.

The Infinite Machine aesthetic has developed a fair bit since the downtempo garage days of Bwana's 'It Ain't Done Til It's Over' and iO Sounds' spicy tech of 'Afdw', now housing ear-piercing club tear outs by WWWINGS ('Affliction'), the spooky hammerings of Zíur ('Fever') and the dystopian world sounds of Tomás Urquieta ('La Muerte De Todo Lo Nuevo'). We've premiered all three on Mixmag this year and there's also been Alfred English's 'Piston' EP, a wonky, rocket-fueled workout as well as EPs from Abyss X and Iydes. Fancy weirding out your friends and family this Christmas? This is the label. D Turner

Despite there being a lot of labels from London in this list, none have really matched the output of Church. If the period between 2012 and 2015 was the label establishing itself then this year was the time that the label came full circle as an imprint to be reckoned with. Over three years, the label headed up by Seb Wildblood, Apes & Hollick released 15 records but there were the same amount of EPs dropped this year alone.

Burgeoning talents like Laurence Guy, Ishmael and Chaos In The CBD have made Church their home in the past and this year the label has really stepped things up. Mall Grab, Project Pablo and Beesmunt Soundsystem are on the tip of exploding and for Church to have snapped them up early can only spell a bright future. Add in a debut Boiler Room takeover and several big bookings for the label bosses, and you’re looking at a label that's finally starting to realise its full potential. Funster

Funkineven's The Apron Show on NTS Radio has been a go-to this year. Raw, slammin' house, mostly from his label Apron, is on the menu and the DJ and producer drops in soothing Moodymann-esque whispers in between tracks. If you've given the shows a whirl, it's likely you've heard the jarring keys of 'XL', taken from his debut album 'Fallen', released under his birth name Steven Julien. A debut LP for him and the label, it criss-crosses between floaty, carefree melodies ('Chantel'), tonkin' bass kicks ('Carousel'), synths symbolising the end of the world ('Fallen') and gentle acid ('Kingdom'). The artwork (both pieces - there's two) is fresh-as-fuck, too, making Steven out to be one of house's flyest characters.

It's through The Apron Show we first heard 'Kinda Late' from Parisian producer Bastien Carrara. Out via the 'Apron' EP in May, it's proper raw, floor-shaking house with a real sweet vocal. The kind of track that sounds like it's been left to bathe in the baking sun, it's that glorious. L.M.Y.E's 'Pays To Be Pushed' is another gleaming gem, but it's not just feel-good house among Apron's inventory. 'Black Pow Wow' has London artist Brassfoot performing spoken word over a fuzzy industrial production and Shamos guarantees cranky techno like 'Cranbourne Road'. Funkineven’s got himself a decent squad. D Turner

“If you see a new Studio Barnhus record in a record shop you shouldn't have a clue what it's going to sound like,” Kornél Kovács, who co-founded the label alongside Axel Boman and Pedrodollar, told us in his Gold feature this summer. It’s true, the Swedish imprint is home to one of the more distinct discographies in the sphere of house music.

“Is that…a funky house cover of Cher’s ‘Believe’?!” is a thought that crossed our minds, combining mixed emotions of exhilaration and bemusement, during the opening track of Kornél’s marvellous Lab LDN set this year, which turned out to be Your Planet Is Next’s track of the same name, released through Studio Barnhus in July on an EP also featuring the bouncy ghetto-pop infusion ‘Do U Wanna Freak?’. It’s a release that sums up the charmingly peculiar output of the label, which has thrilled us over and over again in 2016.

The centrepiece outing was Kornél Kovács’ debut album ‘The Bells’, arriving in August packed full of interesting melodies, emotional depth and floor-primed bangers. Further releases have ranged from the summery vibes of MLiR’s ‘Swedish Lo-Life’ EP to Carli’s hypnotic vocal trance single ‘Lights & Strobes’ via booty-shakin’ disco from Lukas Nystrand von Unge. The artwork has also been as varied as the sounds it adorns, with our pick being the eye with a colourful 12” centre label for a pupil fronting LD Nero’s two-track contribution.

All of this and the Swedes aren’t done yet, with Mount Liberation Unlimited’s ‘Double Dance Lover’, due to drop on December 16, set to make a late bid for most exultant cut of the year. P Hinton

Midland has had a fucking amazing year. His Essential Mix (our favourite of the year) was a whirlwind expedition through house, jazz, world music, funk and soul with little care for tempo or genre restrictions. His gig schedule has been relentless and in turn it’s seen Harry Agius’ skill and precision as a selector rise to new levels. But this is a label of the year list and although there have only been three releases in total between Graded and its sub-label Regraded, we’re looking at quality not quantity here. Via Graded he released the Detroit-styled electro sounds of Solitary Dancer, an unknown act that’s got some good recognition since and also his own ‘Blush’ EP, one of the year’s stand-out records. It’s the one track that dropped on Re-Graded though that’s propelled the labels to the top and ‘Final Credits’ was the tune of the year. If you didn’t hear it in the rave as the last song at least once then you weren’t seeing the right DJs. Combine that with some seriously slick artwork and this why Midland’s labels have made the cut. Funster

This year, club music and experimental blog The Astral Plane turned into a fully-fledged record label. Building on its reputation as a source for editorial on niche artists, a formidable mix series and some expertly curated compilations, founder Gabe Meier stepped up and put out an impressive seven releases, which all orbited the explosive music that The Astral Plane engages with.

Based in California, the label has tapped into the worldwide club (not club) community, delivering a well planned set of contributions from artists based in the US and Europe. It bookended the year with EPs by SHALT, ‘Inertia’ and ‘Acheron’ both screaming and volatile and white hot to the ear, let alone any feet trying to navigate the tracks on a dancefloor. The equally visceral Nunu took a pneumatic drill to thick slabs of concrete on the ‘Mind Body Dialogue’ EP and Exit Sense made abstract work of pop gods during ‘Amor 107.5’. Some respite could be found on the Aphex-like moments of ambient on Chants’ ‘The Zookeeper’, but on that record it was never long before triumphant post-grime noise came clattering down. An ‘Acheron’ remix EP reached out to scene-defining producers M.E.S.H. and Ziur while an EP from a hitherto under-the-radar artist called LOFT explored the highs and lows of rhythmic rollercoaster techno.

Meier obviously came at 2016 with a plan of attack and has executed it fantastically. With the aforementioned releases, The Astral Plane has given a platform to exciting new artists and created a solid foundation from which to further push the boundaries of club, and by extension, electronic music. S Wheeler

Rhythm Section began life as a small-scale party in a pool club in Peckham, quickly establishing itself as one of London’s premier spots for an intimate dance that goes heavy on vibes. It stills holds the twice-monthly bashes in South London, but in 2016 the Rhythm Section International name of its label offshoot has really begun to ring true.

Releases have come from producers hailing from Poland to Auckland as the imprint has stepped up to make global waves with its smooth take on house, reflected in an extensive Australian tour and bossman Bradley Zero’s increasingly globetrotting gig schedule that has seen him play multiples dates across India and the USA.

The imprint has also shown tastemaking credentials over the past 12 months, unearthing red-hot debut releases from Dutch producer Duke Hugh and Melbourne collaborators Silentjay and Jace XL, while keeping a close link to its roots with Al Dobson Jr, the man behind RSI’s debut outing in 2014, releasing the vast ‘Rye Lane Volume II & III’ album. From Peckham to beyond, Rhythm Section is a driving force behind joyous dancefloor times. P Hinton

Bala Club was the sound of London in 2016. Founded by brothers Kamixlo and Uli-K and best friend Endgame, the crew/label/party flooded the city’s underground with next-level electronic music that’s as weird and aggressive as it is introspective and sensual.

The hostile takeover began with the first official Bala Club party on New Year’s Day (featuring Evian Christ, Visionist and Dark0 on special guest duties) and continued with raves across the capital, sweeping through an assortment of spaces including Corsica Studio’s hallowed Room Two, the legendary ICA and a boxing ring in Brixton, inviting a host of club music DJs including Venus X, Juliana Huxtable and Toxe.

Accompanying this Superman punch on London venues was the Bala Club label, which was minted with the one-two of Uli K’s ‘Elusivo’ EP in March and the ‘Vol 1’ compilation in June. The former presented the young vocalist’s sensitive songwriting and ear for anthemic pop hooks while the latter introduced the Bala Club squad in full, showcasing an international network of producers and lyricists all intent on creating their own new forms of music and disrupting the underground status quo as much as possible. “We’re not about playing along with this scene or system that’s already going on right now,” Uli K told us. “It’s about going against it and creating change.”

The second half of the year saw EPs from outsider vocalist Lunarios and Kamixlo, who served up more of his signature industrial reggaeton. There was also a spellbinding pop single from Uli K and Mechatok as well as a residency on NTS and guest spots on Rinse FM. In ‘16, Bala Club became a production factory doing things on its own terms, housing a set of flourishing musicians using SoundCloud, internet radio and Facebook event pages to make a real impact both URL and IRL. S Wheeler

Bristol is a fertile origin point for exciting club movements. Pioneers like Peverelist and Roni Size still reside in the city and are pushing things on. But in 2016, a new force has risen to prominence. Batu’s Timedance has been responsible for the most interesting, mind-bending records to emerge from the city, or anywhere, this year. The imprint was founded on the core principle of fighting stagnancy, designed as a launch pad for Batu, who was struggling to get his foot in the door of any labels outside Bristol, to foster his futuristic vision.

He was right to be confident. Without compromising, Timedance has become a first class destination for sounds that blast through boundaries and send dancefloors spiralling into the stratosphere. “[Dance music] needs to have forward momentum.” Batu asserted in our Timedance feature earlier this year, and this ethos is reflected in the propulsive sounds the imprint has unleashed.

Take Bruce’s ‘I’m Alright Mate’, which even when breaking down into silence feels like being caught in an asphyxiated moment on the brink rather than a pause in intensity, or Lurka’s ‘Beater’ which stomps with the force of a giant donning size 100 Timberlands. With further searing outings coming from Laksa, Ploy and Batu across the past 12 months, the latter backed with a Lee Gamble deconstruction, Timedance has led the pack for innovation and club devastation. P Hinton

"Read my lips," the vocal goes on DJ Assam's 'With A Sound In My Heart'. With a seductive voice like that, we'll do anything they tell us to. The tune instantly became a Mixmag office favourite and '8040', the title track of the EP, is a bundle of house joy, loaded with subtle acid stabs, bounding piano chords and a longing vocal cry. If summer-fresh house and disco-tinged jams are what you're after, Hamburg label Lehult's got a treasure-filled chest to delve into. It launched in 2014, with its biggest success being Liem's 'If Only', a track played by Kerri Chandler to pay tribute to the victims of the Le Bataclan tragedy last year.

No outsiders have been let into the label just yet. DJ Assam and Liem are two of the co-founders, alongside Lucky Charmz, Eddie Ness and Johan Kaseta, all of whom put out music this year. Lucky Charmz got squelchy with 'Latency Jam', Eddie Ness brought out the sun on 'Afro' and Johan Kaseta combined sugary, chipmunk vocals with a dose of swinging funk on 'Lei Tindissima'. While Hamburg's Golden Pudel has been closed for the majority of the year, the Lehult gang ensured the party was well and truly alive in the city by booking Jeremy Underground, Shanti Celeste and San Proper for their night at PAL. Boxing Day's looking to be a treat as well, with Lehult joining forces with Studio Barnhus for a post-Christmas bash. Still need persuading? This mix will bowl you over. D Turner

Experimental club music was well represented in 2016. A raft of labels (many of which are in this list) helped document what’s become a thriving, worldwide movement. Among them, PTP (formerly known as Purple Tape Pedigree) stood out as an imprint unafraid to journey in myriad new sonic directions and each of its releases in ’16 showcased music sourced from the most thrilling regions of dancefloor dystopia.

No two drops from the New York label, helmed by scene veteran Geng, sounded the same. PTP began its year with the high drama of Joey LaBeija’s ‘Shattered Dreams’ before moving swiftly into the grimey kizomba of Endgame’s ‘Savage’ EP. The label continued to roar with DJ NJ Drone’s ‘Syn Stair’, a hyperactive, completely alien, high speed assault and Celestial Trax’s unholy ‘From The Womb’, which was like entering the darkest chasm. WWWINGS brought more noise on the ‘Chimera’ EP while Copout delivered delicious 125bpm workouts on ‘Forces’ and 0Comeups offered a little downtime with meditative drone and collage on ‘One Deep’. N-Prolenta proved to be a truly singular artist on ‘A Love Story 4…’ and the year was rounded out with Eaves’ album ‘Veloren’. There were also five issues of CELL, a cassette series bearing even more abstract works from artists working in the realm of the label.

To put it simply: PTP cornered 2016 and made an indelible mark. More than that, it opened up a whole new world, perfectly realised and full of different zones and possibilities. S Wheeler

Whities is a sublabel of Young Turks and Young Turks is a sublabel of XL Recordings. If that doesn’t give you a good indication of what to expect then we’re not sure what will. Founded in 2014, this year has seen London DJ and Whities boss Nic Tasker take the label from strength to strength, through an amazing aesthetic identity and music that doesn’t stay sat in one category.

Reckonwrong recently released an amazing four-tracker (sleeve above) and Minor Science's 12" in July flipped the low-end techno script completely. And towards the start of the year Avalon Emerson made her intent for 2016 very, very clear. ‘The Frontier’ is easily one of the most inventive and fascinating techno tracks we’ve been treated to over the last 12 months and its forceful progression coupled with unique, screeching riffs helped it creep into our top ten tracks of 2016.

Every release from Whities seems carefully considered and that’s a rare, beautiful thing in a record label. Funster

It’s been wonderful watching the Mixpak discography unfurl. The New York label, which is helmed by Dre Skull, began its life in 2009 as a vehicle for the producer’s work with dancehall artists Sizzla and Vybz Kartel, as well as releases from artists making zingy club music indebted to the sounds emanating from Jamaica.

That’s basically been it’s MO until this year: Dre Skull has pursued his work with the most eminent dancehall stars on the planet, producing and releasing Vybz Kartel’s seminal ‘Kingston Story’ in 2011 and following up with Popcaan’s smash ‘Where We Come From’ in 2013, all the while putting out a steady stream of red-hot, club-ready EPs by the likes of Jubilee, Murlo, Dubbel Dutch, Palmistry and Schlachthofbronx.

Away from the huge success of those Vybz and Popcaan full lengths, the label has remained at a steady simmer for the best part of a decade. But in 2016 something changed and Mixpak became a real force to be reckoned with. Critically, this has been its best year for releases yet. We’ve been served albums by Jubilee (rampant party music), Palmistry (sweet bedroom pop) and GAIKA (the raw sound of London). There’s also been a set of twisted, post-club electronics from Wildlife!, made to soundtrack an exhibition that took place in NYC. Publicly, Mixpak found itself on the world’s stage when it won the Red Bull Culture Clash in London, complete underdogs who took the crown thanks to a bag of dubs and intimate knowledge of how to wreck a dance (and get the crowd squarely on side). Locally, it’s been running regular parties in New York, with line-ups featuring the best club DJs and rappers the city has to offer, as well as scores of special guests flown over from Europe and beyond.

Having followed the label since its inception, this felt like the year that the Mixpak vision really crystalised. “Who the fuck is Mixpak?!” people asked during the Culture Clash. As ’16 draws to a close, they now definitely know. S Wheeler

In terms of ‘whole packages’, this year’s Label Of The Year is perhaps the perfect definition. Dekmantel has established itself as one of the most in-demand clubbing brands in the world.

This year, it celebrated four years of its stellar Amsterdam weekender, expanded to Croatia with the impeccably good Selectors festival, announced a Brazilian edition of the festival in São Paulo and, most notably, continued to curate a record label that’s been responsible for some of the best releases of '16. Robert Hood and Matrixxman both embarked on quests to create a series of techno records, across several volumes, where they explored every aspect of the genre. Dekmantel favourites Palms Trax and Young Marco built upon their sterling reputations with more acclaimed originals and long-awaited albums came from Makam and Vakula.

All this music and still time to put on the world’s best festivals. For such a small team, the possibilities seem endless and if world domination isn’t at the top of Dekmantel’s to-do list next year, then they’re not aiming high enough. Funster