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