Gone but not forgotten: 10 short-lived influential labels

We live in an age where it seems every producer is running a label. Thanks to Bandcamp, SoundCloud and numerous other self-promotion tools, it’s never been easier to release music and DIY spirit is booming.

However, not so long ago this wasn't the case. The idea of starting a label was fraught with risks, mostly financial. Some have made it work and gone on to form vast musical empires. Many flamed out too early.

But that doesn’t mean they didn’t leave behind good music. We went deep and seeked out the labels that, despite a short life span, made their mark on dance music with influential gems for collectors and DJs alike.

New York in the early '90s was a hotbed for the sounds of garage house. Labels like Nervous Records and Strictly Rhythm were at the beginning of their ascent and Todd Terry, Mood II Swing and Masters At Work were thriving. With so much music being produced it was inevitable some was overlooked. Sumo Records was one of those labels that was only around two years but still produced quality deep house. Big tunes with big vocals was the party line and artists like Blaze and Black Rascals came up with the goods. The label also served as an outlet for early Lenny Fontana side project Loco Motion.

It took a while for South London record store Big Apple Records to become the cultural outpost it’s eulogised as. Until its close in 2004, the store was host to many British dance music icons passing through its doors, but it wasn’t until Artwork set up a studio above the shop that it became a player in the exploding garage scene. A few years later, Skream and Benga were regular shoppers and dubstep was on the horizon. In 2003, both producers and Digital Mystikz had their debut releases on the label that quickly became a beacon for the sounds of South London. EPs from Loefah and Coki followed and dubstep was in full swing. But by 2007, as it was edged towards a less subtle sound, the label was all but over, encapsulating a perfect snapshot of the genre’s halcyon days.

Happy Records was a sub-label of Mad Mike’s legendary Underground Resistance. As the name suggests, Happy Records focused on the more positive sounds coming out of Detroit. Big on pounding piano riffs and soulful vocals, singers Bridgett Grace and Davina both received the Mad Mike production touch to turn out tracks packed with upbeat vibes. Last year, KiNK revisited Unit 2’s ‘Sunshine’ with a huge remix on Gerd Janson’s Running Back imprint.

When people think of Chicago house they think of Frankie Knuckles, Larry Heard and the legendary label Trax. But overlooked is Play House Records, a label that only ran for three years but offered up some of the early Italo and acid cuts hitting city record stores. Started by Chicago nightclub owner Mike Macharello in 1986, it was a hotbed for young and now forgotten producers like Harvey Harris and singer Denise Motto. But it was Macharello and engineer Duane Thamm Jr’s production team The Fascination that lead to some of the label’s biggest tracks like ‘The Flight’, a track tailor-made for the coming house explosion across the pond.

Male Productions embodies the ethos of quality over quantity. Chico Furlotti’s label started after a trip to London, and only ran for a year but all three of its releases are considered influential in Italian underground music history. Furlotti was one of the first people to throw raves in Italy and his label was one of the first homegrown imprints to start releasing house music. Its first two The True Underground Sound Of Rome EPs are much sought after by collectors, so much that the label came out of retirement last year to repress them. File them away with fellow Italian underground house label Antima Records who are also worth checking out.

Once the releases dried up on Male Productions, The True Underground Sound Of Rome crew created the sub-label Vibraphone Records. The label has developed a cult following thanks to its knack for producing timeless tracks, coupled with an art aesthetic that wouldn’t be out of place in today’s lo-fi scene. Stefano Curti, Mauro Tannino, Stefano Di Carlo and Mauro Ruvolo were behind every release on the label under various aliases including 49th Street, Minimal Vision and The Bermuda Triangle. Despite represses and anthologies coming from the label in 2015, original copies of records still retail on Discogs for up to £75.

As far as Australian labels go, Red Ember Records may have one of the most-desired back catalogues despite only operating for four years. Founded in Perth by Ewan Jansen in 1997, the imprint’s first releases were special lathe-cut vinyl with runs of around 40 to 50 records. That was expanded to a 200-copy run of Justin Zerbst’s ‘Subtraction’ EP in 1999, which goes for £128 on Discogs. Those prices are common throughout much of Red Embers' back catalogue. The endearingly small and unique operation that almost solely consists of Zerbst and Jansen as the label’s artists has become a favourite for collectors. After a 15-year hiatus, the label announced it was back with a new EP from Jansen and followed it up with Jansen and Zerbst's first collaborative release since 1999.

While New York’s dance scene has always been in the spotlight, whether because of the Paradise Garage or Strictly Rhythm, neighbour New Jersey deserves a fair share of acclaim. The Garden State boasts a proud dance music history that revolved around the infamous Club Zanzibar where Tony Humphries would spin the latest NJ sounds. Music USA was a sub-label founded by hip hop imprint Echo International as an outlet for the sound described by locals as uptempo r'n'b. It only lasted from 1994 to 1996, but its back catalogue is a goldmine for chunky drums, lush pianos and sultry vocals from singers like Colonel Abrams and Inner Life’s Wendell Morrison.

When it comes to influence on the dub/minimal techno scene, more often than not the path leads back to Moritz Von Oswald and Mark Ernestus. Released under the duo’s Basic Channel moniker, their label of the same name and Ernestus’ Berlin record store Hard Wax and its Killasan soundsystem all played vital roles in forming the genre. Chain Reaction was a sub-label of Basic Channel that took a slightly more experimental approach than it’s parent. It was a platform for artists like Monolake, Porter Ricks, Fluxion and Vladislav Delay and managed to churn out 45 releases in its first five years. The label went on to release two more singles after that initial burst. Its last release came from Hallucinator in 2003, but the period from 1995 to 2000 was when they really struck gold.

It was with a very heavy heart that we said goodbye to Brodinski and Manu Barron's label at the beginning of this year. While we're aware it's far too early to say they're at the back of our memories, they are gone and they did leave us with an influential back catalogue. Kaytranada, Louisahhh!!! and Brodinski himself all graced the French label and Gesaffelstein's 'Control Movements' from the imprint's very first release is a standout. A techy steamer that set the tone for the next five years.