Lists
13 of the most influential house labels of the last decade
2007-2017 has been among house music’s finest decades
We're celebrating the last 10 years of dance and electronic music with the Label Of The Decade poll. Here, Harrison Williams charts the most influential house imprints of 2007-2017
The history of the house genre dates back to the mid 80s when DJs were innovating and evolving disco with harder hitting beats. As Farley “Jackmaster” Funk describes in the Unsung documentary, "those songs didn’t have structure, but the beats were killing. We brought our drum machines to the club and created electronic 4/4, it just made disco sound very thunderous.”
These days the genre is as strong as ever, with labels building stacked catalogues of releases that work magic on the dancefloor and have listeners captivated by distinct house rhythms. In the past decade alone electronic music culture has gone through many phases, but house music has remained as a guiding force, bringing on new avid listeners and continuing to enthrall longtime aficionados.
From influential underground imprints to more established outlets, here are the top house music record labels of the past decade.
1 AUS Music
Will Saul and Fink launched AUS Music in 2006 and the label has been one of the most consistent outlets in the realm of house music ever since. Tasteful and sophisticated, yet primed for a raucous release on the dancefloor, AUS has dropped material from talented producers like Joy Orbison, Midland, Bicep, Dusky, Deetron, Leon Vynehall, Youandewan, Marquis Hawkes, Cassy, Paul Woolford, Huxley and so much more. For many who venture toward the underground, AUS is usually their first stop as it provides a stark contrast from the mainstream sounds and textures prevalent in other labels. Expect strictly class house music from AUS, each and every time.
2 Diynamic Music
If it’s released on Diynamic there’s a high chance it’s a dancefloor bomb made for peak-time moments. The label has been around for over a decade and has built a reputation for relentless, vigorous, techy, yet deep and emotive dance music, with each release getting much deserved attention from accomplished DJs and the general public. Solomun launched the label with Adriano Trolio, and throughout the years it’s released material from the likes of Adriatique, Stimming, H.O.S.H., ANNA, Kollektiv Turmstrasse, Steve Bug, David August and more. Festival season is prime time for Diynamic’s music to be released and the distinct big sound of those stages radiates with the label’s essence.
3 Defected
Just one look at Defected’s catalogue and it’s safe to say the label has been a major player when it comes to house music. It not only releases high quality original material from the likes of Dennis Ferrer, MK, Tensnake, Kevin Saunderson, Chez Damier, Pirupa and Flashmob, but its numerous compilations are always a strong indication of the industry’s current house climate. Plus its House Masters series of compilations serves as an educational tool allowing listeners to dig into the foundation of the genre, as well as an outlet to discover timeless music that works magic in a club setting. Defected has been around since 1999, but in the past decade alone, it’s been one of the strongest, most consistent labels around, with DJs and casual listeners digging through the catalogue to find exactly what works on the dancefloor.
4 Dirtybird
In the past decade alone Dirtybird is credited with launching a revolutionary movement in the realm of dance music. There is a distinct style and essence inherent in the catalogue of releases, which has inspired a cult like following of avid listeners hungry for dancefloor focused beats. Lead by Claude VonStroke, the label is home to his talented friends in Justin Martin, J. Phlip, Worthy and Christian Martin, and has also released music from Eats Everything, Catz N Dogz, Breach, The Martinez Brothers, Friend Within, Cajmere and the list goes on. There’s no denying the impact Dirtybird has had on dance music as a whole, as it inspired a more widespread appeal of bass house around the world and is currently as strong as it’s ever been.
5 Fuse London
One of the younger labels on this list, Fuse helped bring a minimalistic, stripped back, pure house sound into the spotlight and has been guiding the scene since its inception. There’s a tight knit core group of producers who release on the label, like label head Enzo Siragusa, Seb Zito, Rich Nxt, Ben Rau and Archie Hamilton among others. Through Fuse’s events, which are based in London, the label’s artists showcase their distinct sound of hypnotic and rhythmic house that’s primed for the late nights and early mornings of raves around the world. If a vinyl release from Fuse pops up, DJs will hop on it as soon as possible because these tracks do the trick on the dancefloor and will never leave their record bag. This label is a hidden gem of the underground, as influential as they come, reaching the far corners of clubs filled with true heads who yearn for essential house music.
6 FXHE
In the past 10 years Omar-S has established himself as a tastemaker of the highest degree. The man knows rhythm and he uses his musical knowledge to craft deep and soulful house cuts. The home for his music, FXHE Records, is a crucial house outlet. Although material from outside sources besides Omar-S is few and far between, the label’s output possesses the epitome of Detroit house. A plethora of artists have graced the label, like Big Strick, Kyle Hall, Marcellus Pittman, Kai Alce, Ob Ignitt, Brian Kage, Fit and Gunnar Wendel and more, but Omar-S’ releases are definitive of a raw and gritty house sound that many try to emulate.
7 Exploited
Shir Khan’s Exploited imprint played a crucial role in the boom of house music that lead many EDM fans to search for the deeper and melodic shades of the genre. Label mainstay Claptone had a lot to do with it as well, with tracks like ‘Cream’, ‘Night On Fire, ‘Wrong’ and ‘No Eyes’ taking over every digital music chart on the internet at the time. The label is home to much more than that though, with standout releases from the likes of Adana Twins, Kyodai, Joyce Muniz, Urulu, DJ Sneak, Sirens of Lesbos, Compuphonic and loads more. The German imprint touches on a variety of styles, but the groove-based house music is it’s key output and is the reason why it’s a major player in the industry today.
8 Crosstown Rebels
Whether through its immersive events or the mesmerizing and hypnotic nature of its releases, Crosstown Rebels has been everywhere in the past decade. Helmed by Damian Lazarus, the label has released material from Skream, Jamie Jones, Laurent Garnier, Seth Troxler, Maceo Plex, Art Department, Dinky and Gorgon City, plus countless others. Not to mention when a Crosstown Rebels event pops up it’s not to be missed. Just look at its 24 hr Get Lost party that takes place in Miami and various locations around the world, and it’s clear the curation and vibe is as infectious as the talent that graces the decks. Crosstown Rebels has a strong presence in the industry year after year and is not to be overlooked.
9 Pampa
A couple standout gems from Axel Boman titled ‘Holy Love’ and ‘Purple Drank’ helped put Pampa Records on the map in 2010. It was released a year following the launch of the label by DJ Koze and Marcus Fink, which had Pampa building momentum. Since then the label’s been home to material from Robag Wruhme, Stimming, Isolée and more, but DJ Koze’s releases have made the label a powerhouse due to his unique output. Soulful yet energetic, ethereal yet straight-forward, simply put, Pampa is a label to watch for tasteful and cutting edge dance music that is always effective.
10 Cajual Records
With Curtis Alan Jones, more commonly known by his aliases Green Velvet and Cajmere, leading the charge, Cajual Records has earned a reputation for bass-heavy and robust productions played by some of the world’s leading DJs. Jamie Jones, DJ Sneak, Doorly, Gene Farris, Riva Starr, the label founder and Sonny Fodera have graced the label. Plus, Cajual’s sub-label, Relief Records, has kicked up its influence on the industry and is home to music by the likes of Solardo, Jay Lumen, Walker & Royce, Andrea Oliva and more.
11 Hot Creations
House music and Hot Creations go hand in hand, as the label has supplied countless gems in the past decade that have ruled over dancefloors around the world. Founded in 2010 by Jamie Jones and Lee Foss, the label’s output has included releases by Fur Coat, wAFF, Patrick Topping, Danny Daze, PBR Streetgang, Butch, Burnski and of course the label founders among others. Its steadfast approach has been a guiding force in the worldwide club circuit, and the label has a strong presence in house hotspots like Ibiza with its Paradise party showcasing it’s hard hitting sound.
12 Get Physical
With M.A.N.D.Y., DJ T. and Booka Shade leading the charge, Get Physical has touched on a variety of forms of house music, from the deep and ethereal to jacking 4/4 rhythms. Frequented by the likes of andhim, WhoMadeWho, DJ Pierre, Damian Lazarus, Tiger Stripes, Audiofly and of course the label founders, hundreds of releases have reached the market, all of which work magic on a dancefloor.
13 Pets Recordings
Polish duo Catz ‘N Dogz founded their Pets Recordings label in 2010 and have been relentlessly pumping out vicious dancefloor focused beats ever since. The imprint’s immense catalogue is populated by much of Catz ‘N Dogz’ own material, but standout gems include EPs from Eats Everything, KiNK, HNNY, Walker & Royce and Beesmunt Soundsystem, among others. The label’s ‘Friends Will Carry You Home’ compilation is a solid representation of its influence on the industry, featuring a stacked collection of tracks from innovative producers like Axel Boman, Breach, Danny Daze, J. Phlip and more.
Honorable mentions: These are labels that have released some incredibly influential house records but have an output that focuses on a diverse range of genres or did not fit in this group: !K7 Records, R&S Records, Text Records, Mule Musiq, Dekmantel, Nervous, Spectral Sound, Life & Death, Keinemusik, Ovum, Mister Saturday Night, Visionquest, Yoshitoshi, Tsuba.
Harrison is Mixmag's East Coast Editor. Yell at him about who he missed via Twitter here
