Features
The Top 20 Record Labels Of 2016
These imprints have driven dance music forward this year
10 Graded / Re-Graded
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
