Features
The Top 20 Record Labels Of 2016
These imprints have driven dance music forward this year
1 Dekmantel
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
