Top Labels

Fabric - Fabric is more then a mere record label or nightclub: it's a London institution. Since opening in 1999, the Farringdon nightspot has had its share of ups and downs, but one thing that has remained constant is an unrelenting dedication to providing the public world class DJs and a world class soundsystem. Similarly, the record label wing of the Fabric Empire has built an equally exceptional reputation, with the Fabric and Fabriclive compilations being mixed by the crème de la crème of dance music, ever since Craig Richards kicked things off with Fabric 01. Since then the likes of Andrew Weatherall, Ricardo Villalobos, Carl Craig, Robert Hood and Martyn have all had their names etched into Fabric folklore.

Finger Lickin' - One of the most prominent labels in the nu skool breaks genre, Finger Lickin Records was set up in 1998. Overseen by production duo Soul Of Man, the imprint is renowned for its innovative style with a clearly defined visual aesthetic. Each release pushes the envelope on sound design and production but never loses sight of the dancefloor, with club bangers a plenty in their catalogue. From the funky hip-hop smashes of Krafty Kuts and A Skillz, to the brooding bleeps, squelches and intricate textures that cloth the Plumps DJs jackin breaks, the Finger Lickin output is diverse yet consistently popular with a worldwide fanbase.

Fools Gold US - Founded by US DJ superstar A Trak and design guru Nick Catchdubs, Fools Gold Records stride the line between the underground club music and more commercially successful tracks confidently. It was Fools Gold that put Kid Cudi and Crookers together with the instantly recognisable "Day n Nite" quickly becoming a global phenomenon. Yet it's also Fools Gold that has given credible major indie exposure to rising artists such as Kingdom, Nacho Lovers and Jokers of the Scene as well as giving overseas acts such as Alexander Robotnik, Kavinsky and Bag Raiders a US audience.

Freerange - Freerange is the incredibly consistent deep house label run by scene stalwart Jamie Odell, known to the discothèque as Jimpster. Launched in 1996, the label made waves with the release of Switch's early material (including "Get Ya Dub On" and "Get on Downz") in 2003/04, before both label and artist went in different directions. Since then Freerange has been in relentlessly prolific form, and now has well in excess of 150 releases under its belt from the likes of Manuel Tur, Milton Jackson, Stimming, Pezzner, Tony Lionni and of course the head honcho Jimpster.

Freestyle - Freestyle Records was founded by Adrian Gibson of legendary Camden venue The Jazz Café in 2003 and the sheer prolific nature of the label's output has seen it barge its way to the forefront of the beats/funk/jazz genres. Some heavyweight names have released on the imprint - Chaka Khan, Fred Wesley, Soulive, The Beatnuts, JTQ featuring Roy Ayers, Lewis Taylor, Michael Franti, Saul Williams and Ursula Rucker to name but a few. Home grown talent has also been nurtured with the likes of Sleeve, Flow Dynamics, Afrodizz and Richy Pitch releasing on the imprint. This emphasis has won fans as far afield as Kenny Dope, Gilles Peterson, Norman Jay, Mr Scruff, Danny Krivit, Jazzanova and DJ Spinna.