Top Labels

Ram - Propagating a big, dancefloor-driven, 'jump up' sound, RAM Records has been a leading light in the D&B scene since its inception in 1992. Headed up by legendary DJ, Andy C, aka 'The Executioner', and production engineer Ant Miles, RAM Records has been responsible for some of the biggest D&B acts to emerge in the past two decades. Chase & Status, Sub Focus, Culture Shock, Shimon, Red One, Noisia, Moving Fusion and Xample & Lomax have all contributed to the consistent quality of RAM's output. Key hits include the seminal Origin Unknown - "Valley Of The Shadows" (1993), Andy C & Shimon's "Body Rock" anthem (2002) plus albums More Than A Lot by Chase & Status, Sub Focus' self titled effort and the Nightlife compilation series. Alongside the label are the highly successful sell-out RAM club nights, now holding residency at fabric in London.

Rat - Rat Records is the long running Breaks imprint overseen by veteran scene DJ Dee Kline. Since it's inception in 1999, Rat Records has played host to releases from respected producers such as Ils, Si Begg, Freq Nasty and Rennie Pilgrem. Not content with remaining within the confines of the breaks scene, the label has also dipped its toes in similarly bass heavy waters via releases from Tittsworth and Jack Beats. A sly nod to their influences has always been present, as typified by collaborations with ghettotech icon DJ Assualt and jungle and reggae MC Top Cat.

Rising Music - Chris Lake is as good an A&R man as you'll find. When it comes to so-called big room dance music - be it electro house or that popular tech/prog/electro fusion so loved in Europe and the US - Lake knows his stuff. It's this nose for a tune that has made his label, Rising, so successful. He was releasing Deadmau5 records long before the mask-wearing producer became a household name, put out early material from Hardwell, and uncovered big tunes from Tom Neville, Rhythm Code and others. Then, of course, there's his material - either solo or with Marco Lys - which has always made up the bulk of Rising's bulging release schedule.

risque-recordings.com - The Risque-Recordings.com label launched in 2010 with a flurry of activity. Concentrating first on compilations, the digital only German imprint quickly began to pursue other avenues. Radio friendly funky house singles from Lou Bega and J'Unique were followed by House Essentials, a downloadable sample pack featuring a whopping 2500 loops and effects for budding house producers. Despite this innovation, their stock trade remains compilations, and it's here that they've excelled. Alongside Ibiza friendly disco house and electro house sets sits Ultimate Club Classics, an epic, 36-track tribute to Michael Jackson featuring dancefloor covers of his greatest hits.

Rush Hour Holland - It's safe to say Rush Hour has achieved the highest possible reputation among it peers in the contemporary electronic music scene. In recent times the Dutch label has maintained a tireless release schedule that includes new material, reissues and combinations of the two. For example the 2010 reissue of the seminal Virgo LP gave Eric Lewis and Merwyn Sanders some long overdue time in the spotlight, and was closely followed in the masterstroke stakes by the Space Dimension Controller and FaltyDL remixes of Detroit legend Anthony Shake Shakir. Straight up house and techno 12"s serve the role of Rush Hour's bread & butter, and with Kirk Degiorgio, KiNK & Neville Watson, Hunee, Marcello Napoletano and Nebraska among the contributors, bread and butter never tasted so good. The Tom Trago-curated Voyage Direct series continues to impress, as does its Direct Current counterpart. What began as a humble record store on Spuistraat in Amsterdam now stands as one of electronic music's proudest empires. Long may it continue.