Astonishingly, it has been 15 years since Crosstown Rebels debuted with a double A-side single from Kiki and the Silver Surfer. The label was the brainchild of DJ, producer and man-about-town Damian Lazarus, who in 2003 was riding high as A&R chief at former FFRR man Phil Howells’ City Rockers’ imprint. While that electroclash-era label burned brightly for a short period and released a string of underground anthems, it would be Crosstown Rebels that would go on to become one of the most lauded underground house and techno outfits of its generation.

The imprint’s longevity is testament to Lazarus’s now infamous A&R skills. Trawl through Crosstown Rebels’ vast back catalogue and you’ll find a mixture of much-loved peak-time anthems, deeper selections and left-of-centre dancefloor treats from the likes of Ali Love, Art Department, Deniz Kurtel, Dinky, Fur Coat, Jamie Jones, Maceo Plex, Pier Bucci and Glimpse. While the label has earned a reputation for championing tech-tinged house, its catalogue contains numerous deviations and surprise turns, including disco-fired cuts from the likes of Roisin Murphy and Psychemagik. Then there’s Lazarus’ own work alongside his fluid Ancient Moons collective – think dancefloor-focused records mixed with exotic global sounds – and the exceedingly popular Get Lost series of DJ mixes, which includes contributions from Craig Richards, Acid Pauli and Jamie Jones.

To celebrate reaching 15 years, Lazarus has secured something rather special to mark Crosstown Rebels’ 200th release. It sees the return of Arthur Baker’s electro-era Rockers Revenge project, whose last original material appeared way back in 1984. “On a Mission” updates the project’s classic New York electro and freestyle sound for a new generation, mixing rubbery synths, classic vocals and breakdance-friendly additional percussion with the driving pulse of house. It comes backed by tasty reworks from Francois Kevorkian and Michael Mayer.

In honour of this milestone release, Juno Download has put together a Crosstown Rebels label takeover page where you can access fresh exclusives and our pick of the imprint’s impressive back catalogue. Here’s to another 15 years!