An Internet label is an online analogue of an offline music publishing house. If initially traditional record labels distribute music content, promote bands and performers in the real world, then Internet labels do the same work online. Due to the plight of the traditional music industry, when even the titans of the music business are forced to take big risks when releasing new releases, recently record labels have been trying to work with bands that are sure to pay off the invested funds. In cultural terms, this situation is quite deplorable - after all, now even not quite underground bands cannot hope for publication, and only completely successful commercial projects are released.
As you know, the reason for this is the Internet - and it also offers new ways to distribute music. Since the beginning of the 2000s, new schemes have appeared in America and Europe - when releases are not released on CD, but are published only virtually, and groups and performers are promoted via the Internet. Having copied the approach of traditional record labels and transferred it to the network, the so-called net-labels or, in Russian, Internet labels, or network labels, or mp3 labels, appeared.
What is a record label anyway? Firstly, this is an organization that distributes not any music, but a certain format or even a narrow specific direction. There is a producer, or several, who are involved in the selection of music, and a good label must have its own face and sound. Some releases are listened to only because they were released by the 4AD label, for example. Secondly, the label is engaged in copyright protection. In the case of Internet labels, copyright protection is limited to only publishing content under a free license, but the selection of music can be quite severe. It is beneficial for the label that people listen to his music, he is engaged in promotion - he can arrange concerts, distribute information about releases on the network, and so on and so forth.
However, there are more differences between Internet labels and traditional ones - as a rule, these are non-commercial labels, as a rule, releases are distributed under free licenses and mainly under Creative Commons. Internet labels are rarely engaged in the promotion of the group and the organization of concerts, basically their business is just distributing music on the net. Since it is easier to run the business of an Internet label, it is often carried out by several people or even one.
The difference between an Internet label and such music distribution sites as soundkey.ru or kroogi.ru is more obvious. Such portals simply offer anyone to place music on them and get rewarded for it. They are not engaged in selection, protection of rights, or promotion. Simply put, a label is a publishing house, and soundkey.ru and kroogi.ru are stores.
Historically, the first Internet labels were engaged in publishing electronic music(since the amount of self-made electronic music is extremely large), and even now the vast majority of Internet labels release electronic music. Over time, there were labels publishing indie, alternative - that is, mainly such music, which is based on the Do It Yourself principle (in fact, Internet labels themselves follow this principle). Abroad, the number of Internet labels has long been incalculable, and we have enough of them. Usually the technical side of a lowly web label is also lowly - often a standalone wordpress blog or even just a blogspot account. But in this article I would like to tell you about several domestic Internet labels that are musically interesting, have their own identity, stand out from the general background and set trends.
The oldest working Russian Internet label, more precisely, now there are two - Otium releases ambient, idm, downtempo, Sonux - techno. There is no preview, but there are rss and separate pages by authors. Content is distributed under a Creative Commons license.
The largest Russian Internet label releasing live music. Preferred styles - indie, post rock, indietronica. There is a preview of music, rss, the content is distributed under a Creative Commons license.
Releases indie, rock, ethno music. A young and small Internet label, however, which stands out for its informative reviews of each release, detailed pages about the authors, which have photos and videos. The site has rss and there is a pseudo-internet radio - a flash player that randomly plays tracks from releases. The most important difference of this label is that, along with free downloads, it allows you to pay for releases - this money goes to the authors. The license is not specified, but it says that "all releases are free to download, listen to and redistribute if you do not intend to make money from them."
Preferred styles are IDM, ambient, minimal, easy jazz. Each release is accompanied by a detailed review. The site has a section "pulse video", where it is supposed to release music video, but now there is only one video release. Content is distributed under a Creative Commons license.
A unique musical direction - the label is engaged in the publication of academic music, works under the auspices of the Moscow Conservatory, and publishes music by composers of this conservatory. Directions - modern classics, academic electronics and avant-garde. All releases are peer-reviewed additional materials they can include a live video and even sheet music and source material. There is a preview, all content is distributed under a Creative Commons license, unless otherwise noted.
Labels are part creative association UnderGroundWiggaz and doing hip-hop, RAP-A-NET - true-Russian rap, A-HU-LI rec. - instrumental hip-hop. The license is not indicated, there is no preview either, but the collection is very rich.
Music styles - alternative, post-punk, avant-garde, psychedelic, free jazz. The famous label is hosted on the Blogspot platform. The music is distributed under a Creative Commons license, there is no preview, there is rss, the music can be downloaded as a track or as an album, there is access to additional materials.
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Today we will talk about the most trendy world music labels who managed to turn the music world upside down and make it spin in the right direction. Labels that we worship, from whom we draw inspiration and new musical trends. So, 5 fashion labels according to the editors of Soulplay Radio:
1Continental Records
A Parisian DJ, sound producer, sound designer, and part of the Kitsune family, Jerry Bouthier has established Continental Records in residence in the British capital. The constant search for new sounds and artists prompted Jerry Bouthier to create his own label, along with multi-instrumentalist and producer Italian descent Andrea Gorgerino. The musicians are the backbone of the electronic duo JBAG, who remix tracks from such bands as Two Door Cinema Club, Ladyhawke, Jupiter, Gigamesh, Punks Jump Up.
Also, Jerry Bouthier and Andrea Gorgerino create music for fashion shows world class fashion designers. The formation of a musical atmosphere at fashion parties, one of the directions that left their mark on the label's activities.
Continental Records trying to connect the dots between pop and dance music, the work is not standard, constantly mutating and taking on new forms. Musical basics labels are such directions as indie-dance, electrofunk.
Label representatives: Reflex, Shindu, Cyclist&Maiko, Boys Get Hurt, Mannequine & Jas Crew, BLEU TOUCAN.
2. Kitsune
French music label, translated from Japanese as "fox". The authors of the project Gildas Loaëc, Masaya Kuroki and the London-based design studio Åbäke, realized their idea in 2002. Kitsune presents a unique concept of a fashionable and modern approach to the music world. The label is signed by such teams as CITIZENS! , Klaxons, Crystal Fighters, Cut Copy, Digitalism, Hot Chip, Is Tropical, Simian Mobile Disco, The Teenagers, Thieves Like Us, Tom Vek, Two Door Cinema Club, Years & Years and others.
Since 2014 Kitsune launched his new project New Faces, it's like an invitation to enter new era, open fresh and young faces. Kitsune has reached maturity, now you can experiment, challenge, invent something new. The label discovers promising teams, selects talents, gives them a platform to promote the music they deserve.
In addition to the music label, Kitsune is a clothing brand that includes the latest trends in the fashion world. As the founders of Kitsune say, music and fashion are interconnected, so they can create and be inspired by creating a unique blend of styles.
3. Future Classic
Independent Australian label founded in 2004. Nathan McLay and Chad Gillard, the label's founders, recall that building a dream label started off as an after-work hobby that grew into the music industry's flagship project. The result was a constant search for Australian sounds, trial and error.
Nathan McLay and Chad Gillard themselves were DJs who were looking to remix artists outside of Australia, the label was used to achieve goals in their own career. But the time has come for a choice, to take a step back and go into the shadow of his label was necessary. Now Future Classic is a big machine that effectively promotes music and develops.
Recorded on the label are Empire Of The Sun, The Presets, Cut Copy, Flume, Chet Faker, Flight Facilities, Ta-ku, Cashmere Cat, Jagwar Ma, Seekae, Panama, Chrome Sparks, Hayden James, George Maple, and Touch Sensitive, Toro Y Moi and others.
4 Exploited Records
Music label founded in Berlin in 2007. The label is home to artists such as Adana Twins, Claptone, Doctor Dru, Homework, Joyce Muniz, Urulu, Cocolores, Shir Khan, James Curd.
label collects innovative musical hybrids, makes you feel youthful and pleases even the most demanding listeners.
A sense of style, unpredictability, thrills from music, exactly what the creators of the label pursue. Special selection of electronic talents creating dance music High Quality, is gaining momentum and well-deserved recognition of fans.
5. Eskimo Recordings
Belgian music label founded in 2000. The label grew out of the music of the 90s, focusing on acid house, funk and rock'n'roll, setting new standards for Belgian club culture. Timeless quality and originality are the label's key concepts.
For many years, Eskimo Recordings continues to present new talents, time flies very quickly, for the second decade the collection of carefully selected songs has been replenished, which make a splash all over the world.
Recorded on the label musical groups, NTEIBINT, Du Tonc , Anoraak, Airplane, ATTAR!, Chromeo and others.
My Dear Souls, if you have something to add to the list "5 Trendy World Music Labels", write in the comments, we will discuss with pleasure!
The list of the best labels is our favorite part of summing up the results of the year, because every time there are record companies that leave an indelible mark on dance music. It's always amazing to watch and then capture the different sounds, ideas and aesthetics that come from so many amazing record labels.
Since the choice seems to be very wide, we try not to include labels in our list that have previously appeared on our lists. Many of the labels that we wrote about before continue to release armor-piercing music today, but if we put them on every year, then hardly anyone would be interested in such lists.
And here are the labels that defined 2017. Some of them are completely new, they are barely a year old, but there are already well-known offices here, which, after many years, are still in perfect shape. We hope you'll want to listen with us to what they've been up to over the last 12 months.
20. Circadian Rhythms
Label executives avoid publicity, even if they have their own radio show on NTS. But, as far as we know, behind the label is a collective of musicians, artists and fashion designers, their names are Last Japan, Blackwax, William Francis Green, Jace Koop and Dylan Touchard. This is not even a label, but rather a kind of cooperative, which is engaged in tailoring in London.
In March of this year, the label released a record of dubstep hero Toasty, and in support of this release, a collection of street clothes, a video clip and supported by an avant-garde street collection, clips and stream, which included K9, Killa P, Prince Mini and Slow Thai. In November of this year, Last Japan and Killa P released their record here, together with it the team released two T-shirts, a respirator and threw a party. Therefore, the "discography" of the label turns out to be stingy, but there are not so many labels in the world that work at the crossroads of music, fashion, art, while achieving such interesting (and deep) results.
19. On Loop
For the past five years, Moxie has, so to speak, acted as a curator. Her programs, aired on Radio One and NTS, have always impressed with a deep knowledge of music, the desire to look into the future. And, in fact, her label and "On Loop" party series became an additional extension of her taste preferences. For the label, it all started in 2016, and this year everything went only on the rise.
The year kicked off with the release of Fold's "Mills Theme" which included the hit "Bend Sinister" among other things, and in November of this year the label released a two-part compilation featuring six tracks from six various artists. Shanti Celeste, Sandboards, Throwing Snow, Traxxploitation and Addison Groove contributed their work to the label. In any case, On Loop is just getting started and it will be interesting to see what Moxie has in store for us in the near future.
18. Cazeria Cazador
Cazeria Cazador is a label that was born in Chile. The musicians behind him have set themselves the goal of combating the artistic stagnation and conservative approach to culture and music that dominates in their homeland. They do this by throwing underground parties in various unfinished buildings in Santiago and releasing cutting edge music.
Having earned the status of local heroes, in 2017 the Cazeria Cazador team reached the international arena and attracted the most close attention. The five-track compilation Virus Artists, released in August, showcased their flamboyant approach to music. "Randex" is rocking techno, Mucho Sueño creates a real rave with traditional dembow rhythms, "Nimda" by Aurelius98 is a dizzying whirlwind that completely captures the listener's attention with its pulsing basses and percussions.
The label also released LPs from New York-based producer Color Plus, as well as work from sound designer Mas569. Separately, it is worth adding that in 2016 this label released a release by Russian producer Nikita Vilnev.
17 Coastal Haze
The growing success of Coastal Haze has been made possible by a large number of fresh faces that specialize in soft, jazzy electronics. Jamison Isaac took the pseudonym Pacific Coliseum and recorded under it a beautiful debut album. The same can be said for newcomer Buddy Love, whose album, also released this year, received good feedback at the critics. Not to mention Manuel Darkwart, whose collaboration with Sean Whitaker and Louis Anderson-Rich produced a beautiful debut, Drippin & Trippin. It should be noted that Coastal Haze has excellent helmsmen - Seb Wildblood and Jake Hollick, the latter also steers the No Bad Days label.
16. Valby Rotary
Three best friend, carefully selected aesthetics and sound, in which best examples from labels such as Smallville, Workshop and : Valby Rotary surprised many this year. The Leeds-based label, run by Luis, Tom and Benito (at least that's what their SoundCloud description says) came out of the blue with three great EPs from Louf (Luis) and Tom VR (Tom).
This label originated from their mutual love of finding new music, the trio came up with the Valby Rotary as an outlet, just to make what they like. Maintain the closest and warmest relationship with Lobster Theremin (who are in charge of distribution). Quality is the main word for them, which means that in 2018 we will have a whole series of releases focused on the dance floor, but so soft that they simultaneously affect both body and soul. It's always nice to see a label take their first steps with such finesse!
15. Afterlife
Afterlife was launched by the duo in 2016. Carmine Conte and Mateo Milleri quickly created a record company that became known for its dramatic, dark and sophisticated tech soundscapes.
In 2017, the label grew at an astonishing rate, starting with VAAL's "Afterlife Voyage 002" mix, followed by debut work from Matteo and Carmine themselves, and then Stefan Bodzin, Patrice Baumel, Barnt, Mind Against and Adriatique took over.
As for the Afterlife branded parties, they also thundered in the past year, settling in Ibiza at the Priviledge club for 14 weeks, and among their residents were people like Dixon, Nina Kravitz, Maceo Plex, Recondite, Jamie Jones and others.
14. HNYTRX
The label doesn't release releases as often as they would like (quality beats quantity again!), but everything that comes out under HNYTRX is extremely skillfully done and can work on the dance floor in a way that hardly anyone else can. Simply put, music comes out here that makes you feel good.
The label's music policy is handled by Jackie House, Bézier and Jason Kendig, collectively known as Honey Soundsystem.
And we should be grateful to them for the curious album “Where Are We Going?” from the growing Octo Octa project, plus a couple of singles with remixes from Dorisburg and Avalon Emerson. Add to that the cosmic 'Moonchild', which came out in October and is still playing on club dance floors to this day. And, of course, the reissue of Patrick Cowley's cult album Afternooners. I really want the label to move forward at this pace.
13.Moveltraxx
The label continues to guard the interests of those people who like to dig into the wilds of footwork, juke and ghetto house, who want to go even deeper than Cajmere's "Perculator" or DJ Deeon's "Let Me Bang". Artists like TT The Artist, D Double E and R3LL were in charge of keeping the mood going this year. DJs such as Nighwave, Lockah and Sega Bodega also played at regular parties in London. And the label itself continues to delight fans of vulgar, expressive and silly music. New club genres, the beginning of which can be easily overlooked, are clearly starting life on this label.
12. Running Back
Launched in 2002 by Thorsten Shaw and "DJ DJ" Gerd Janson, Running Back has a polished musical mechanism, having already released over 140 releases, earning himself a cult status and a large number of recognized and respected artists. In 2017, the label released an avalanche of great releases, including Phillip Loyer's Phillipper EP, Fort Romeau's four brilliant tracks, Tornado Wallace's brooding debut Lonely Planet, and a slew of divine remixes from Justin van der Volge, DJ Oyster, Call Super, DJ Fett Burger and personally from the head of the label, Gerd Janson.
In the same year, the label's position was clearly strengthened after KiNK released the popular single "Perth" and, after some time, a full-fledged second album, "Playground", a work that can best be described as "a demonstration of the creative possibilities of an artist in his prime ". And after a decade and a half of successful existence, Running Back continues to embody the true spirit of dance music.
11. Fractal Fantasy
Not a penny and suddenly Altyn. Something like this can describe what happened this year with Fractal Fantasy. After a long lull, you suddenly receive a double reward. Zora Jones and Sinjin Hawk's label released the latter's debut album, plus a powerful compilation that included collaborations with like-minded artists like Jlin, DJ Rashad, DJ Sliink and Murlo. In the end, it turned out to be more than interesting, and the label proved with just two releases that they are head and shoulders ahead of the vast majority of their competitors.
10. Houndstooth
Making the right album of dance music is quite a challenge. The artist must maintain a certain level of club atmosphere, while trying to make sure that during home listening, the listener's picture develops into a single whole. In 2017, Houndstooth released not one, not two, but five records at once, which can become an example of this format. Per long years Since its inception, Houndstooth has built an amazingly wide roster of talented artists, giving its artists the space and freedom to exercise their full range of skills, and this approach has paid off many times over.
An example of this approach is the album "Belief System" by Paul Wolford, recorded under the pseudonym Special Request. There are not so many labels in the world that would dare to release an album with 23 tracks, and even on four records. But Houndstooth took a chance and ended up with one of the strongest albums of the year, which is full of old school bass, ambient, confused IDM and much more. In the same year, the label released a wonderful techno-work from Call Super, emotional sound experiments from Second Storey, powerful and uncompromising electronics from Throwing Snow, and the gloomy, captivating atmosphere of Guy Andrews.
Do not ignore the singles - this year Houndstooth released remixes for 18+, and Akkord released their next mutations on the theme of the British sound. And even if you do not touch the music, then in this story there is an element of romance. The future of Houndstooth was in doubt this year, as was the future of the fabric club - but, as you know, all's well that ends well!
9 Halcyon Veil
In a scene full of weird sounds and abstract artists, it's hard to separate the pioneers from the followers. But Halcyon Veil - the brainchild of Houston producer Eric Burton (Rabit) - is a leading force in the world of unpredictable and emotional club work. Since 2015, the label has been on the guard of radicalism and non-conformism, releasing works by Why B, ANGEL-HO and Chino Amobi, and thereby taking an active part in promoting this confused movement on a global scale.
Over the past 12 months, Halcyon Veil has released material from Rabit himself, plus IVVVO, NAKED, City, Dale Cornish, Fawkes and Mhysa, whose fantasy project is a prime example of the label's sonic ethos. But to label the label as "another club imprint" would be to severely limit its scope. Throughout this year, Halcyon Veil has emphasized the need for creative confrontation with the system in times of social struggle and cultural instability.
8. Hemlock
We missed Hemlock last year. The label had a long quiet period lasting 21 months between HEK026 (Brood Ma's "P O P U L O U S" album) and the 27th release in February of this year - Bruce's "Before You Sleep". And if the label owner, producer Untold, needed time to gather his strength, then it was worth it. After releasing the Bruce record, the label skillfully announced the resumption of activities, filling the crumpled arrangements with sick emotions.
Waking up from hibernation, Hemlock has not slowed down since then. Five more dancefloor action movies have been released from some of the most innovative producers who know how to work with bass, melodies and understand the value of silence and the dynamism of open space. The producers themselves share common ideals, from the near-rave on Airhead's "Shaded" to the discreet but chaotic experiments of Parris. The dance floors this year were a little more trippy and a little more interesting - thanks in places to Hemlock. Let's hope that in the near future they will continue to move on at a given pace and direction.
7. Toy Tonics
Toy Tonics records never leave DJ bags. They're biding their time, the perfect moment in a DJ set when the crowd needs something a little harder but with a soul feel...BOOM! They shoot, adrenaline jumps in the chest, and the groove lays down as it should. Soft. Oh how we love these moments, and Toy Tonics always provides the music for those moments.
We at Mixmag have been following this label since the very beginning, from Kapote's "The Body Move", that sophisticated yet rocking track, to Jad & The "Strings That Never Win", a disco hit that absolutely everyone has loved since first listening. Add to that the releases from COEO, Black Loops and Rhode & Brown - the label had a great year. Don't miss this office.
6. Trip
All listed labels in this list have never appeared in it. Only one label returned after being named the best label of the year in 2015. Trip by Nina Kravitz is arguably one of the strongest new labels in the last five years. His consistently experimental releases always keep listeners on their toes, and the roster of artists associated with the label is astonishing with a large number of new artists, each with their own personality.
This year, the label has focused more on releasing individual artist releases rather than compilations. Thus, Deniro's album "Mendoza" consists of 7 new tracks, each of which reflects a certain facet of techno, Biogen released a double album, Roma Zukerman made an unrealistically strong debut, and PTU returned with another killer record. As for Nina, her "Pochuvstvui" became one of the main tracks of the year and perfectly reflects her constantly evolving sound. The label-flagged parties were also some of the most exciting, whether they were on a 150-meter water tower in Helsinki or at Rush Hour Records in Amsterdam. The party then turned the record store into a kind of sauna, which, as Antal described it, "was shaking." Trip artists are definitely part of something very unique.
5.PAN
We don't remember PAN ever having a bad year. But after releasing six excellent albums, the label has never been more widely embraced to explore the possibilities of electronic music. Do you want to pass the test with all sorts of hums, squeaks, blows?
Then Pan Daijing's experimental techno, M.E.S.H.'s reimagining of club music, Errorsmith's rapturous beats, STILL's futuristic-sounding sound systems, Conrad Sprenger's algorithm triumph and Mono No Aware are at your service, an incredible exploration of the ambient underground. In a word, Bill Kuligas' label has outdone itself this year.
4. Athens Of The North
Imagine that you were at the last party of the London club Plastic People in 2015. Floating Points round off their long set with the Spirit Of Love gospel anthem "The Power Of Your Love" after which the club closes for good. That moment went down in dance music history. Six months later, the Edinburgh-based reissue label Athens Of The North re-releases the record and establishes itself as an important player, a democratic force at the epicenter of the revitalized disco scene.
Now back to 2017 and Ewan Fryer's label kept its promise by giving new life the rarest rarities and music lovers treasures. Taking one of Edinburgh's nicknames as its name, the label has gone full steam ahead, releasing some 20 releases this year in its signature 7-inch format. Such a pace can be considered the real feat in a world full of all kinds of license traps, rogue vinyl factories and Discogs snobs. But Athens Of The North handled it with ease.
From Frazelle's boogie to Willy Dale's soul to true disco rarities like BAB's "Party & Get On Down", it's easy to see why the label's tracks have regularly made it into Mixmag's internal playlists throughout the year. And this label is famous not only for re-releases of singles - in 2017, an excellent jazz album Hampshire and Foat was released here, plus the debut album from Grupo Magnético on the Atenas Del Norte sublabel. And even if the label still specializes in storytelling, this approach will never get old.
3. Peach Discs
Shanti Celeste's label ended its first year with a bang. For Celeste, this is the second label, after BRSTL, on which the producer publishes new Bristol talent. Peach Discs is very similar to BRSTL in this regard - here Shanti tries to give young artists a chance to express themselves, while indulging her own love for painting, which is embodied in the release artwork.
The spirit of the label is in the philosophy of DiY and is based on Celeste's dedication to create a platform for "many of my friends who make very good music but it hasn't been released yet. This is what gives Peach Discs an added appeal. The label released four EPs this year: Celeste's breakbeat debut Untitled; bright house release from the new Bristol duo Fred; deep bass techno from Leeds producer Checov; and a glib release from Ciel, one of the key figures in Toronto's underground scene.
2. Don't Be Affraid
Looking through what has been released over the past 12 months on Don't Be Affraid, it's safe to say that this label is one of our favorites. The label, launched by producer Semtek, has been in great shape all this year, almost doubling the number of releases, continuing to skillfully stick to the golden mean between quality and quantity. This year the label released three albums: inventive and; Detroit electro-techno by DJ Bone, boldly titled "It's Good To Be Differ-Ent" and Achim Maerz's deep jams "Experiments".
Here is the widest selection of records from some of the biggest names in dance music, including rRpxymore with its woozy, complex rhythms; Ikonika with its glossy synths, and Semtek, which is back in action with a mighty power. The DBA has also been very supportive of new artists, including debuts from Tyler Dancer and Jason Winters. Bristol has always been famous for its contribution to music, in 2017 the DBA confirmed this once again.
1. Ninja Tune
The lights of the auditorium are off, the stage is blazing with bright light, the bodies are moving; I remember closing my eyes and moving to the sound of a then-unknown track playing through the speakers during Bicep's performance. A track from the category of those that knock you out in the midst of a party. This track completely captured my attention, I was delighted with its chic bass parts and mesmerizing tune. Then, back in 2016, I didn’t know that this thing was called “Aura”, and that it would become the main composition that defines 2017.
Heroes ruled this year with their self-titled debut album, and it was hardly possible to hide from them in 2017. Bicep was the type of album that brought fresh blood to the mythical world of '90s rave while propelling primetime club sound into the future.
Ninja Tune deservedly topped this year's list. It all started with the label in February, when Bonobo released the complex and emotional album "Migration", then continued with Actress and its difficult and disorienting album "AZD", then there was the super-album Bicep and the single "Glue", and also the second album of the duo from Seattle ODESZA "A Moment Apart" (released with Counter Records), powerful singles from Machinedrum and Helena Gough. If you don't take into account all these illustrious names, then lesser-known musicians on Ninja Tune surprised: Jordan Rakeya's cool mixture of soul, jazz and electronics on "Wallflower", O'Flynn's poignant work "Pluto's Beating Heart", experimental debut album Giraffe "Too Real", Nabih Ikubal's beautiful album "Weighing Of The Heart” and the confused Iglooghost “Neō Wax Bloom”.
The picture shows all the major players in the Russian hip-hop market, the so-called music labels. I will talk in simple terms about the labels, without going into details of their device, in order to give big picture market, and you yourself decide whether you need to study this issue further or not. Below you can see the expanded table.
Labels in Russian hip-hop are different:
Majors are large organizations with large catalogs of artists, rights to most music content market and maximum opportunities in the media. The opportunities of majors, there are only a few of them on the Russian market (Warner music, Sony music, Universal), are due to close ties with radio and television, these structures pay majors for the content they use. The Majors are not interested in "non-commercial" music, I won't even explain... The Majors do not consider the Russian market as serious for their business, and therefore their representative offices in Russia have limited budgets and powers. Majors do not work directly with artists, preferring professional managers as a layer. AT last year Warner music made a bet on Bianca and signed Guf, and this is only because the major provided his name to Gala rec., whose office is hidden under a well-known brand. The rest of the majors don't even think about collaborating with rappers in Russia and you'll waste your time knocking on the thresholds of these offices. When everything is fine with you, they will find you and offer you a contract, but you won’t need this anymore if you are a real rapper, of course).
Independent Label - This category features several music business campaigns with structure, management and artist catalogue. Such labels are interested in recruiting promising artists and promoting them to increase digital sales and monetize concert activities. Such a label has diverse interests in the market and the music business very often diversifies into retail, etc. The main task of such a label is to accumulate the best music and video content in its catalog, create maximum distribution for it, identify a commercial product and promote it in high quality sales markets. The Black label showed the most effective monetization of its catalog artists over the past year star inc., which raised the liquidity of almost all of its artists. The label does not miss the opportunity of loyalty to the audience of its "locomotive" - Timati for the development of new projects. The departure of leading artists at the beginning of the year did not affect the effectiveness of the organization, but demonstrated internal contradictions and label issues. The retail store development project deserves special attention, which could eventually make the label the leading music structure in Russia if the current financial difficulties of the chain's growth are resolved. The label has the resources and experience to support emerging musicians. The current trend of the label threatens to turn into a rap factory, hurry up before this happens and the market is not flooded with rap manufacturers.
Another example of an independent label would be a company with no hip-hop merit but with a large number of signed rap artists, such a campaign was once Monolith and now SoyuzMadstyle. I can't say that these labels are bad and not efficient, but the fact is that hip-hop artists don't develop there. By the way, the Monolith company has learned from its past mistakes in working with rappers and is successfully developing projects at the intersection of genres.
The Universam Kultury label felt very good while it was the label of one artist, under the influence of the trend, the producer signed two new members (ST and Johnyboy), who soon left the label. Currently, the label has stagnated a bit, but remains very influential, and the success of Noize MC has enriched the karma of the label's producer forever.
A hip-hop label is a category of organizations with its own legal entity and a simplified management structure. Such labels have a group / artist - a steam locomotive and a few extras - artists of the hip-hop genre or so, who do not have serious popularity. However, the circumstance of one strong brand on the label does not worsen its position, and over time, such structures have the potential of joining another star. A prime example of such a label is Respect Production and its latest acquisition, Max Korzh. The artist received an invitation from the label at the height of his career and benefited from such cooperation. The label producer and concert manager justified their work by increasing the artist's fees for the year by 10 times. Usually hip-hop labels have a PR manager, smm employee, concert director and the main responsibility of the management is to maintain communication with the audience. The artist is left to himself in his work, and the success of the project depends only on his tracks.
A creative association of artists is a kind of rapper hangout around a celebrity, which creates a single information field for all its members, which makes it possible to use fans of one artist to promote all members. There is an example perfect union- Gas holder, where Basta and K created an organic musical world in which everyone gets the laurels of a participant and some monetization. In such an alliance, the role of the leader is so high and inaccessible that very eminent artists can be among the ordinary members. There is also an example of an unsuccessful association - ZM nation, which was formed around Guf and does not matter due to the phlegmatic attitude of the leader and any lack of management.
As such, hip-hop labels are not engaged in producing artists, preferring to take artists who have already established themselves as successful in the market and are gaining popularity and concert activity. Most labels don't invest heavily in artists, but don't let that put you off, real professionals' time, creativity, and market connections are worth more than money. It remains only to find out if there are real professionals on the label who can solve the problems of your positioning, distribution and sales? Find out the names of label managers/producers and see what they've done in the past, only a test of the case guarantees results. In Russia, according to my estimates, there are six working hip-hop labels that have experience in developing hip-hop projects and have the resources for new work.
It remains to consider the work of PR specialists in the music market. Aspiring artists have an illusion about the all-powerful PR managers of the music market who can make an artist famous (I did not write popular!). Artists start looking for such managers and find ... girls with a pleasant appearance with experience in supporting artists and a price tag of 30 thousand rubles per month. These girls are everywhere in the market, in PR agencies and freelancing, they have a standard form of working with an artist and a desire to accompany the artist everywhere. Don't fall for simple shapes, take the trouble to check the quality of the work of the selected manager by consulting with his employers and market functionaries. Pay attention to the type of thinking of your manager, whether he is able to adjust plans according to the situation, find breakthrough solutions and achieve results. Keep in mind that the PR manager does not develop anything, he usually executes the positioning concept invented and approved by you in accordance with your image. You will not find another PR manager for that kind of money, but you will be able to achieve effective work if you yourself begin to plan, develop promotion and control the work of a PR manager.
