Which are the Best Indie Labels of All Time?

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give them to me

― Moka, Saturday, 28 February 2009 19:12 (seventeen years ago)

fast

― Sandy Blair, Saturday, 28 February 2009 19:13 (seventeen years ago)

Some of my favorite ones:

Cadenza Records http://www.cadenzarecords.com/
Cocoon http://www.cocoon.net/
Dial http://www.dial-rec.de/
Domino http://www.dominorecordco.com/
Fonal http://www.fonal.com
Get Physical http://physical-music.com/
Kompakt http://www.kompakt-net.com/
M_nus http://www.m-nus.com/
Mobilee http://www.mobilee-records.de/
Modern Love http://www.modern-love.co.uk/
Ostgut Ton http://www.ostgut.de/ton
Raster Noton http://www.raster-noton.net/
Rekids http://www.rekids.com/
Rune Grammofon http://www.runegrammofon.com/
Skull Disco http://www.skulldisco.com/
Touch http://www.touchmusic.org.uk/
Tomlab http://www.tomlab.de/
Traum http://www.traumschallplatten.de/
Wagon Repair http://www.wagonrepair.ca/
XL http://www.xl-recordings.com/

― Moka, Saturday, 28 February 2009 19:15 (seventeen years ago)

domino's the shit

i go with old standbys...SST, Flying Nun, Touch & Go...

― they dont know bout us and theyve never heard of drugs (Drugs A. Money), Saturday, 28 February 2009 19:21 (seventeen years ago)

MWETRRGE

― f f murray abraham (G00blar), Saturday, 28 February 2009 19:21 (seventeen years ago)

Factory.

― zero learnt from nero (Neil S), Saturday, 28 February 2009 19:22 (seventeen years ago)

rough trade?

― they dont know bout us and theyve never heard of drugs (Drugs A. Money), Saturday, 28 February 2009 19:23 (seventeen years ago)

Virgin were definitely an indie label in the 70s, and kept on having an independent view on music way into the 80s. So I would say Virgin. Also, Charisma were great.

People tend to have the idea that indies started with punk, but there were indies before that too. In fact, largely all new popular musical trends have started on indies. The only exception I can think of is prog rock, where Decca played a very important part even from the beginning with "Days Of Future Passed".

― Geir Hongro, Saturday, 28 February 2009 19:46 (seventeen years ago)

And, well, British Beat. But Parlophone, even though part of the EMI system, was no huge label.

― Geir Hongro, Saturday, 28 February 2009 19:47 (seventeen years ago)

Other great ones are Mute and Immediate. And I guess Island started out as an indie label too.

― Geir Hongro, Saturday, 28 February 2009 19:49 (seventeen years ago)

BC001 Cyrus

BC002 Phylyps trak

BC003 Vainquer (Rmx)

BC004 Quadrant 1.1

BC005 Cyrus

BC006 Quadrant Dub 1

BC007 Octagon

BC008 Radiance

BC009 Phylyps - Trak II

― Sugban Stevens (Noodle Vague), Saturday, 28 February 2009 19:56 (seventeen years ago)

Rough Trade, yeah.
United Dairies
Fetish
Glass
4AD
Crass
Dischord
Radar
Cortical Foundation
lots more

― sleeve, Saturday, 28 February 2009 20:01 (seventeen years ago)

Em, Atlantic? Chess? Sun? Modern? Speciality? Duke?

― sonofstan, Saturday, 28 February 2009 20:09 (seventeen years ago)

I dunno, Atlantic's okay but it's no Wagon Repair.

― Sugban Stevens (Noodle Vague), Saturday, 28 February 2009 20:12 (seventeen years ago)

Atlantic was another label I thought of. Not so much my cup of tea, but obviously and example, like Virgin, Motown and Island, of a label that started out as an indie and grew into a major.

― Geir Hongro, Saturday, 28 February 2009 20:47 (seventeen years ago)

i guess it's hard to start a Major from zero huh? only way would be as Philips > Philips records, or something.

― Ludo, Saturday, 28 February 2009 20:56 (seventeen years ago)

Was Elektra an indie to start with?
and BLUE NOTE & WESTBOUND

― Pfunkboy in blood drenched rabbit suit jamming in the woods (Herman G. Neuname), Saturday, 28 February 2009 20:57 (seventeen years ago)

paramount, sun.

― ian, Saturday, 28 February 2009 21:06 (seventeen years ago)

domino's the shit

A+ This is correct. Also, Wagon Repair and Hyperdub are v. good, too (among others).

― Daniel, Esq., Saturday, 28 February 2009 21:08 (seventeen years ago)

My very favorite indie label is Kranky.

Important is really good these days, too.

― ilxor, Saturday, 28 February 2009 22:11 (seventeen years ago)

kompakt really has something special about it, or had perhaps, but still.

― Local Garda, Saturday, 28 February 2009 22:15 (seventeen years ago)

sometimes think their good stuff is the best music of all time...

― Local Garda, Saturday, 28 February 2009 22:15 (seventeen years ago)

I think they probly release too much stuff and it can obscure the real gems a little but at the other extreme the Basic Channel model is probly cheating a little bit.

― Sugban Stevens (Noodle Vague), Saturday, 28 February 2009 22:16 (seventeen years ago)

yeah they're fairly bloated now...i haven't bought a kompakt release in ages, but in the good times they were so amazing. they really managed to make techno that breaks into your "i'm in a bad mood" playlist, not easy.

― Local Garda, Saturday, 28 February 2009 22:18 (seventeen years ago)

Tresor belongs on this list defnitely.

― Sugban Stevens (Noodle Vague), Saturday, 28 February 2009 22:21 (seventeen years ago)

Bomp
No Idea

― drunk dudes NOTM (james k polk), Saturday, 28 February 2009 22:30 (seventeen years ago)

ON-U Sound
Trojan
2-Tone
FAX

― mark e, Saturday, 28 February 2009 23:17 (seventeen years ago)

fierce panda
k
static caravan
earworm / great pop supplement

― w/ sax (electricsound), Saturday, 28 February 2009 23:43 (seventeen years ago)

bad vugum
touch & go (80s thru mid 90s)
SST
homestead
thirsty ear
ECM
PSF
bag of hammers
earache
metal blade
slash
alligator
hannibal
rykodisc
K (dupe!)

― That's not just me saying that, that's the Pentagon. (contenderizer), Saturday, 28 February 2009 23:50 (seventeen years ago)

Studio One

― Alex in SF, Saturday, 28 February 2009 23:54 (seventeen years ago)

drag city

― enasinben, Saturday, 28 February 2009 23:55 (seventeen years ago)

windham hill (way of life)

― That's not just me saying that, that's the Pentagon. (contenderizer), Saturday, 28 February 2009 23:57 (seventeen years ago)

flying nun
silt the breeze

― That's not just me saying that, that's the Pentagon. (contenderizer), Saturday, 28 February 2009 23:58 (seventeen years ago)

Congo Natty
Formation
Labello Blanco
Metalheadz
Moving Shadow
No U-Turn
Production House
Reinforced
Suburban Base
Force Inc
Greensleeves
VP
Blood & Fire
Pressure Sounds
Auralux
Moll-Selekta
Treasure Isle
Buda Musique
Terp
Out Here
Swishahouse
Rawkus

― Alex in SF, Saturday, 28 February 2009 23:58 (seventeen years ago)

Locked On
Sublime Frequencies
Revenant

― Alex in SF, Sunday, 1 March 2009 00:00 (seventeen years ago)

WARP

― That's not just me saying that, that's the Pentagon. (contenderizer), Sunday, 1 March 2009 00:01 (seventeen years ago)

table of the elements (xeric/radium)

― That's not just me saying that, that's the Pentagon. (contenderizer), Sunday, 1 March 2009 00:02 (seventeen years ago)

enigma/restless
twin/tone

― That's not just me saying that, that's the Pentagon. (contenderizer), Sunday, 1 March 2009 00:04 (seventeen years ago)

gravity

― That's not just me saying that, that's the Pentagon. (contenderizer), Sunday, 1 March 2009 00:08 (seventeen years ago)

dischord

― That's not just me saying that, that's the Pentagon. (contenderizer), Sunday, 1 March 2009 00:08 (seventeen years ago)

too pure, up until Seely happened.

― keythkeythkeyth, Sunday, 1 March 2009 00:15 (seventeen years ago)

madador

― nicky lo-fi, Sunday, 1 March 2009 00:40 (seventeen years ago)

Constellation
http://www.archivecd.com/
20buckspin
conspiracy
Southern Lord
Rise Above
Robotic Empire

― Pfunkboy in blood drenched rabbit suit jamming in the woods (Herman G. Neuname), Sunday, 1 March 2009 00:56 (seventeen years ago)

scepter (for the shirelles and dionne warwick, especially)

― paper plans (tipsy mothra), Sunday, 1 March 2009 01:18 (seventeen years ago)

Load

― Plaxico (I know, right?), Sunday, 1 March 2009 01:19 (seventeen years ago)

http://www.sagit71.com/cashmoney/img/bac.jpg

― paper plans (tipsy mothra), Sunday, 1 March 2009 01:20 (seventeen years ago)

Sub Pop, in their day.

― factcheckr, Sunday, 1 March 2009 02:06 (seventeen years ago)

I would like to rep for Pickled Egg, please. And lots of other tiny labels that nobody has ever heard of, but PE definitely deserve wider attention.

― emil.y, Sunday, 1 March 2009 02:06 (seventeen years ago)

Quick name every indie label you can think of!

― ColinO, Sunday, 1 March 2009 02:41 (seventeen years ago)

Tzadik is just brilliant. Consistently, and currently.

― Mordy, Sunday, 1 March 2009 03:01 (seventeen years ago)

Heavenly

― ABSOLUTELY NO SCRUBS WHATSOEVER, Sunday, 1 March 2009 05:35 (seventeen years ago)

Those are some great choices, Alex. They led me to a bunch of stuff on eMusic, so thanks.

― Daniel, Esq., Sunday, 1 March 2009 06:39 (seventeen years ago)

Creation Records

― Bee OK, Sunday, 1 March 2009 07:11 (seventeen years ago)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Creation_Records_discography

― Bee OK, Sunday, 1 March 2009 07:12 (seventeen years ago)

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