Introduction
With the overwhelming success of Netlabel Day behind us, and the lull between series of Netlabel Profiles I thought it was about time to write a new feature of 10 More Netlabels To Follow. This compendium started last year and was intended to be a regularly recurring feature of The CerebralRift. However, being so busy listening to more music and getting involved other projects it kind of slipped from the schedule.
So, here is the second article in this ongoing (and hopefully more frequent) series of 10 Netlabels To Follow.
10 More Netlabels To Follow
La Bel
La bèl was started in 2010 by Adriano Bossola and Elisabetta Luciani. Musically they focus on acoustic, folk, pop, rock, experimental and ambient music. Currently they have thirty releases from twenty-two artists in their catalog, and release about five albums each year. Their releases are available in FLAC, MP3, and OGG formats, and occasionally they produce hand-made, limited edition CD’s.
La bèl makes their releases available via the Internet Archive, Free Music Archive, BandCamp, SoundCloud and YouTube. They can be found on Facebook, Twitter and Google+.
Subbass
Subbass was created 2010 by the artist SPCZ. Their first issue was the compilation “Dubstep Made In Germany”. During the first few years of the label they held monthly dubstep parties in support of the underground music scene at that time. The label was a way for the DJ’s to get some of their works publsihed. In 2012 Subbass added a new series of compilations to their line up of dub, bass, downbeat, breaks and ambient styles, which they call Ethnostep. Ethnostep is the merging of World Music with Global Bass in a “vibrating melange, a musicial elixir to stimulate the seduction of senses of cosmopolitan and open minded individuals.”
Dusted Wax Kingdom
Dusted Wax is one of the better known labels for chill, downtempo, trip-hop, and other styles of electronic and re-mix centered music. All of their releases are in mp3 format, and free to listen to, download and use in non-commercial manner under a Creative Commons Attribution, Non-Commercial, No Derivatives license. They are based in Varna, Bulgaria.
Bad Panda
Bad Panda has been around for quite sometime. It was an idea that started with releasing new songs on Mondays, and has expanded into full releases by artists. They have a very strong following for their eclectic (mostly pop) music releases.
Sucu Music
Sucu Music started operations in September 2013 and aims to produce and promote stimulating music entities. Sucu Music works primarily in ambient, experimental, electronic, and improvisation music styles, in all their possible incarnations, manifestations and hybridizations.
Sucu Music is a space wherein all the relational dynamics between and among these genres can develop and interact, bouncing between fields like light in a hall of mirrors, or a network of cross-references, led only by the musicians’ creativity and artistic feeling. A space wherein the freedom of musical action is not smothered by any restrictive logic of a commercial nature.
Libre Comm L’aire
LCL stands for Libre Comm L’aire (Free as air in English), a French label offering free online music since 2006. LCL is mainly dub (and all variances), but more than a precise musical style, it’s first a state of mind that defines our netlabel. LCL believes sharing is the basis of culture, so they use Creative Commons Licenses for their works.
One of the more prominent features of the label is their emphasis on music that has originality, personality and is mind opening. They also actively encourage collaboration between artists, both artists on their label and outside of their label.
Southern City’s Lab
Souther City’s Lab is a Russian DIY netlabel, exploring various forms of independent music. They emphasize independent rock, garage rock and subgenres punk/hardcore; avant-garge , sound art and experimental music; IDM and downtempo electronic; home recording and lo-fi music They release their music under a creative Commons license.
Sólo le Pido a Dior
SPD was originally conceived in 2010 by Nicolas Gonzalez.SPD started by working with with a new music movement that started in 2010, known as the “New Argentine Pop”. In 2012 SPD became a formal business. In 2013 SPD was approached by several artists who had become familiar with the label, and were impressed by the name recognition and presence the business had built. This is what SPD has been doing: selecting the best artists and performers they can find on the internet, and working with them to produce top quality recordings.
Enough Records
Enough Records was founded in 2001 by Fred, H4rv3st and ps. Since 2003 it has been managed and curated by ps alone. Enough Records has roots in the DemoScene, and still has occasional releases from DemoScene artists, and some releases in musicdisk format. Enough Records has never had any specific genre or direction. About half of the releases are Portuguese, the rest are international. Through the years Enough Records has organized a few events, compilations, physical releases, collaborations with other labels.
Mars Melons
Originally the label was conceived during Christmas of 2008 by Morten Dilevski Molthe and officially launched on July 10th, 2009. Over the years they have developed the philosophy:
No sound is too small. Weird music is fun. We want to be an arena for people to showcase their music, however strange their music may sound. We’re also psyched about preserving our time’s “folk music” – music made by “regular people”. Music made for the pure pleasure of making music.