One of the things we like to do on our radio show, “Drum & Bass with DJ Pfeif,” is to support the labels and artists in the dnb scene. I try to mention the artists and labels of new releases we play on the air and in the podcast, I post the playlists everywhere the audio is uploaded online (SoundCloud; MixCloud; iTunes; all the podcast platforms; Reddit, Steamit, etc.), and we upload play data to rights management platforms (SoundExchange for online; ASCAP, BMI, etc. for over the air play).
All of this support made me think about how many labels we support on the show each week, and that made me dive into the data from my drum & bass library. My library has morphed from cassette, to vinyl, to CD, to digital over the years, and while I’ve done a good job of finding digital versions of favorite dubplates and mixtapes, it represents my digital efforts to catalog songs over the past twenty years or so. I’m sure I have a ton of other labels that have, sadly, moved on from this world sitting in my vinyl collection, but what is presented below is the quick analysis of my digital collection of just drum & bass tunes.
Here are some facts about my digital library in general:
- Over 30,000 tunes across all genres. This doesn’t include all the CDs, cassettes, and vinyl releases I’ve bought since I started collecting in the 80s. I know some of you have more than this, and some are building their collections. I’m proud (and a little embarrassed) that I’ve spent money on 90% of these tunes. There were those years when Napster and Limewire were like sweet honey from the gods; and thanks to all the labels who send me promo material each week. In general I like to support the artists, and I know that I’ve paid for a lot of media exec’s hot tubs, but part of me likes knowing that a few pennies of my money are in the pocket of underground artists.
- Over 12,000 drum & bass tunes (some are probably duplicates, so let’s say ~10,000 individual tunes), which would take about 52 days to play from start to finish.
- Per year, I purchase 500-1000 tunes in the drum & bass genre in order to play them on the air.
Now for the labels info:
- I’ve supported over 700 drum & bass labels since the inception of the genre in the 1990s. The biggest support (the most songs, ~2000) going out to Hospital, Metalheadz, Good Looking, Renegade Hardware, Formation, Ram, Technique, Kos.Mos.Music, Playaz, Chronic, Shogun, Full Cycle, Moving Shadow, Ruffneck Ting, and Fokuz.
- Since the radio show came into full swing in 2014, we’ve represented more than 450 labels on the air. Not surprisingly, the top labels we’ve represented have been around for about a decade or so. But new players like Low Down Deep, Sub-Liminal, and Flight Pattern are up there in the play counts.
- In the first quarter of 2019, we’ve represented over 100 labels on the air including Souped Up, Soulbass, Subway Soundz, V, War on Silence, and Nuusic.
We love drum & bass, and we love supporting it. I’m always a big fan of purchasing tunes from labels, especially through avenues like Bandcamp where the money makes its way back to the artists and labels. While dnb is worldwide, we can help support one another by spreading the love and recognition to those making the good tunes and supporting artists and labels in spreading the sound.
I’m posting the labels that are documented in my library below for fun. Maybe you’ll discover a new one, maybe you’ll just enjoy recognizing them, or maybe you’ll give a little love back to the hard-working people of dnb.
-DJ Pfeif
Drum & Bass Labels (with a few repeats):
| A.K.O Beatz |
| Abducted LTD |
| Abstract Audio |
| Absys |
| Absys Records |
| Accelerating Records |
| Adastra Recordings |
| Addictive Behaviour |
| Advance//d Recordings |
| Advisory Records |
| AEI |
| AEI Music |
| AFT |
| Algorythm Recordings |
| All Boys Music LTD |
| All Street Recordings |
| Amphibious |
| Anjunabeats |
| Anti Social Records |
| Aphrodite Recordings |
| Architecture Recordings |
| Area 51 Records |
| ASBO Records |
| Astralwerks |
| Astrophonica |
| Asylum |
| Audio Addict |
| Audio Massacre Recordings |
| Audio Porn |
| Audiomaze |
| Audion-X Music Production |
| Aufect Platinum |
| Axiom Records |
| Back 2 Basics |
| Backout Music |
| Bad Taste Recordings |
| Basement Records & Street Beats |
| BassLayerz Recordings |
| BC Recordings |
| Be Groove Records |
| Bear Necessities |
| Beat Enforcers |
| Benefit Beats |
| Beta Recordings |
| Big Dada / Banana Klan |
| Big Freaks Audio |
| Biological Beats |
| Biotic |
| Bites |
| Black Sun Empire Holland |
| Blackout Music |
| Blendits Audio |
| Blu Mar Ten Music |
| Blue Planet Recordings |
| Boom Sound Recordings |
| Born On Road |
| Brawlin Beatz |
| Break Through |
| Breakbeat Culture |
| Breakbeat Kaos |
| Break-Fast Audio |
| Breaking Audio |
| Broken Audio Recordings |
| Brownswood UK |
| Bulletproof |
| C Recordings |
| C.I.A. vs Phantom Audio |
| C4C Limited |
| C4C Recordings |
| Calypso Muzak |
| Cartel |
| Cause4Concern Recordings |
| Celebrating Audio |
| Celsius Recordings |
| Certificate 18 Recordings |
| Charge |
| Charge Recordings |
| China Records |
| Chopstick Dubplate |
| Chronic |
| CIA |
| Circa Records |
| Circus |
| Citrus Recordings |
| Clawhammer Recordz |
| Close 2 Death |
| CNVX |
| Code Recordings |
| Co-Lab Recordings |
| Collaborated Artist |
| Commercial Suicide |
| Composite Records |
| Congo Natty |
| Cooltempo |
| Cosmic Flux Musiq |
| Cow Town Music |
| Cre8#DnB |
| Creative Source |
| Creative Wax |
| Cricital Music |
| Criminal Records |
| Critical Bass Recordings |
| Critical Music |
| Cult.ure |
| Cyberfunk |
| CYN Music |
| D Minds |
| D Style Recordings |
| Dance Concept |
| Dancegroove Publications |
| De Underground |
| De:tuned |
| Deadly Vinyl |
| Deep in the Jungle Records |
| DeepDownDirty |
| Default Recordings |
| Delta9 Recordings |
| Deltawave Productions |
| Demand Records |
| Demon Recordings |
| Detail Recordings |
| Deviant Audio |
| Diamond Audio |
| Digital Fusion |
| Digital Roots |
| Digital Soundboy |
| Digital Terror Records |
| Director’s Cut |
| Diskool Records |
| Dispatch Limited |
| Dispatch Recordings |
| Disturbed Recordings |
| DIVIDID |
| DNB France |
| DNB Source |
| DNBB Digital |
| Dollar Digital |
| Dom & Roland Productions |
| Don-Q |
| Don’t Play |
| Dope Ammo |
| Dope Dragon |
| Dope Plates |
| Down 2 Earth |
| Down 2 Earth Musik |
| Dread Recordings |
| Driven AM |
| Droppin Science |
| Drum&BassArena |
| Drumroom |
| D-Stortion |
| Dub Damage Recordings |
| Dub Police |
| Dub Shotta |
| Dub Voltage |
| Dubsoul Recordings |
| Dubstomp 2 Bass |
| Dust Audio |
| Dutty Audio |
| Dutty Bass Audio |
| Dynamic Audio |
| DZ Recordings |
| East Side |
| Eastern Promise Audio |
| Eastside Records |
| Easymen |
| Eatbrain |
| Edition Water.com / Hanseatic |
| Edizioni Ishtar |
| Edizioni Ishtr |
| Ekho |
| Elevate |
| Elevate Audio |
| Elevate Records |
| Elm Imprint |
| Emotif Recordings |
| E-Motion |
| Emotive |
| Empire |
| Enrico Colombo |
| Evil Audio Recordings |
| Evol Intent |
| Exiled Recordings |
| Exit Records |
| Exkursions |
| Fabric Worldwide |
| Faction Digital Recordings |
| Fat Publishing |
| FFRR |
| Fine Balance Music |
| Fine Beats Audio |
| Fizzy Beats |
| Flex Records |
| Flexout Audio |
| Flight Pattern |
| Fluydelic |
| Fokuz |
| Fool’s Gold Clubhouse |
| Footnotes |
| Forbidden Society Recordings |
| Force Recordings |
| Format Music DnB |
| Formation Records |
| Foxy Jangle |
| Fragmented Recordings |
| Freak Recordings |
| Frequency Recordings |
| Fronline |
| Frontline |
| Frontline Records |
| Full Cycle |
| Function |
| Function Records |
| Funkstuff Recordings |
| Future Retro |
| FutureRetro |
| G Line |
| G13 |
| Ganja Records |
| Genetic Stress |
| Get Darker |
| Get Hype Records |
| Getahead |
| Ghetto Dubz |
| GMC Music Productions |
| Goldhead Music |
| Goldman |
| Good Looking Records |
| Gorilla Warfare |
| Grand Larceny |
| Grid Recordings UK |
| Grin Music LTD |
| Grindhouse |
| Guerilla Bass |
| Guidance |
| Gun Audio |
| Gutterfunk |
| HalogenMusic |
| Hardleaders |
| Hazardous Musik |
| Heavy Artillery Recordings |
| Hexagon Digital |
| Hidden Company Recordings |
| High R8 Digital |
| Higher Ground |
| Higher Limits |
| Higher Stakes |
| Highlight Records |
| Hi-Resolution Recordings |
| Hocus Pocus |
| Hocus Pocus Recordings |
| Horizons Music |
| Hospital Records |
| Hostage Bass |
| Human Elements |
| Human Imprint Recordings |
| Hustle Audio |
| Hustlin Beats |
| Hybrid Music |
| Hyperactivity Music |
| Ibiza Records |
| Ill Flava |
| Ill.Skillz Recordings |
| iM Digital |
| Impact Records |
| In Da Jungle Recordings |
| In Touch Records |
| Index |
| Infidelity |
| Influenza Media |
| Infrared Records |
| Ingredients |
| Inna Rhythm |
| Inner City Dance |
| Inneractive Music |
| Innerground |
| Intaface Audio |
| Intalex Productions |
| Integral Records |
| Interlective Records |
| Intrigue Music |
| Invasion Recordings |
| Invisible Holland |
| Invisible Recordings |
| Iolab Records |
| IQ Records |
| Iridescent Music |
| Iron Fist Audio |
| Ish Chat Music |
| Island |
| Izonautic |
| Jaguar Records |
| Jazzsticks Recordings |
| Joker Records |
| Juice Box Records |
| Juice Records |
| Juicy Fruit Recordings |
| Jungle Cakes |
| Jungle Drops |
| Jungle Strikes |
| Jungle Tunes |
| Just Another Label |
| Kaos Recordings |
| Karma Recordings |
| Kash Rex |
| Katana Audio |
| Keep Rollin’ Records |
| Kemet Music House Limited |
| Kevlar Beats |
| Kickin Music LTD |
| Kikman Records |
| Killa Dubz |
| Kinetik |
| Klaus Pieper |
| KLP |
| KLP Recordings |
| Klub Kids |
| Kniteforce Recordings |
| Knowledge |
| Kollective Music |
| Kontor Records |
| Kos.Mos.Music |
| Kronic Music |
| LAB Records |
| Labello |
| Labello / Gussie P. Records |
| Labello Blanco |
| Lacerba |
| LB Recordings |
| Let It Roll |
| Lifestyle Music |
| Lifted Spirit Records |
| Liftin’ Spirit Records |
| Lighterworks |
| Lightless Recordings |
| Liondub |
| Liondub International |
| LionDub Street Series |
| Lionheart Records |
| Liquicity Records |
| Liquid Brilliants |
| Liquid Drops |
| Liquid Flavours |
| Liquid V |
| Livio Fogli and Luigi Mussi |
| Locked Concept |
| Locked Up Music |
| Logic Productio |
| Logikz Audio |
| London Some’ting |
| Lossless Music |
| Low Down Deep Recordings |
| Low Key |
| LOWFREQMX |
| Lucky Spin Music Ltd |
| Lunar Records |
| Luvdisaster Records |
| M Ocean |
| Maad Ting |
| Mac II |
| Machinist Music |
| Magisterya |
| Mainframe Recordings |
| Major League DnB |
| Mango |
| Masterpeace Recordings |
| Mayan Audio |
| Medicine |
| Medschool |
| Metalheadz |
| Metel Music |
| Meth XX |
| Microdot |
| MIDI Fusion |
| Midnight Sun Recordings |
| Mind Rape Corp. |
| Mindtech Recordings |
| Ministry of Sound Recordings |
| Mixmag |
| Modern Urban Jazz |
| Modular Carnage |
| Moksha Recordings Ltd. |
| Momentum Music |
| Monk Audio UK |
| Moonshine |
| Moonshot Music |
| More Rockers Records |
| More Than Alot Records |
| Mo’s Music Machine |
| Moving Shadow |
| MTA |
| MTA Records |
| Multi Music |
| Multifunction |
| Muna Bass Musik |
| Murky Digital |
| Murphy Inc |
| Music Monday |
| Music Squad |
| Muzik.Hertz |
| Natty Dub Recordings |
| Neodigital |
| Neosignal UK |
| Never Say Die |
| New Playaz |
| New State Music |
| New Vision Recordings |
| Next Phase Records |
| Ninebar Records |
| Ninja Tune |
| (No Label) |
| No Sleep ‘Till… |
| Noisy Meditation |
| Noize |
| None60 |
| No-U-Turn Records |
| Noz Recordings |
| Nu Directions |
| Nu Venture Records |
| Nuclear Bass |
| Nuke Records |
| Nurtured Beatz |
| Nuusic |
| O.J. Records |
| Oakden Music |
| Occulti Music |
| OCT:LTD |
| Offworld |
| Omar Music / Atomic Dread Productions |
| Ominous Audio |
| Omni Music |
| Omni Records |
| On Top Records |
| One Little Indian Records |
| Orgone Recordings |
| Original Key Recordings |
| Pain Recordings |
| Parusia |
| Passenger |
| Paul Rodriguez |
| Peacefrog |
| Peer Pressure Records |
| Penalty |
| Peng Dominion |
| pfeif music |
| Phantom Audio |
| Phantom Dub Digital |
| Philly Blunt |
| Photek Productions |
| Physmatics Music |
| Pitch Recordings |
| Planet Dog |
| Planet V |
| Plasma Audio |
| Play Me |
| Playaz |
| Playside 175 |
| Points In Time |
| Polygram Songs |
| Pop Life Studio |
| Prime Time Wax |
| Production House |
| Profound Beats |
| ProgRam |
| Propa Talent |
| Proper Talent |
| Prototype |
| Psychoquake |
| Psychoquake Records |
| Public Demand |
| Pulse Audio |
| Pure Vibes Recordings |
| PWL International Ltd |
| Quango Music Group |
| Quarantine Recordings |
| R & S Records |
| R.O.A.R. |
| Radar Records |
| Radius |
| Ram Records |
| Rampage Recordings |
| Random Concept Digital |
| Rapture LDN |
| Rat Records UK |
| Rebel Music |
| Rebirth Records |
| Rebooth Recordings |
| Red Light |
| Redskin Records |
| Reformed Recordings |
| Reinforced |
| Reinforced Records |
| Remix Records |
| Renegade Hardware |
| Renk Records |
| Repertoire |
| Repertoire Sounds |
| Rephlex |
| Reso-Music |
| Restate Records |
| Revolver Sounds |
| Rhino |
| Rinse Out Recordings |
| RIQ Yardrock Records |
| Risky |
| Rong Robot |
| Roots & Future |
| Roots Records |
| Rough Drops |
| Rough Trade Records GMBH |
| Royal Audio |
| Ruff Guidance Records |
| Ruffneck Ting |
| Rugged Vinyl |
| Run Tingz |
| Rush Recordings |
| Samurai |
| Samurai Bass Audio |
| Samurai Music |
| Santoku Records |
| Santorin 2000 |
| SaSaSaS Music |
| Schedule One Recordings |
| Science |
| Scientific Records |
| Secret Operations |
| Secretly Canadian |
| Seminal Sounds |
| Serial Killaz |
| SGN:LTD |
| Shadow Records |
| Shake Your Bass Audio |
| Sheer Velocity Recordings |
| Shellic Music |
| Shidzen Music |
| Shiftin Beatz |
| Shogun |
| Shoot Recordings |
| Showtime Music |
| Sign Of The Times Limited |
| Signature Recordings |
| Simplify Recordings |
| Sine Language |
| Siren Audio |
| Skalator Music |
| Skankandbass |
| Skeleton Recordings |
| Sleeveless |
| Slipmatt |
| SLK |
| Smoke Signal Audio |
| Smokin Riddims |
| Smooth N Groove |
| Sofa Sound |
| Solid Vinyl Music |
| Soul Deep Digital |
| Soul Deep Exclusives |
| Soul Trader |
| Soul:R |
| Soulbass Recordings |
| Soulvent Records |
| Sound Bully Audio |
| Sound Entity Recordings/Death Becomes Me Ltd |
| Sound Of Habib |
| Sound Of the Underground Records |
| Sound Solution Digital |
| Soundman Interactive |
| Souped Up |
| SOUR |
| Source Direct Recordings |
| South Yard |
| Space Pirate Recordings |
| Spearhead |
| Spectre Audio |
| Spinnin’ Premium |
| SR2 Records |
| Stage 1000/Copyright Control |
| Stage One |
| Stage One Productions |
| STAT Recordings |
| Stepper Man |
| Stickybass Records |
| Stomp Break |
| Straight Ahead |
| Straight Beat Productions |
| Straight Up Audio |
| Streetlife |
| Streetwave Music |
| Sub Base Records |
| Sub Terranean |
| Sub:Edit Records |
| Subdivide |
| Subersive |
| Sub-liminal Recordings |
| Subliminal Records |
| SubSine |
| Subtitles Music |
| Suburban Base |
| Suburban Base / Tearin’ Vinyl |
| Subway Soundz |
| Such Music |
| Sumo Beatz |
| Suzugamory Sound Lab Tokyo |
| Sweet Tooth |
| Switch Recordings |
| Symmetry Recordings |
| Syncopix |
| T3K |
| Talkin Loud |
| Tearin’ Vinyl |
| Tech Itch Digital |
| Tech Itch Recordings |
| Technique Recordings |
| Ten Ton Beats |
| Tesseract Recordings |
| Tessitures Electroliz |
| Test Recordings |
| The Chikara Project |
| The Dreamers Recordings |
| The Earth Music |
| The Express |
| The North Quarter |
| Third Eye Records |
| ThirtyOne Recordings |
| Time Of Night |
| Timeless Recordings |
| Tom & Jerry Records |
| Tommy Boy Music LTD |
| Toucan Dance |
| Trade 2 |
| Train Recordings |
| Translation Recordings |
| Trendkill Records |
| Trinity Worldwide Records |
| Triple Vision |
| Triplicate Audio |
| Trojan Reloaded |
| Trouble On Vinyl |
| True Box Records |
| True Playa’z |
| Trust Audio |
| Twisted Beatz |
| U Understand Me Music |
| UK Jungle |
| UKF |
| UMC |
| Unchained Recordings |
| Uncommon Records |
| Underfire Recordings |
| Underground Noise |
| Understand Music |
| Undiluted |
| Unity Records |
| Universal Project Records |
| Universe Axiom |
| Urban Flavour |
| Urban Gorilla Recordings |
| Urban Takeover |
| Urban Takeover Ltd |
| Utopia Music |
| V Recordings |
| Valve Recordings |
| Vandal Records |
| Vibez |
| Vibrazioni Productions |
| Vinyl Conflict |
| Violence Recordings |
| Viper |
| Viper Recordings |
| Viper Records |
| Virgin EMI |
| Virtual Motion Records |
| Virus |
| Vision Recordings |
| Walking Dead Recordings |
| War On Silence |
| Warm Communications |
| Warm Ears Music |
| Warp Records |
| Weaponry |
| Weapons of Choice Recordings |
| Welcome to the Bughsouse |
| Westbay |
| Westbury Music |
| Western Lore |
| Wicked Vinyl |
| Wild West Recordings |
| Within The Woods Recordings |
| Wobble Infection Digital |
| Wobble Warriors Audio |
| Wordplay / Full Cycle |
| Worldwide Audio Recordings |
| Yard International |
| Yardrock |
| Yaw Records |
| Young Guns |
| Znootpoch |
| Zoltar |
| Zonal Recordings |
| 17 Steps |
| 1985 Music |
| 20/20 LDN |
| 203 Music |
| 23:22 |
| 3 Beat |
| 31 Recordings |
| 36 Hertz |
DJ Pfeif 