Five Electronic Musicians That Started Their Own Record Labels In 2022
Artists have been taking the matter into their own hands lately. With the oligopoly dominating the industry, it’s only natural for musicians to launch their own record labels. There are many different reasons for this forward-looking movement among which are feeding creativity, freedom in production, providing a platform for promising new talents and supporting a niche genre.
In 2022, many of the top electronic musicians jumped on the wagon and set up their own record companies, broadening their horizons and creating new opportunities for artists in the music industry. We chose five of the biggest names in electronic music that took that leap of faith.
REZZ – HypnoVizion
Canadian DJ and record producer Isabelle Rezazadeh, professionally known as Rezz, announced during the summer that she will be launching Hypnovizion. The Ontario native teased that the label will support musicians with “slow, trippy HOT ass, mid-tempo bob your head ( and maybe even shake ur ass while you’re at it ) type beat + more (i like slow dub stuff too) (stuff that makes you question existence).”
Rezz said that her top priority in 2023 will be Hypnovizion which has her “feeling so fkn stoked. Don’t even get me started on the themed events & merch. I feel so passionate about this, much more than I ever thought I’d be.”
Hypnovizion kicked off with Nightmare On Rezz Street 2 Mix and then followed it with Iqsa’s newly released EP i 4ove you.
Nala – Mi Domina
Underground DJ, producer, and vocalist Nala launched a “femme-dominated” record label called Mi Domina. The LA-based artist kicked off her project with the collaborative three-track EP, Get Familiar, working closely with Venezuelan musician Ernesto Hidalgo, aka E.R.N.E.S.T.O.
With Mi Domina, Nala wants to create a safe space for women. In a statement, she revealed, “I’ve made it a philosophy to only work with artists who have a track record of being respectful to others, especially women.”
Nala praised E.R.N.E.S.T.O’s professionalism and talent, “I’m really honored to be able to work with E.R.N.E.S.T.O, share his talent, and vouch for his character. The man is a class act and an incredibly tasteful and talented producer.”
E.R.N.E.S.T.O also expressed his admiration for Nala, “I’ve been a fan of Nala ever since I heard “Psychic Attack.” We met playing the same festival, realized we both came up in Miami and got along immediately. This EP flowed in the best way possible. She is super talented and came to my studio with a ton of ideas for very personal and unique vocals that she laid down that same day.”
Listen to Get Familiar here:
Nicky Romero – Protocol Lab
Dutch DJ Nicky Romero celebrated the 10-year anniversary of his imprint Protocol Recordings by announcing the launch of the sub-label Protocol Lab. The new project’s inaugural release was “Stuck On You” by talented newcomers Repiet and Andrew A.
Romero’s Protocol Recordings, founded in 2012 is one of the most substantial labels in the industry. Nervo, Afrojack, Armin van Buuren, and many more renowned musicians have collaborated with the recording company. Its sub-label, Protocol Lab also plans to provide a creative platform for artists to be themselves, intending to experiment with new sounds and aiming to “nurture new talent.”
Speaking of Nicky Romero’s perseverance and determination, Protocol Recordings stated, “While showcasing his label’s roster via his weekly Protocol Radio show, Nicky Romero continues to innovate and evolve, and with his annual “Nicky Romero & Friends” ADE showcase and the launch of Monocule alter-ego, he keeps proving his ability to turn into gold everything he touches,” states on their website.
Delta Heavy – Delta Heavy
Delta Heavy, consisting of Ben Hall and Simon James, started a self-titled record label earlier this year. The English drum and bass production duo marked the launch of their company with “Ascend,” which gives a general idea of what is expected from them in the future.
With successful releases like “Heartbeat,” “Work It,” and “Feel,” Delta Heavy has garnered around four million streams. The duo, who already have a solid following of approximately a million listeners across different platforms, also released “Hydra” via their new record label.
Charlotte de Witte – RPM
Belgian DJ and record producer, Charlotte de Witte, popular for her minimal and acid techno sounds, announced the launch of RPM; a new sub-label under her original imprint, KNTXT that “builds velocity around emerging talent.”
RPM “ is a turbo-charged, digital-only sub-label of KNTXT that meets the demand of the ever-evolving electronic music scene and increases the creative output of KNTXT label.” The new project hopes to “provide artists a more agile platform to release music. It aims to offer a flexible test circuit for producers both emerging or established, to experiment with contemporary sounds, free from the latency in vinyl production.”
Acid Asian’s “Break Into Acid” is the first release from RPM.
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