Year after year, electronic musicians start their own record labels to foster their creative exploration and provide a platform for up-and-coming artists. 2022 saw some of the biggest names in electronic music branch out their musical escapades to create imprints under their names.
From Dutch DJ Nicky Romero to techno superstar Charlotte de Witte, here is a list of electronic artists that launched record labels in 2022.
REZZ – HypnoVizion
Canadian DJ Rezz revealed that she will be helming a brand new record label in June this year. Months later, she announced ‘Hypnovizion,’ an imprint that will feature “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 u question existence),” according to the renowned musician.
“Hypnovizion has me 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(?),” she wrote on Twitter. “This is gonna be my top priority in 2023.”
Rezz’s ‘Nightmare On Rezz Street 2 Mix’ marked the label’s inaugural release. It will be followed by Canadian DJ and record producer Iqsa’s upcoming EP ‘i l4ove you’ on December 8.
Nala – Mi Domina
Los Angeles-based DJ Nala launched Mi Domina, a “femme-dominated” record label “where women are in charge,” per a press release shared with EDM.com. The name translates to “Dominate Me” – a phrase that functions as an ode to Nala’s Italian heritage.
Nala’s new three-track EP, ‘Get Familiar,’ served as Mi Domina’s inaugural record. It was a joint record with fellow Dirtybird artist E.R.N.E.S.T.O. Nala and E.R.N.E.S.T.O. kick off ‘Get Familiar’ with ‘God Complex’ then comes the EP’s titular track, ‘Get Familiar’ before concluding with the closing track ‘Acid Mix’.
“I’ve made it a philosophy to only work with artists who have a track record of being respectful to others, especially women, and 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,” said Nala, regarding her collaborative record with E.R.N.E.S.T.O. on Mi Domina.
Nicky Romero – Protocol Lab
To mark the 10-year anniversary of Nicky Romero’s Protocol Recordings, the Dutch DJ announced the launch of the Protocol Lab sub-label.
Romero’s Protocol Recordings, one of the most established and affluent recording labels in the industry, was founded by the record producer in 2012. It had countless releases from artists the likes of Nervo, Afrojack, Armin van Buuren and more. Now, Protocol Lab as a sub-label will be a place to experiment with new sounds. It aims to “nurture new talent,” the first of which were up-and-comers Repiet and Andrew A. with their offering ‘Stuck On You.’
Read more about it HERE
Delta Heavy – Delta Heavy
The explosive duo Delta Heavy announced their self-titled imprint earlier this year. To celebrate the announcement of their label, Delta Heavy has released ‘Ascend,’ a tune that comes straight from the duo’s festival-sized drum & bass playbook, and it also offers a sneak peek into what we can expect from the label in the coming years.
This news comes hot on the heels of their latest strip of releases on UKF which included ‘Heartbeat,’ ‘Work It,’ and ‘Feel’- which gained over 100,000 streams in one week alone and currently has 3.7m total streams. The imprint launch is set to be a huge success amongst the duo’s ever-growing, loyal, and engaged fan base, which boasts close to a million listeners on Spotify and YouTube combined.
After just over a month since the label’s debut release, Delta Heavy dropped another bombshell on their self-titled label called ‘Hydra.’
Read more about it HERE
Zomboy – Rott n’ Roll Records
Dubstep veteran Zomboy launched Rott n’ Roll Records in May 2022 and inaugurated the imprint with the release of the track ‘Flatlined’ with Micah Martin.
Two months later, he rolled out his debut EP on Rott n’ Roll Records titled ‘Dead Man Walking Pt. 1.’ The four-track EP features vocalist Micah Martin and electronic musician MUST DIE! Within the transient EP, Zomboy can be heard exploring newer sounds as well as scouring his signature dubstep resonance. “‘Dead Man Walking Pt.1’ has so many levels of meaning to me. While it may be short, I feel the attention to detail is some of my best to date. It also marks the first major release of my very own label ‘Rott N’ Roll Records,’” said Zomboy in a statement.
Read more about it HERE
Charlotte de Witte – RPM
Earlier last month, Charlotte de Witte announced the launch of a new sub-label under her primary imprint, KNTXT. Named RPM, it aims to create a space to help smaller artists. “RPM is a turbo-charged, digital only sub-label of KNTXT that builds velocity around emerging talent and sounds,” reads an Instagram post by KNTXT.
“To meet the demand of the ever-evolving electronic music scene and increase the creative output of our KNTXT label, RPM should 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,” the post furthered.
Acid Asian’s ‘Break Into Acid’ is the first release from RPM.
Camo & Krooked and Mefjus – Modus
Austrian drum & bass legends Camo & Krooked and Mefjus announcing their brand new label, Modus. With a combined expertise of over two decades in the scene, Camo & Krooked and Mefjus have always made music with the thought of defying the conventional laws of drum & bass music, and Modus will be a continuation of their genre-defining journey.
Speaking about the label, Camo & Krooked and Mefjus said, “Starting our own independent music label has always been a dream of ours, which now comes true. Together with our good friend Mefjus we are launching MODUS and will do things our way! A way of doing things / a motive / a manner / a value.”
Camo & Krooked & Mefjus released ‘Overture’ as the debut track from Modus.
Keeno – Keeno Music
Keeno, known to be one of the best purveyors of soulful and cinematic drum & bass, has launched his own imprint, Keeno Music.
After spending close to a decade releasing music on the most respected labels in the genre, the classically trained multi-instrumentalist has taken his career a step further by launching his own record label. The self-titled label will provide the ultra-talented producer with an independent platform to bring his ability to create atmospheric, uplifting-sounding drum and bass to life, whilst also onboarding other artists that share his story-telling ethos. To celebrate the inception of Keeno Music, the gifted producer released a new tune called ‘Lights On’ on December 2.
Read more about it HERE
