Truly "underground" labels

mrmatthewmrmatthew 1,575 Posts
edited March 2013 in Strut Central
Labels that, in thier charter/mission statement (if they have actually have one) refuse to create, promote or distribute thier art in any way that might be construed as "the mainstream". And im not talking about labels that started out indie and then sold out (rawkus, sub-pop, etc).

Underground Resistance
Dischord
Kill Rock Stars
Tzadik

What are some others?
And is this an outdated concept in todays world?

Discuss.

  Comments


  • jamesjames chicago 1,863 Posts
    mrmatthew said:
    Labels that, in thier charter/mission statement (if they have actually have one) refuse to create, promote or distribute thier art in any way that might be construed as "the mainstream".
    I don't know--facilitating the commercial availability of art is one of the core values of "mainstream," and on that score all these labels you've listed seem to exist less in absolute opposition to the mainstream than in varying degrees of proximity to it.

    Could you talk a little bit more about what you mean?

  • DJ_EnkiDJ_Enki 6,471 Posts
    Insane Clown Posse's label

  • mrmatthewmrmatthew 1,575 Posts
    DJ_Enki said:
    Insane Clown Posse's label

    Nope -
    From Wiki

    "Later that year, Island Records bought the rights of The Great Milenko from Hollywood Records, and signed Insane Clown Posse and Twiztid to their label.[15] Island also helped Psychopathic Records expand into the movie business by funding Insane Clown Posse US$250,000 to begin work on a full length movie, Big Money Hustlas, written by Joseph Bruce.[1"

  • GatorToofGatorToof 582 Posts
    I'm not sure about any underground labels.

    Pls allow me to digress for a mini poem.

    Looks like chocolate but then it's filled with lies. It's okay, Nutella, hipsters still love you.

  • mrmatthewmrmatthew 1,575 Posts
    james said:
    mrmatthew said:
    Labels that, in thier charter/mission statement (if they have actually have one) refuse to create, promote or distribute thier art in any way that might be construed as "the mainstream".
    I don't know--facilitating the commercial availability of art is one of the core values of "mainstream," and on that score all these labels you've listed seem to exist less in absolute opposition to the mainstream than in varying degrees of proximity to it.

    Could you talk a little bit more about what you mean?

    I guess what i mean by "truly underground" is labels that may have been activley courted by the major lables but made a concious effort to not do any business with them and instead rely on other, non-mainstream methods of getting thier art to their fans (or product to thier consumers if thats what youd like to call it).
    Maybe I should have used the term "independent" instead of "underground".

    Or maybe this discussion has become irrelevent and was better argued back in the 90's when people seemed to care about this sort of thing?

  • RishanRishan 454 Posts
    Fondle 'Em

  • chopped herring

  • DuderonomyDuderonomy Haut de la Garenne 7,778 Posts
    Ninja Tune. 20+ years, still independent, and I'm sure majors have come knocking at some point in it's history.

    From wiki: inspired by a visit to Japan, Black & More (Coldcut) primarily created Ninja Tune in 1990 to act as a vehicle by which they could release music of a more underground nature, free from the restraints placed on artists by major labels (the same restraints that were put on them via their brief stints with Arista and Big Life).[2]

  • skelskel You can't cheat karma 5,033 Posts
    Crass label, batches.

  • Daptone
    Righteous Babe (Ani DiFranco)

    Both rejected offers from majors.

  • PlantweedPlantweed 394 Posts
    Touch and Go

  • mickalphabetmickalphabet deep inna majestic segue 374 Posts
    dischord

  • HarveyCanalHarveyCanal "a distraction from my main thesis." 13,234 Posts
    Rap-A-Lot has entered into many various mainstream deals over the years, but no label can fuck their own artists by insisting to only do things their own way, quite like J.Prince's bunch.

  • DOPEFOLKS
    WAX POETICS
    JAMILLE
    KAY-DEE
    FAT BEATS
    CHERRY
    DAPTONE
    SOUL FREAK

  • DOPEFOLKS
    WAX POETICS
    JAMILLE
    KAY-DEE
    FAT BEATS
    CHERRY
    DAPTONE
    SOUL FREAK

  • kalakala 3,358 Posts
    skam
    rephlex
    nodlew
    Kilmarnock

  • EIGHTYEIGHTY 224 Posts
    I would think DuckDown Records would fall under this but they get distribution from E1, so I don't know if that would exclude them in your opinion.
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