Truly "underground" labels

mrmatthew · March 2013

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And is this an outdated concept in todays world?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.

james · March 2013

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_Enki · March 2013

Insane Clown Posse's label

mrmatthew · March 2013

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"

GatorToof · March 2013

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.

mrmatthew · March 2013

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?

Rishan · March 2013

Fondle 'Em

tigerloop · March 2013

chopped herring

Duderonomy · March 2013

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]

skel · March 2013

Crass label, batches.

Otis_Funkmeyer · March 2013

Daptone
Righteous Babe (Ani DiFranco)

Both rejected offers from majors.

Plantweed · March 2013

Touch and Go

mickalphabet · March 2013

dischord

HarveyCanal · March 2013

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.