It’s All Gone Armada: 12 New Imprints

Whether or not you got the memo about Armada’s recent addition of Armada Deep and the re-branding of its Enhanced and Trice label imprints, you are probably about as surprised as we were to find out that’s not all! With a slew of sub labels already under its belt, it is understandable how one might feel as though Armada is slowly but surely taking over the electronic dance music arena. That said, instead of making an announcement every time the label releases plans for a brand new imprint, we thought it might be easier to just bring you a list of all the ones we predict could be possibilities in the future.

In addition to the already existing (deep breath) A State of Trance, A State of Trance Radio,  Armind, Aropa Records, Dance Club Records, #Goldrush Recordings, IHU Records, In My Opinion Records, Jee Productions, Main Stage Music, Modena Records, Organized Nature, Perfecto Music, ReBrand, Subject Recordings, The Bearded Man, Who’s Afraid of 138, Future Sound Of Egypt, Wake Your Mind Records, Zouk Recordings, Armada Trice, Armada Captivating, Armada Deep, Armada Chill (yes, that exists), Armada BNL, and of course, Armada Music, here are our most-anticipated unofficial (although highly foreseeable) upcoming Armada imprints.

Placing all of the the emphasis on vaulting synths, awe-inspiring build-ups, epic breakdowns and plumetting drops, Armada Big Room was founded to push forth music built for the biggest of rooms. When it comes to sound, ABR holds fast to the notion that bigger is better, from mega club to the amphitheater (but not the festival – see Armada Fest Music for that).

Designed with the festival set in mind, Armada Fest Music exclusively releases 60 to 90 minute sets from a variety of genres, all structured with the festival crowd in mind. Whether its by a new up-and-comer from Armada Deep or a tried-and-tested trance heavyweight from Future Sound of Egypt, every “set” released on Armada Fest Music brings its own unique brand of energy in a festival-friendly time frame.

Because 808’s and triple time hi-hats do not belong exclusively to Diplo and DJ Carnage, the Armada family once again proves its willingness and ability to explore new sounds successfully with A State of Trap, which focuses entirely on deeply melodic-yet-filthy phat sub-bass kick drums, layered synthesizers and pitched down and aggressive (although lyrically uplifting) vocals.

Given the huge success of the recently established Armada Deep label (which does incorporate some ambient techno), Armada thought it only fitting to open the family to the more spacey, stripped back and cerebral sides of the genre. A State of Techno delivers dark, moody, minimal and mostly analog sounds inspired by Eastern Europe’s early “Berlin style” techno scene.

As the name suggests, Future Sound of My Garage is dedicated to grunge-y, experimental jam sessions. All Future Sound of My Garage releases are produced at the wee and ungodly hours of the morning in haphazardly constructed bedroom studios by artists still in their pajamas. Like its fans, Future Sound of My Garage prefers music that hints at that “straight out of bed and still groggy” aesthetic.

After being met with wild success for his remix of Idina Mendel’s “Let It Go” in the Disney hit motion picture Frozen, Armada’s head honcho, Armin Van Buuren, decided to open up an imprint devoted to remixing entire Disney movie soundtracks. Scheduled for release soon is a drum ‘n’ bass remix of “Under The Sea” from Disney’s The Little Mermaid and a hard-hitting dubstep version of the famous Lion King theme titled “Bass Drop of Life” (extended mix slated for release on Armada’s bass music imprint, RYFO – we’ll get to that).

Future Sound of Strange is the home of marginal, experimental and peculiar sounds that can’t properly be categorized, partly because labels and genres go against what FSOS represents. Here, you will find a treasure trove of tunes you might have heard once long ago at some artsy back alley hot spot tucked away in the bowels of Wynwood. Future Sound of Strange’s high-brow-meets-low-brow trademark is usually too avant-garde for the casual fan, but the FSOS family prefers to cater to only the most discerning listeners. With this new sub label, Armada is happy to introduce an assortment of artists who pride themselves on their ability to fly so low on the radar, they are practically invisible to the general public.

Inspired by the musical atmosphere at Chicago’s Warehouse and Studio 54, Armada Groovy is all about revisiting the early roots of house and disco and allowing the bass line to take center stage. This is the home of funk, groove and soulful vocals, and the only imprint that aims to transport listeners back to a simpler time when the rules of the dancefloor reigned supreme.

FSOE’s miscreant cousin, RYFO is the Armada imprint built around filthy, epic bass music. Move over OWSLA, Armada is now in control of the mosh pit.

Weird, though-provoking and indisputably trippy, Who’s Afraid of Acid is the Armada imprint committed to the bizarre. Partially a tribute to the original acid music that only somewhat caught on the seventies, Who’s Afraid of Acid features a host of tracks produced with the initial technique of fiddling with knobs on a karaoke machine. Because Armada is as much about innovation as they are about tradition, they will also be showcasing a variety of odd and slightly creepy instrumentals by still largely nameless and obscure up-and-comers.

Despite a superficial similarity to Future Sound of Strange’s mission statement, Armada Underground is dedicated to putting forth releases by artists that are only considered “underground” by the masses. This is a label designed for the mainstream listener taking his or her first baby steps into the world of grown-up music. With releases that would be considered mainstream anywhere outside the U.S., Armada Underground features “techno,” “deep house,” “tech” and “electronica” that only sounds edgy and avant-garde to the typical fan.

For the true purists, Armada Pure offers strictly traditional trance tunes that stay firmly between 125 and 160 beats per minute. Here, fans will find that they keep the focus on melody, arpeggios and vocals (when applicable).  Understandably Armada Pure’s target audience may be small and scattered, but they have so many different imprints that they don’t really care. Long live the #TranceFamily.