Know Your Labels: Drumcode

Like many electronic music aficionados, I began my journey through EDM on the more melodic side of things. I was a trance head from the day my father gave me my very first Walkman CD player and Ian Van Dahl‘s debut album, Ace, on my ninth birthday (my favorite track was “Castles In the Sky” – remember that one?). As I matured, I developed an insatiable curiosity that compelled me to dive deeper into music. I encountered new genres and new sounds. One of them was techno.

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I blame Drumcode wholeheartedly for my initial descent down the rabbit hole. It happened at a Drumcode label showcase at Treehouse during Winter Music Conference several years ago. The music was fierce and it was hypnotizing… I was captivated by it. However, the more “techno” I listened to, the more I realized that it wasn’t just the genre that had woven such a spell over me; it was the certain kind of techno that was and still remains particular to Drumcode. If you are a fan of the imprint’s releases, you know exactly what I’m referring to: a certain booming, driving largeness that surrounds you and swallows you up regardless of whether you are listening in a club or inside your car.

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If you explore the musical catalogues of any of the Drumcode family’s legendary members – Alan Fitzpatrick, Joseph Capriati, Chris Liebing, Nicole Moudaber, Kaiserdisco and Dense & Pika to name a few- I guarantee that you’ll be able to pick out the Drumcode releases almost immediately. Aside from that vast and open sound, they tend to emphasize melody in a way that adds warmth to elements that would otherwise seem cold and austere. Alan Fitzpatrick‘s “For An Endless Night” is a perfect example if this kind of full-bodied yet minimal contradiction.

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Achieving such flawless coherency among such a diverse family of artists usually only happens as a result of remarkable A&R work. Then again, when you have someone like Adam Beyer overseeing talent selection and creative development, it hardly comes as a surprise. This week, we raise a glass to Drumcode for its unwavering ability to transform even the hardest, most basic production elements into something that almost feels like a living, breathing creature. And, of course, for managing to turn a former trance head over to the dark side.

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Current Drumcode Artists

Adam Beyer (Sweden)
Alex Tepper (United Kingdom)
Alan Fitzpatrick (United Kingdom)
Ascion (Italy)
Cari Lekebusch (Sweden)
Christian Smith (Sweden)
Cisco Ferreira / The Advent (Portugal / UK)
Dustin Zahn (USA)
Gaetano Parisio (Italy)
Hardcell (Sweden)
Harvey McKay (UK)
Henrik B (Sweden)
Industrialyzer (Portugal)
Itamar Sagi (Israel)
Jerome Sydenham (UK)
Jesper Dahlback / Lenk (Sweden)
Joel Mull (Sweden)
Joey Beltram (USA)
John Selway (USA)
Joseph Capriati (Italy)
Kyle Geiger (USA)
Marco Bailey (Belgium)
Marco Carola (Italy)
Mark Reeve (UK)
Mighty Thor (Sweden)
Nicole Moudaber (UK)
Nihad Tule (Sweden)
Oliver Ho (UK)
Ortin Cam (Belgium)
Par Grindvik (Sweden)
Patrik Skoog / Agaric (Sweden)
Paul Ritch (France)
Perc (UK)
Sasha Carassi (Italy)
Steve Lawler (UK)
Thomas Krome (Sweden)
Tiger Stripes (Sweden)
Tom Hades (Belgium)
Tony Rohr (USA)