Record labels play an important role in nurturing the growth of emerging musicians, and the Bay Area’s many independent labels are a key piece of the vibrant, local music scene.
This mixtape features new and recent songs from ten Bay Area artists, all from albums released by local record labels. As you’ll hear in the mix, there’s a great deal of musical diversity among local labels: Death Records specializes in lo-fi indie pop; Ratskin Records purveys experimental electronic sounds; and Digital Regress is all about punk.
While some of the labels included here have been in business for close to a decade — like Empty Cellar Records, which has put out over 30 albums and singles since 2009 — the majority have only been around for a handful of years or less. Text Me Records, for instance, emerged out of San Francisco’s Different Fur Studios earlier in 2017 and the new tape label Processional Cross also arrived this year.
Perhaps the most tangible sign of the Bay Area’s vibrant label scene is the 2017 Bay Area Record Fair, which takes place at the Swedish American Hall on Nov. 19. The free, all-ages event offers a unique chance to meet the people behind the Bay’s great independent record labels and check out their latest releases. If you like this mix, you’ll definitely want to attend.
Listen to the mixtape to learn more about all ten artists and the labels that released their music.
