Some of the most exciting record labels in the world are those run by experienced artists. Here are 5 artist-owned record labels to watch from the MN2S Label group.

Starting a record label can be a great way for an artist to bring more music they love into the world without having to spend endless days and nights in the studio. It also gives them the opportunity to shape the direction of the musical scene and test out their business skills.

On the other side of things, being signed to a record label run and owned by an artist is a great way to gain valuable insight and expertise from someone who has been in your position before.

Whether you are the owner or the signee, being a part of an artist-owned record label is hugely beneficial. And thanks to the overriding vision and taste of their creators, artist-owned record labels put out some of the best music, too. Here are 5 of the best MN2S artist-owned record labels to watch in 2016.

To enquire about setting up a record label, visit the Label Services page.

Launched just a few months ago in January 2016, Fuente Music is veteran Japanese soulful house producer Hideo Kobayashi’s first foray into opening a record label. The label’s first release shot straight to the top of the Traxsource Soulful House Chart, and the second release, from fellow veterans COLDFEET is on track for similar success when it comes out later in March.

Signees include COLDFEET, Eric Kuppa, Christa, Lisa Taylor, Eric Ericksson and of course Kobayashi himself.

Kerri Chandler is a house music legend. Unlike Kobayashi, Chandler has run multiple record labels for a long time. His first two labels, MadHouse and MadTech have both issued consistently great music, which bodes well for the relatively new Kaoz Theory.

Chandler launched the label in June 2015 with the compilation album Kerri Chandler Presents Kaoz Theory. The album featured tracks from DJ W!ld, Cirillo, Lola Purple and, needless to say, Kerri Chandler.

Recently, Kaoz Theory released Jamie Jones’ Illicit Behaviour EP, and many more exciting releases are lined up for the rest of the year.

House heavyweights David Morales and Hector Romero run the brilliant label Def Mix Music. Alongside fellow producers Satoshi Tomiie and the late Frankie Knuckles, Romero and Morales have used Def Mix Music to distribute their various productions. Between them, these four producers have amassed over 100 years of DJing experience, and the high quality of the music their label puts out is a testament to their skill.

Def Mix’s most recent release, ‘Found Love feat. Melonie Daniels Walker’ by Morales under the name Blind Colors, is the latest in the string of terrific tracks the label has released.

Baltimore-based DJ Sean Spencer, known to the world as DJ Spen, set up Quantize Recordings to release top drawer soulful house music to his fans. In 2015 the label issued music from Tamara Wellons, Sheila Ford and Tamashi among others. And in the first two months of 2015 alone Quantize has already given us a string of great singles from artists including Yass, Spencer Morales and Joi Cardwell.

DJ Spen’s exquisite taste in music, honed as a radio curator for soulful house in the 1990s, mean ever release from Quantize Recordings is a winner. With an important milestone coming up in their one hundredth release, 2016 is shaping up to be Quantize Recordings’ best year yet.

Old friends Silky and Barber’s self-proclaimed aim with Faceless Recordings is “releasing quality music, alongside a plethora of talented remix artists and discovering and developing new talents within a family like environment.” So far, they have been hugely successful, with tracks from Timo Mass and Fur Coat being particular standouts and chart successes.

Last year, music from Cali Lanauze and HearThug lit up dancefloors around the country. The label’s first release of 2016 was Roland Appel’s Handshake EP, which was met with great acclaim. Lovers of underground deep house should keep an eye on Faceless Recordings as the year goes by.