Scotland’s best contemporary music labels

WITH an independent scene that has become increasingly self-reliant, Scottish labels have good reason to be upbeat about the wealth and depth of their contemporary output

WHAT is good Scottish music? There’s no easy answer to that, lest we get into a parochial wheeze about ‘authenticity’ and all the rest of it, but a number of independent, forward-thinking labels have been quietly/not-so-quietly working on an answer - here are some that take our fancy.

Chemikal Underground

Home to a sprawling hydra of artists who share a mercurial way with creative songwriting, Chemikal Underground is a veritable hub for some of Scotland’s sharpest musicians; experimental outfits such as synth-rock trio FOUND and pulsing folk-rock ensemble The Phantom Band have proven themselves worthy stablemates of Chemikal pillars (and professional pessimists) Malcolm Middleton and Aidan Moffat. chemikal.co.uk

• Recommended: FOUND - factorycraft

Optimo Music

JD Twitch and JG Wilkes, responsible for a blanket of Monday morning sick notes for over a decade thanks to their long-running Optimo Espacio night at the Sub Club (HR management, be afraid: they’ve announced the return of their residency), launched a label in 2009 that mirrors their enviably eclectic tastes: from the shuffling lo-fi indie of Organs Of Love to the hardcore thrash of Divorce, the label is as gloriously difficult to pin down as the duo themselves. optimomusic.com

• Recommended: Organs Of Love - Bone

Song, by Toad

Song, by Toad are a small but increasingly influential voice borne of Edinburgh’s grassroots landscape; initially a blog, founder Matthew Young launched a label which he says acts “as something of a nursery” for its artists, among whom are emotive Edinburgh folkers Mersault and punk-inclined outfit The Japanese War Effort.

songbytoadrecords.com

• Recommended: Jonnie Common - Deskjob

Soma

Though Soma have long been an institution beyond these borders - over 20 years now and counting - it stands as testament to the sure-footed approach the label have shown towards promoting their own that Glasgow institutions Slam and Silicone Soul continue to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with seminal acts such as UK techno legends The Black Dog and ambient dub-techno pioneer Deepchord.

somarecords.com

• Recommended: Soma Records - 20 Years

Fence

Anstruther-based Fence Records tend to inspire something of a cultish devotion among its flock, and quite right too - regular attendees of past gigs, and in particular their annual Home Game festival, will testify to the infectious irreverence with which Fence go about their business. The music’s not bad either - label founder Kenny Anderson, as King Creosote, Johnny Lynch (The Pictish Trail) and James Yorkston are just some of the artists who have contributed to Fence’s redoubtable catalogue.

fencerecords.com

• Recommended: King Creosote - Flick The Vs