What are the currently active Prog Labels?

[regenerativemusic]

Hi, I'm a little bit of a "prog outsider." I consider prog generally too rock and blues based for my taste,
and listen to more classical and exotic pop/black gospel these days. I am wondering if there are any
obscure prog labels that don't get much recognition because they may be too small. I was hoping
we could list the currently running prog labels. I know a lot of them may be more rock, metal, or jazz
oriented, but I'm wondering if there are some that may stand out a little as being in that "outsider
category."

[selfextraction]

Cuneiform would be stop number one.

http://www.cuneiformrecords.com/

[Meme Prog Mutation]

This one fits your exotic pop category: http://www.badelephant.co.uk/

[zombywoof]

Cuneiform would be stop number one.

http://www.cuneiformrecords.com/

seconded!

[Skullhead]

Not sure what small labels even do anymore?

People are not buying music in stores anymore, so distribution is more just a download. Anyone can distribute their own music on any of the hundreds of sites around. Artists are making their own music on computers. I don't think many labels are paying bands to tour... leaving them on their own for the most part. Anyone can send their music or links to sites that will review it... maybe.

In the old days... a real label would do a lot for bands. Finance their recordings in a real studio. Press and distribute their masters on vinyl or CD and use their distribution to get them into stores. They would have a staff that would work to promote their music to radio stations. Do people listen to radio stations anymore? Then they would put the bands on tour, schedule the tours, book and manage them and pay for decent accommodations for the band. Yes, this was done with advances, but with this internet music thing, what do today's labels do?

[bob_32_116]

Kscope

[MasterOfPuppets]

Unicorn Digital.

http://www.unicorndigital.net/#!news/c21ct

[smcfee]

Not sure what small labels even do anymore?

Mostly sit on the beach drinking pina coladas, counting their stashes of cash.

[mogilevs]

I was hoping we could list the currently running prog labels.

http://newprogreleases.blogspot.com/p/labels.html

[spacefreak]

Soleil Zeuhl.

[Scrotum Scissor]

Kscope

Cuneiform, AltrOck, Soleil Zeuhl, Ipecac, Skin Graft, Tzadik, Robotic Empire, New Atlantis, Temporary Residence, Drag City, Rune Grammofon, Hydra Head, Believer's Roast, Relapse, Touch and Go... And yeah, some of these release modern rock music WAY beyond the "usual" shores of "prog", and there are plenty others of the same ilk.

Of course, none of them have directly licensed backstage passes to those 'most played' lists in that badass Prog Magazine, unlike Kscope and InsideOut.

[Mascodagama]

Altr0ck
Rune Grammofon
Musea
Moonjune

[Scrotum Scissor]

Not sure what small labels even do anymore?

People are not buying music in stores anymore, so

Skull, you're now going to check out each and every of those labels I just listed in my previous post, and then return to PE in about five years' time when you've heard and studied those artists and processed them through an interpretive view of cultural assessments based on new understandings of contemporary 'rock music' currency. On your return, we will no longer discuss music from a prefixed axiom of "the past being better no matter what". We will go into the future from there, endure and prevail.

[Trane]

Mostly sit on the beach drinking pina coladas, counting their stashes of cash.

I thought you two hit paydirt with those two Sloche releases...

[spacefreak]

Of course, none of them have directly licensed backstage passes to those 'most played' lists in that badass Prog Magazine, unlike Kscope and InsideOut.

If they reverted to the engineering services of a certain Mr. Steven Wilson, would prog be saved?

[TheH]

Black Widow Records (on of my favourites)
Lizard Records (cool lable with some amazing bandwidth)
Ma.Ra.Cash Records
Andromeda Relix
Musea Records (hope they will get into reissues again)
Aerostella Recordings
BTF (AMS etc.)
Electromantic Music
Progressive Promotion

[Paulrus]

I'll add Poland's MetalMind to the list. As the name implies they champion metal bands but also have a huge soft spot for English neo prog.

[Jacob Holm-Lupo]

Not sure about "outsider music", but at least we have an eclectic and tasteful catalog: www.termorecords.com

[Totemist]

of all recomandation here, I suggest that first, check out altrOck. It might suit exactly for your taste.

https://altrockproductions.bandcamp.com/

[bob_32_116]

Kscope do a regular monthly promotional podcast, which is a good way of "sampling" new material. (Or even stuff that's several years old, as they leave the podcasts up.) I don't know how many others of these labels do something similar.

[Dana5140]

regenerativemusic, one of the great things about this site is that the people who actually own and run a lot of these labels are regulars here. And they all do good work.

[dgtlman]

Radiant Records
radiantrecords.com

[Esoteric]

Well we don't do much exotic pop or gospel and we do a lot of Prog and classic rock , but we do at Esoteric have a huge and wide catalogue and some gems may be your thing, for instance if you like jazzy and funky then Demon Fuzz Afreaka or John Kongos may tickle your fancy www.esotericrecordings.com

[Skullhead]

Skull, you're now going to check out each and every of those labels I just listed in my previous post, and then return to PE in about five years' time when you've heard and studied those artists and processed them through an interpretive view of cultural assessments based on new understandings of contemporary 'rock music' currency. On your return, we will no longer discuss music from a prefixed axiom of "the past being better no matter what". We will go into the future from there, endure and prevail.

What is a modern prog label doing for a band that the band can't do themselves fairly easily?

[spacefreak]

What is a modern prog label doing for a band that the band can't do themselves fairly easily?

En masse distribution to "key" specialised wholesalers.