A lot of people have heard of the bands Fontaines D.C. and IDLES by now, but not a lot of people know much about the record label they’re currently signed to.
Partisan Records is an independent record label based in London, LA and New York City, founded in 2007. The first release on the label came from Holy Sons, a one-man solo band of Emil Amos. It was the band’s 5th release named Decline of the West and was widely well-received.
Since then, the label has grown and grown. Partisan Records feature a variety of artists, both big and small, but all are worthy of your attention. Like many others, there is quite a range when considering their musical sounds. Where bands like IDLES make a lot of noise, Laura Marling is almost the complete opposite with her soft, speak-singing tones.
Artists you may have heard of from Partisan include Pottery, Westerman and Cigarettes After Sex, but there are numerous others which deserve equal amount of attention.
DMAs, who happen to already be Edge favourites here, are one of the record label’s alumni. Alongside them, The Wytches and Freeman also released some material with Partisan. With such successful artists, it’s easy to see why the label is so popular to some.
What stands out about Partisan is the range of artists they have under their belt. Although other record labels have somewhat of a range, Partisan have everything you would love if you’re a fan of indie. Alongside the artists aforementioned, Femi Kuti also features, alongside his late father.
Fela Kuti (who died in 1997) was a Nigerian multi-instrumentalist who pioneered the Afrobeat musical genre. Partisan Records labels AfroBeat as “his gift to the world” which is “now an international staple on his own uncompromising terms, social content intact”.
If you’re looking for a diverse range of music, all as outstandingly talented as each other, Partisan Records has got your back.
Listen to ‘Dem Bobo’ by Femi Kuti below.
