Record Labels or Just Bunch of Desi Cowboys?

It’s going to totally revolutionize the industry by bringing out albums that are not worth £10 and by not offering a digital download service. We are also going to shoot the debut video in my bedroom. Also look forward to the brand new album by DJ ‘insert roadshow name here’ with his brand new album titled ‘the album’, featuring the hit track ‘Jatt Di Daru’! Who said Bhangra was dead!!

Now obviously this isn’t true, but if we really wanted to, we could easily set up our own ‘record label’. Gone are the days in Bhangra when a few big labels would constantly bring out good constant releases. Now I’m not talking about UntouchablesUK more so; OSA, Multitone, Roma Musicbank.

'The Record Labels'

Now onto the ’reputable record labels’ of Bhangra.

The failure of Record labels to adapt to the digital era has been woefully slow. We are now in 2008 and undeniably one of the biggest UK Labels Moviebox still do not offer a Digital downloads service.

Now the reason I constantly pick on Moviebox is that they are the biggest label and in turn share the biggest responsibility to take our industry forward.

So in my infinite wisdom, I looked at the back of my Jassi Sidhu album and found a contact email for Moviebox, not wanting to hang around I’d thought I would ask them whether they will be introducing a Digital Download service. The response I got (which was very fast to their credit) was very promising indeed. Moviebox are all set to launch their very own digital download service in July! This will allow users to download albums on the same day albums get released, in my opinion will be massive for the Bhangra scene, some of the biggest artists will now have a new outlet for their music and this can only be a positive thing. Remember were you heard it first!

Alongside Moviebox there is also VIP Records who were the first to embrace the Digital Download set up through their own website (viprecords.co.uk)

Moviebox now stand alone as the biggest Bhangra label who are constantly bringing out releases. Although they deserve their fare share of criticism they have been constant in pushing Bhangra music, something which a lot of other labels have found themselves struggling todo.

The Cowboys

We have new labels emerging nearly every day, each making the same statement that they promise to turn Bhangra around. Well firstly, they can all stop releasing sub standard material, but that’s just too much common sense isn’t it? Its got to a point were we have now have labels called ‘LADOO RECORDS’, is this how much of a joke our once proud industry has become? The Bhangra scene has long been saturated by individuals who only use it to gain a little street cred or to extend their popularity rating. How does anyone expect to be taken seriously with such a pathetic name? Although I’m sure you guys sitting here don’t need to me to tell you how pathetic it sounds. Anyway that’s the cowboys done. The sooner these idiots are weeded out the faster I say!

Gone are the days when a album was released that contained real purpose and thought, now a album is released just for the sake of releasing a album

Whatever happend to quality control?

Both the bigger and smaller labels are to blame, but who should share the larger portion of blame? The likes of Ladoo Records who make a mockery of the scene, or the powerhouse labels like Moviebox who acted to slowly in dealing with the digital age?

So you tell me, who do you see as the real Record Labels and who are just a bunch of Desi cowboys?

Article written by Sukh (UK)

All hate mail can be sent directly to
Sukh@SimplyBhangra.com