Five Labels That Dominated 2015

5. Poker Flat Recordings

A label that shook the foundations of tech house in 2015, Steve Bug's Poker Flat did not stop for anything when it came to releasing jaw dropping tracks one after the other over the space of the year. What makes this label stand out from the rest is the way it doesn't seem to stop with a constant string of releases. Bringing out house grooves from the bitter start of the year, through the summer and then back into it's bitter end while suiting each release to the environment it was in was a major achievement. Denney's Acid (You're Free) became a highlight for this label, with it's brooding bassline and sexy, old school sample from an artist who was a mjor impact in 2015. With such a consistent and professional flow of tracks coming out of it I look forward to the non-stop party that Bug provides for us in the coming year.

4. Life & Death

Life and Death's sound was something that seemed to explode in 2015. Although for several years now it has been getting repeatedly rewarded for its truly beautiful and hypnotic releases, it still remains a label we should be looking out for. With Manfredi Romano, Greg Oreck, half of Thugfucker and Matteo Milleri of Tale of Us (the duo who, in the space of year, established a sound of their own and single handedly tore down each nightclub they visited around the world) behind the scenes there was no doubt from the start that this intelligent collective was creating bigger things in 2015. Providing majestic tracks from the likes of Stephan Bodzin, Recondite and Mind Against this label continues to focus its energy on the power of an atmosphere. Life and Death showed us that there is a simple beauty hidden within techno and they brought it out and shared it with the world.

3. трип (Trip)

Techno is a half moon where one side has melody and the other is darkness. Lead by the eccentric force that is Nina Kraviz, Trip emerged from a deep and dark Berlin sound that has become a spectacle in recent years. Anyone would think that a label that was launched in the autumn and has only four releases to its name would not come near to a position at the top, but this label does something different. Exploring from the start a strange and acidic side of techno, Kraviz took little time in showing us that she was really onto something. Bringing through pretty much unkown artists alongside techno veterans, Trip showcased the weird and wonderful aspects of this fast-paced and rukus sound that Kraviz has been pioneering the past couple years. With Bjarki's Wanna Go Bang having a major response, leaving clubbers asking what that sinister vocal was throughout the year, this label is sure to develop and throw us further into its black web in 2016. Spooky stuff.

2. Numbers

2015 saw Jackmaster rise in unstoppable fashion into DJ stardom. The Glaswegian went from 11th to the 5th spot  in the RA DJ polls between 2014 and 2015, evidence that his party spirit is something that punters are longing for on an international scale as his DJ sets develop and morph into something special. His record label, Numbers, is continuing to do the same: transforming and growing stronger with each release. With tracks like DJ Deeon's Freak Like Me getting huge support from the likes of Ben Klock it comes as no  surprise that this label is managing to make an imprint on a wider scale, the energy that Jackmaster has is being respected more than ever. Denis Sulta's It's Only Real was released in December and with astonishing pace the track found a place amongst almost everyone's favourite tracks of the year. It's melodic, yet  hard-hitting, sound was something that appealed to DJs and fans alike in 2015, a year where atmospheric house and techno thrived more than it ever had before. Jackmaster is a clever bloke. His forward-thinking mind is what makes Numbers such a success and 2016 is sure to be an exciting year. With Artwork's Let Go Of My Acid finally being released at some point this year; that alone is no doubt going to be one of the many highlights we can expect from this label.

1. Hot Creations

Hot Creations never fails to tirelessly push with its releases and in 2015 Jamie Jones' persistence with the label was dazzling to say the least. Fans were constantly teased throughout 2014 with unreleased music from Doorly, Hauswerks, Steve Lawler, Denney and even David Squillace. So when 2015 came around I felt like Jones had hit us with a bombardment of high quality releases, all tainted with that infamous, sleazy tech house sound. Starting the year with that 'this is th- th- th- this is' vocal that was already tearing up dancefloors almost a year before it was set free to the world Steve Lawler came through with House Record. It showed another side to Hot Creations. With overwhelming energy and a catchy cut up vocal sample that seemed like it could repeat forever and no one would mind, it managed to receive support from house heavyweights around the globe. The next of the label's achievements, and arguably the most important, was Denney's track Low Frequency. Edging carefully into 2015's mainstream house scene and receiving a radio edit that could be heard in clubs across the nation, we were shown that Hot Creations were not a label to be taken lightly. Other tracks such as wAFF's Fat Gash and Jamie Jones' Danger Mouse were also the main highlights during the summer, especially in Ibiza, where Jones' Paradise nights became bigger, bolder and more daring. This label is one that we have seen endlessly try to be the best year after year and unfortunately it has never seemed to place itself in the 'top spots'. Although I dare you to look back over what this label achieved in 2015 and question why such an original and ever-expanding label doesn't deserve to be number one.