Velcro City Records

With a constant flow of promising and not-so-promising talent emerging in the electronica / dance music industry, it's increasingly difficult for artists to avoid becoming diluted in the competing masses. But lucky for some, one DJ realized that and didn’t miss the beat in doing something about it.

Dj Vanish has been producing music for more than eight years and once attempted the use of a certain digital music aggregator in an effort to get his music distributed to the masses. What he experienced, though, was disappointment.

He soon discovered that the company he chose for distributing his music allows anyone, signed or unsigned, to dispense their music through iTunes, Amazon, Napster, etc. What this means, the Dj explains, is that the music playing field has become quite level. With all artists being allowed the ability to sell their music, it becomes nearly impossible for any one of them to be found in an infinite online music store which, Schlosky says, is why a record label is still important.

Dj Vanish is now the owner of Velcro City Records (VCR), a brainchild of One Productions, and partnered with Solitude Studios, and he has satisfied his desire for a more effective means of releasing music. VCR launched at the beginning of 2008 and, in May 2008, became available on Beatport.com, hitting the top 100 in at least one genre sub category over 20 times and counting.

For Vanish, it's all about earning the artists, he has signed, the three things that can be difficult for them to attain on their own — decent pay, attention, and recognition. He says, "In the digital world, no one really expects to become rich with the paltry percentage of money that is seen from a $2 sale. So, in turn, the label invests all money earned in advertising and broadening their global footprint, until a fan base is built and the artists are out playing shows, earning better money through gigs and earning more sales from recognition."

Check them out on MySpace

"The record labels of the future will be a collection of artists, rather than individuals that shape the music we hear."