Each label in this year's top 20 has its own story. Some grew from bricks-and-mortar record shops, while others sprouted from the digital ether. A few wrap themselves in one sound and explore its possibilities, while others adopt a broader approach. Some delve into the past, others gaze into the future. Many release small batches of tapes or records to a devoted following. One shifted several million copies of a single album.

But here's one thing that ties them together: curation. That word was inescapable in 2015, whether you were running a record label, organising a festival or selling craft beer in a pub. When it comes to record labels, though, the level of thought and care that goes into making something "curated" remain as crucial as ever.

20.
This is the first time Numbers has graced our top labels poll, which might come as a surprise. Armed with a music policy that's incisive as it is radical, the Glaswegian crew have pushed some of the biggest club weapons in recent memory. Their steamroller streak came to a head this year—of ten releases, Numbers didn't drop a dud. From the banging DJ Deeon reissue to Kornél Kovács' summertime magic to year-end salvos from SOPHIE and Denis Sulta, few 2015 catalogues had such quality and scope.
Numbers

Denis Sulta - It's Only Real
19.
Eight years since they started, Ilian Tape have arrived at a fine balance: consistent, and consistently fresh. Though always tweaking techno's tropes (most notably the 4/4 pulse), the label pushes a singular sound that listeners can rely on—a dubby, shuffling, darkly beautiful thing that was enshrined in the label's first LP, Zenker Brothers' Immersion. With a tight crew of artists who only seem to get better, we have much to look forward to from this inspired techno outfit.
Ilian Tape

Andrea - Rainbow
18.
Slow Life and labels like it are part of a new wave of celebrated record diggers. Inspired by obscure club tracks from decades past, this mostly Berlin-based crew have a modern take on timeless house and techno, where swing, atmosphere and depth are vital. If the stellar output of in-house producer S. Moreira is what first turned heads, then later contributions from Saverio Celestri and Refracted kept people hooked. With a much anticipated double-EP set to drop soon, there's little doubt Slow Life is one of Europe's most promising new labels.
Slow Life

S.Moreira - Clean Or High
17.
You can get lost in the sleeves of Nous 12-inches—those disorienting, black-and-white optical illusions are more magnetic than a Magic Eye poster. It's almost too perfect how Nomidis's designs match the music they adorn; the Berlin-based label specializes in hardware music with a deep hypnotic bent, and they excelled in their third year. Karen Gwyer's RA Recommended EP and Visions by Osaka producer YPY unleashed formidable techno, while records from O. Xander and Call Super explored warmer house sounds. No doubt Nous singles were distinctive, and they were equally powerful, too.
Nous

O. Xander - Integrity & Intensity
16.
2015 was the year that XL reconnected with its dance floor roots. It's something they hinted at last year, with the signings of QT and Kaytranada and a compilation that dissected the label's past and present. But this year XL's freewheeling rave spirit was back. There was no wave-fuelled madness from Powell, grime 3.0 from Novelist and Mumdance, Amen-break science from Special Request and the bumping house sound of London from Hugo Massien. They each cast UK dance music in strange and interesting new lights.
XL Recordings
15.
Signing off after 50 releases—just as bosses Modeselektor promised—2015 was 50 Weapons' swansong. Given its fiercely club-focussed MO, there was no way the Berliners were going to go out quietly, and the final months saw a shower of killer tracks, from Addison Groove's "Allaby" to Paula Temple's "Oscillate." The real gem, though, was an album of teary techno from Benjamin Damage, one of the label's best and longest-serving artists. R.I.P. indeed.
50 Weapons

Benjamin Damage & Doc Daneeka - Kansas
14.
PAN is a place where artists step into the void. This year that was M.E.S.H. splashing about in the murk of Piteous Gate, Helm toying with spoken word on "Strawberry Chapstick," and Visionist subverting grime with Safe (an album that was anything but). There were many others, from the beat sculptures of Errorsmith & Mark Fell, to the sludgy hip-hop of Spectre's reissued classic, Ruff Kutz. Avant-garde but never stuffy, PAN shows how taking risks can yield spectacular results.
PAN

Errorsmith & Mark Fell - Cuica Digitales
13.
Above some nondescript shops on the corner of Pender and Main in Vancouver's Chinatown sits the studio behind some of the most distinctive house in recent years. Mood Hut only released three 12-inches this year, but they were just what we wanted: lazy afternoon jams from Pender Street Steppers, ravey goodness from House Of Doors and an ambient bubblebath from Slow Riffs, who showed that you could stretch the Mood Hut sound and still keep it special.
Mood Hut

House Of Doors - Burmstar (Flute Mix)
12.
That Hunee was the highest new entry on the 2015 DJ poll tells you the kind of stamp Rush Hour left on dance music in 2015. The Amsterdam-based artist was behind two of the label's biggest releases—his debut album, Hunch Music, and the fantastic Soichi Terada compilation—both of which were among the best house records heard anywhere this year. Couple that with the usual string of great reissues from across the pond and plenty of new music, and it's no wonder Rush Hour is back in the top 20.
Rush Hour Recordings

Hunee - Crossroads
11.
Giegling was a great label in the traditional sense this year, releasing three essential EPs—including one from Edward compiling four of the producer's best tracks yet. But putting out music was only part of what the Weimar collective did well in 2015. Sets from Dustin, Konstantin, Ateq or any of the others from the crew extended the hazy, magical vibe they've made their calling card. Giegling is a feeling, and there's never been a better time for it.
Giegling

Edward - Open
10.
While others struggled with pressing delays, 2015 saw unclassifiable reissue label Dark Entries drop a staggering 25 releases, a number made more impressive by the obscurity of the material and the legwork required to get them back into circulation. All in a day's work for label owner Josh Cheon, who unearthed gems from Lena Platanos, No More and Shoc Corridor while acting as a steward to the musical legacies of Tom Ellard and Patrick Cowley. On top, Eloise Leigh's loving cover and insert design set collectors' hearts aflutter.
Dark Entries

Smersh - Palomar
09.
Plenty of labels set out to release music by friends, an MO that works especially well for Future Times boss Max D, who counts Shanti Celeste and Juju & Jordash as part of the crew. Jack J's "Thirstin'" was this year's unqualified smash, but 2015 also saw a surreal EP from Japa Habilidoso and the Vibe 3 compilation, which united a strong cast of supporters working towards chilled-out, dance floor utopia.
Future Times

Shanti Celeste - Strung Up
08.
Sometimes, long into the night, you want to reach for something exceptionally weird. In 2015, Nina Kraviz's label made sure you had it. Trip had a strong aesthetic right out of the gate, but it was about more than that. Across three double-EPs, Kraviz placed music from unknowns like Vladimir Dubyshkin, peak-time weapons from Barcode Population and Bjarki, and fresh tracks from Fred P and Population One on equal footing, providing an unparalleled showcase for techno's wilder side.
Trip

Nina Kraviz - Let’s Do It
07.
Music From Memory use their encyclopaedic knowledge of obscure music from the 1970s and '80s to breathe fresh life into overlooked gems. The Amsterdam label came onto radars when it gave Gigi Masin's career a richly deserved kick-start in 2014. Masin then teamed up with Jonny Nash and Young Marco as Gaussian Curve for an album of new material. It set the tone for an impressive 2015: they released two stunning archival compilations (Vito Ricci and Napoleon Cherry) and started a 12-inch series with Michal Turtle and Joel Graham. But perhaps most exciting is that with the trove of music they've unearthed, what they've released is just the tip of the iceberg.
Music From Memory

Michal Turtle - Are You Psychic?
06.
Príncipe has a clear creative and social goal: to show the world dance music from Lisbon's "city, suburbs, projects & slums," and to bring these people together for a monthly party. These objectives are far from straightforward, but in 2015 Príncipe was more successful than ever. While their incredible party at the city's Musicbox continued to flourish, the label released music from fresh faces (Normal Nada, Nidia Minaj) returning favourites (DJ Nigga Fox, Niagara) helped Warp curate a compilation series and put out more of the best kuduro, batida, house, Afro house and tarraxinha you've never heard before.
Príncipe

Normal Nada - Azouse
05.
You won't find many Antinote artists appearing on other record labels. That loyalty works both ways—founder Quentin Vandewalle keeps a watchful, almost paternal gaze over his roster, which he recently declared was "closed." His decision is understandable, with many core Antinote artists—Geena, Syracuse, Inoue Shirabe—releasing career-best efforts in 2015. (That's not to mention the sublime one-off from Domenique Dumont.) There's no sound that ties the Antinote crew together; instead it was the promise of quality that kept us coming back.
Antinote

Inoue Shirabe - Down Into The Black Church
04.
In 2015, as in years past, very little connected Dekmantel's releases aside from a sheer standard of quality. For sure, Palms Trax, Joey Anderson and Juju & Jordash all share a certain psychedelic tinge, but how do you get from that to "What's A Girl To Do," Fatima Yamaha's reissued electro ballad from 2004? Open-ended as it is, the Amsterdam label has the same defining aspect as its related projects (i.e. the podcasts and the festival): an extraordinary curatorial instinct.
Dekmantel

Palms Trax - Sumo Acid Crew
03.
The story of Northern Electronics reaffirms that an in-tune collective can be greater than the sum of its parts. Headed by Abdulla Rashim, this five-person crew—which also includes fellow Stockholm residents Varg, Korridor, Acronym and SARS—won people over with finesse, whether through its deeply evocative albums, dazzling club tracks or brooding new wave excursions. Following a period when brutalism took centre stage, Northern Electronics injected some much-needed subtlety into techno.
Northern Electronics

Varg - Skaeliptom
02.
1080p released 26 tapes in 2014; this year Richard MacFarlane "only" dropped 19 albums, digging further into the label's new age streak and sidestepping into groovy house, pounding techno and even jungle. 1080p also dived head-first into the vinyl world, delivering dance floor gold from the likes of Project Pablo and Via App. Extending its domination from the tape deck to the club, 1080p fully owned its reputation as one of electronic music's most exciting and unpredictable imprints.
1080p

Friendly Chemist - Trying 2 Find U

1.
Honest Jon's
Moluk Zarrabi - Daramad
Honest Jon's Records doesn't use Facebook. They have a go on Twitter, but you can tell it's not really their thing. And there's certainly no PR machine pushing the records they release. So in 2015 it was easy to overlook the West London label's output. But consider this: in addition to a superb run of electronic records from DJ Sotofett, Ricardo Villalobos and Insanlar, Moritz Von Oswald Trio, Simone White and Kassem Mosse, Tapes, Dresvn and Laurel Halo, Honest Jon's also oversaw the first ever Western release for cult Japanese jazz artist Maki Asakawa, issued an album's worth of US gospel music and compiled early 20th-century vocal recordings from the eastern Mediterranean. Quite something, right?

And of course, Honest Jon's is much more than a label. It's a record shop, a distribution outlet and, according to current co-owner Mark Ainley, "an idea"—a countercultural vision that's outlasted most businesses on the stretch of Portobello Road it calls home. This year Ainley's partner Alan Scholefield told us that the thing he loves about the Honest Jon's shop is that it remains a neighborhood concern, one where "people come in with their bags of shopping." The beautiful thing about their record label is that it allows the sound of Honest Jon's to reach the world.

This poll is decided by the votes of RA staff members and current contributors.