Six Degrees Records
[website]

Artists with 2009 releases on Six Degrees: Lal Meri, Midval Punditz, Céu, Vieux Toure

Six Degrees Records produces and markets accessible, genre-bending records that explore world music traditions, modern dance grooves, electronic music, and overlooked pop gems. The label’s catchphrase, “everything is closer than you think,” is a real reflection of Six Degrees’ commitment to different styles of music that appeal to a curious and increasingly sizable audience.  

Six Degrees’ reputation—innovative, independent, and intelligent—is well-earned.  And at eight years old, the label has made its mark, both in the recording industry, and even more notably, among the artists themselves. Six Degrees’ respect for its musicians is evident in every step of the process; as in little things like the care taken in the visual design of each of the label’s unique and readily-identifiable digipaks; and in the biggest things, like the label’s refusal to accept musical pigeonholes. Whether it’s the lush orchestral Bollywood chill out sessions by Bombay Dub Orchestra or the songs of Brazil’s answer to Beck, Lenine, Six Degrees makes records because the music demands it, not the marketplace. Some of the label’s other recent signings include the Persian electro-acoustic super-group Niyaz as well as the debut release from Shrift, a duo comprised of former Smoke City vocalist Nina Miranda and multi-instrumentalist Dennis Wheatley.

Six Degrees was originally associated with Island Records, but by 1999 Six Degrees Records, increasingly uncomfortable with major label machinery, left to become an independent company. Their current U.S. distribution deal with Bayside covers both Six Degrees releases and its Travel Series. The latter is dedicated to the best in traditional and contemporary world music, for example the sounds of the Asian Massive which mix classical Indian music with dance music and electronica. Label artists such as dj Cheb i Sabbah, Karsh Kale and New Delhi’s MIDIval PunditZ are all pioneers in this growing global movement. The Travel Series also boasts a collection of critically-acclaimed samplers: Asian Travels (Volumes 1&2), Latin Travels (Volumes 1&2), African Travels and Arabian Travels (Volumes 1&2).

With all this genre-hopping, Six Degrees Records has become dependable, but not predictable. If you’re wondering what Norwegian and West African folk musicians might sound like together, Six Degrees is a logical place to go. From electronic to traditional Cuban to Brazilian pop music, Six Degrees has stubbornly pursued its own idiosyncratic course through an often bewildering musical landscape. In the process, the label has created a haven for music that crosses cultures and styles. Because after all, in a world where the buttons on a remote or the click of a mouse can bring you a world of music, everything is closer than you think.