Adhesive is a music label and multidisciplinary concept platform based in London, UK. It was founded with the vision to challenge, subvert and push the boundaries of modern techno. As an independent record label, we are focused on releasing cutting edge music by some of the most subversive artists in the game. Our vision is driven by our desire to challenge and subvert modern techno, we select music that excites us and brings something radically new and fresh to the scene.

Our releases are aligned with our dystopian vision for techno and our unique sound is characterised by mesmerising sonic landscapes, radical experimentation and innovation. We work with some of the most innovative musical minds in the game who venture into the peripheries of techno, experimental and post-club. The Adhesive sound is embodied by the DECONSTRUCT REALITY concept, which engages the crowd with our worldview to question and challenge contemporary culture, power structures, established norms and social hierarchies.

In the current class society of the music industry, labels have taken on the role of a luxury brand flagship store where releases are marketed as high end products and sold as commodities. These have become a critical form of social currency; from Instagram bios cluttered with high profile names to highly co-ordinated celebrity collaborations pretending to illustrate artistic expression. This has established new hierarchies where artists find themselves judged by their aesthetic, online presence, following and amount of releases they have had and on which label; most importantly, this system has established a structure where artists are compelled, whether directly or indirectly, into making music suited to high-end labels rather than music that authentically represents their sound and identity.

The current business model of music releases depends on reproduction and distribution for its sustenance, where stealing and mimicking is not only welcomed but even encouraged. What used to be a culture concerned with art that is high-brow and of good taste, has degenerated into a systematic culture of commodity fetishism where vulgarity is the norm and quality is hard to come by. In the European scene, which is home to some of the leading artists in the field, the pressure felt by (both emerging and established) artists and labels to release music that would be deemed as commercially lucrative is slowly suffocating the music scene from within. At this point, any artist that is inherently serious about what they do will find themselves faced with making the detrimental choice between conforming to the new norms and industry standards in order to get their music signed or maintaining their artistic integrity by refusing to chase releases. The amount of artists who choose the latter and start questioning their own skill and value as musicians as a result is heartbreaking. In fact, it is difficult to name any successful artist, label or collective to have escaped having to make this choice. How can we all continue to rationalise our participation in this system?

Techno and rave music emerged out of ideas surrounding equality, unity and inclusivity. Music historians have made a point of its inherently democratic roots, referring to it as an anti-consumerist movement free from social hierarchies. In this respect, the growing commodification of rave culture and music goes against its fundamental principles and is causing serious harm to the communities that it is home to. While this development has mainly been felt and had a negative impact on artists and independent labels, the new rules within its established hierarchy has also helped suppress the critique of electronic music and more importantly, stopped any notable discourse on the direction it must take in order to progress and evolve. The lack of critical engagement and serious music journalism within this sphere at present has created a favourable environment for commercially-minded labels to thrive and purge the scene of intellectuals, new ideas, experimentation and artistic freedom. Subsequently, artists find themselves having to compromise on their personal and professional integrity and make music that goes against their own sound. It is therefore essential that artists must challenge themselves musically and have the courage to make music that is radically new and different because if they do not, their identity as artists will be forcefully erased and their work sold to the highest bidder.