Metalheadz: the label Goldie, Kemistry and Storm built

Few record labels have an image as recognisable as Metalheadz. The skull wearing headphones is printed on sleeves, T shirts and posters, and for many fans it stands for the whole of the label's sound. The story behind it, as told in Wikipedia's account, is a good way into the history of the label.

The founders

Metalheadz was founded in 1994 by Kemistry and Storm and by Goldie. Wikipedia describes it as a major drum and bass record label based in the United Kingdom. Kemistry and Storm were DJs, and Goldie was the producer and artist who would soon release the album Timeless.

How Goldie got there

According to the account, Goldie's early experiences of the rave scene, especially the club Rage, had a profound effect on him. DJ Kemistry introduced him to 4hero's Reinforced Records, where he went on to do some design and artwork before doing A and R, the work of finding and developing artists, for the label. That work shaped how he thought about both music and image.

The skull

In his autobiography, Goldie explains how he took a 1991 design by Darren Bartlett and added headphones to the skull, so that the skull stood for the head and the headphones for the music, which he says will be here long after we are all gone. He has also said, in a web chat with The Guardian, that the design was inspired in part by the Wolverhampton Wanderers logo.

Goldie credits Grooverider with coining the term Metalheadz. The name and the image arrived together, and they have lasted.

A reputation for darker, deeper music

In the years since, the label has been associated with darker and more experimental records, alongside a long running club night. Today, the label releases a wide range of material and continues to put out new artists. In this magazine's own pages, you will find regular coverage of its releases, including EPs in its numbered series.

Why it still matters

A label can be a brand, a community and a standard of quality at once. Metalheadz managed all three. When a DJ says they play Metalheadz records, listeners have an idea of what to expect, and a producer who is signed there knows that the logo means something.

If you want to understand why the label is held in such esteem, listen to Goldie's Timeless first, then follow the catalogue forward and notice how the sound changes while the identity does not.