30/04/2025
With vibe and soul at its core, V Recordings has set the pace and launched legends across 30 years of drum and bass!
Founded in 1993 by Bryan Gee and Jumpin Jack Frost, V Recordings quickly built a fearsome reputation for releasing only the finest, boundary-pushing drum & bass.
From the outset, V Recordings championed fresh, forward-thinking talent - playing a key role in launching the careers of now-legendary artists like Roni Size, Krust, DJ Die, and DJ Suv.
Between 1994 and 1996, V Recordings became a hub for cutting-edge jungle and drum & bass releasing tracks such as Krust’s “Warhead” and DJ Die’s “Clear Skyz”. As the genre diversified, V expanded with four key sub-labels:
Philly Blunt (founded in 1994) embraced the party-driven energy of ragga jungle and jump-up.
Chronic, launched around 1996, catered to the darker, more underground side of drum and bass.
Full Cycle (founded in 1997) was a Bristol-based extension that gave artists like Krust, Roni Size, DJ Die, and Suv more creative freedom and also become a platform for the city’s local talent.
In 2003, Liquid V was introduced, spotlighting the melodic and soulful side of drum & bass and laying the foundations for what would later be known as liquid funk. Artists like Calibre, Artificial Intelligence, Peshay, Lenzman, and Utah Jazz made their mark here.
By the early 2000s, V Recordings was turning heads on a global scale. In 2001, the release of the Brasil EP opened the door to Brazilian drum & bass and the following year, DJ Marky & XRS dropped “LK (Carolina Carol Bela)” featuring Stamina MC. LK soared into the UK Top 20 – a testament to Bryan Gee’s outstanding A&R and a statement that the genre could be just as funky and emotional as it was heavy and urban.
Fast-forward to 2025, and the label continues to thrive under the direction of Bryan Gee, who has who has long proven himself a master selector - both on the decks and behind the scenes. His ability to spot talent and curate timeless music has helped launch new-school innovators like T.R.A.C, while continuing to nurture leading artists such as Alibi, L-Side, Command Strange, and Paul T & Edward Oberon.
