XL Recordings is an independent record label which was launched by Tim Palmer, Nick Halkes and Richard Russell with Beggars Banquet Records in 1989 to release its rave and dance music. The label has grown into one of the most commercially successful and influential independent record labels in the world.

Originally the label was an offshoot of Beggars' more commercial dance label called Citybeat which was known for records by acts such as Freeez, Starlight, Dream Frequency and the Ultramagnetic MCs. However with the success of acts such as The Prodigy and SL2, XL superseded Citybeat in the company's line up.

Palmer, who also owned the dance music store Groove Records on London's Greek Street, initially employed Halkes and Russell (who as artists and DJ's were known as Kicks Like a Mule and had a UK Top 10 hit with 'The Bouncer' in 1992) to do a&r for the label. Russell had previously worked in the Vinylmania record store in New York's Greenwich Village, where he had met Palmer who was visiting the store.

During the early nineties, XL Recordings releases were dance orientated ranging from Belgium techno (T99- 'Anasthasia') to Breakbeat hardcore (SL2 - 'On A Ragga Tip') to Drum and Bass (Jonny L - 'I'm Leavin'). This period of XL's history has been recorded on the XL Recordings Chapters compilation series. In 1993 Halkes left XL to form the EMI-owned commercial dance label Positiva, and subsequently his own independent commercial dance label Incentive. In 1994 Palmer left XL and retired from the music business, leaving Russell in sole charge of XL.

Russell broadened the musical horizons of the label whilst maintaining a credo of working with artists he saw as original and inventive.

In 2003 the label won the Music Week A&R award.

Russell has been consistently named as one of the most influential figures in the UK music business and was recently named by the Evening Standard as one of London's most influential people read less

38 Bands & Artists signed to XL Recordings

Badly Drawn Boy

Alternative rock artist
#570 in the world

Jack Penate

Indie rock artist
No votes so far

RJD2

Electronic music artist
No votes so far

The Prodigy

Alternative rock band
#3 in the world

Dizzee Rascal

Electronic artist
#87 in the world

Electric Six

Alternative rock
No votes so far

Beck

Alternative rock artist
#87 in the world

The Avalanches

Alternative dance band
No votes so far

The Raconteurs

Alternative rock band
#26 in the world

The Horrors

Deathrock band
No votes so far

Tapes 'N Tapes

College rock band
#26 in the world

Peaches

Dance punk artist
No votes so far

Thom Yorke

Alternative rock artist
No votes so far

Matt Kretzman

College rock band
No votes so far

Be Your Own Pet

Alternative rock band
No votes so far

date	lineup	venue and town/city	cost
Dec 03 Fri	Electric Six rock, indie rock, new wave, alternative rock	O2 Abc Glasgow Glasgow	£14.3 Buy
Dec 06 Mon	Electric Six rock, indie rock, new wave, alternative rock	O2 Academy Liverpool Liverpool	£10.00 Buy
	Electric Six rock, indie rock, new wave, alternative rock	O2 Academy2 Liverpool Liverpool	£11.5 Buy
Dec 07 Tue	Electric Six rock, indie rock, new wave, alternative rock	O2 Academy Birmingham Birmingham	£10.00 Buy
	Electric Six rock, indie rock, new wave, alternative rock	O2 Academy2 Birmingham Birmingham	£11.5 Buy
(1 - 5) of 18 results 1 2 3 4 Next

date

lineup

venue and town/city

cost

Dec

03

Fri

Electric Six

rock, indie rock, new wave, alternative rock

O2 Abc Glasgow

Glasgow

£14.3
Buy

Dec

06

Mon

Electric Six

rock, indie rock, new wave, alternative rock

O2 Academy Liverpool

Liverpool

£10.00
Buy

Electric Six

rock, indie rock, new wave, alternative rock

O2 Academy2 Liverpool

Liverpool

£11.5
Buy

Dec

07

Tue

Electric Six

rock, indie rock, new wave, alternative rock

O2 Academy Birmingham

Birmingham

£10.00
Buy

Electric Six

rock, indie rock, new wave, alternative rock

O2 Academy2 Birmingham

Birmingham

£11.5
Buy

(1 - 5) of 18 results

1 2 3 4 Next

date	lineup	venue and town/city
Feb 08 Sun	Friendly Fires, Glasvegas, White Lies rock, indie rock, electronica, shoegazing, indie pop, dance-pop, alternative rock, easy listening, vocal, post-punk revival	O2 Academy Leeds Leeds	Reviews Pictures Videos
Feb 11 Wed	Friendly Fires, Glasvegas, White Lies rock, indie rock, electronica, shoegazing, indie pop, dance-pop, alternative rock, easy listening, vocal, post-punk revival	Rock City Nottingham	Reviews Pictures Videos
Feb 14 Sat	Basement Jaxx house music, uk garage, dance, electronic, house, tech house	O2 Academy Sheffield Sheffield	Reviews Pictures Videos
Feb 15 Sun	Friendly Fires, Glasvegas, White Lies rock, indie rock, electronica, shoegazing, indie pop, dance-pop, alternative rock, easy listening, vocal, post-punk revival	O2 Academy Bristol Bristol	Reviews Pictures Videos
Feb 17 Tue	Friendly Fires, Glasvegas, White Lies rock, indie rock, electronica, shoegazing, indie pop, dance-pop, alternative rock, easy listening, vocal, post-punk revival	O2 Academy Oxford Oxford	Reviews Pictures Videos
(1 - 5) of 155 results 1 2 3 4 ... Next

date

Oxford

Reviews
Pictures
Videos

(1 - 5) of 155 results

1 2 3 4 ... Next

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XL Recordings

XL Recordings

Is a Indie label based in London.

The label was founded in 1989.

#6 record label in the world with 1 votes.

03

Fri

rock, indie rock, new wave, alternative rock

Glasgow

06

Mon

rock, indie rock, new wave, alternative rock

Liverpool

rock, indie rock, new wave, alternative rock

Liverpool

07

Tue

rock, indie rock, new wave, alternative rock

Birmingham

rock, indie rock, new wave, alternative rock

Birmingham

08

Sun

Friendly Fires, Glasvegas, White Lies

rock, indie rock, electronica, shoegazing, indie pop, dance-pop, alternative rock, easy listening, vocal, post-punk revival

Leeds

11

Wed

Friendly Fires, Glasvegas, White Lies

rock, indie rock, electronica, shoegazing, indie pop, dance-pop, alternative rock, easy listening, vocal, post-punk revival

Nottingham

14

Sat

house music, uk garage, dance, electronic, house, tech house

Sheffield

15

Sun

Friendly Fires, Glasvegas, White Lies

rock, indie rock, electronica, shoegazing, indie pop, dance-pop, alternative rock, easy listening, vocal, post-punk revival

Bristol

17

Tue

Friendly Fires, Glasvegas, White Lies

rock, indie rock, electronica, shoegazing, indie pop, dance-pop, alternative rock, easy listening, vocal, post-punk revival

Oxford

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