Kranky is an American independent established in Chicago in 1993 by Bruce Adams and Joel Leoschke, inspired by the music of Labradford. The label specialises in post-rock, space-rock, ambient, psychedelia and experimental music. Their first reference was Labradford's debut album, “Prazision”. From the very start, the label has had a preference for experimental music, and it has always been completely independent. In the early years, some of the most emblematic bands on the roster included Seattle band Jessamine and Canadian combo Spiny Anteaters, alongside Labradford.

In 1997, Kranky signed slowcore band Low, who would soon become one of their flagship bands. Another exemplary Kranky bands at the end of the nineties were ambient-drone duo Stars Of The Lid, who have so far released four albums. During that time, Kranky also licensed experimental band Godspeed You! Black Emperor, which established them as one of the most solid entities in American experimental music. In the second half of the noughties, their most successful signings included Out Hud, Deerhunter, Loscil, Jonas Reinhardt, Charlambides and Tim Hecker - whose acclaimed “Ravedeath, 1972” was released in 2011.

Selected discography

Labradford: “Prazision” (1993)

Low: “Secret Name” (1999)

Stars Of The Lid: “The Tired Sounds Of Stars Of The Lid” (2001)

Deerhunter: “Cryptograms” (2007)

Tim Hecker: “Ravedeath, 1972” (2011)

Roster

Atlas Sound

Benoit Pioulard

Belong

Charalambides

Dean Roberts

Deerhunter

Disappears

Greg Davis

Growing

Jessica Bailiff

Jonas Reinhardt

Keith Fullerton Whitman

Labradford

Loscil

Low

Pan•American

Stars of the Lid

Strategy

The Dead Texan

Tim Hecker

Windy & Carl