Quango Music Group is a record label

Record label

In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing and promotion,...

 founded in 1995 by Bruno Guez. Island Records

Island Records

Island Records is a record label that was founded by Chris Blackwell in Jamaica. It was based in the United Kingdom for many years and is now owned by Universal Music Group...

 distributes their releases.

Over the last decade, Quango has developed a tastemaker brand with a cult following. Quango’s repertoire consists of artists and global-centric compilations totaling more than 50 releases, including, Kruder and Dorfmeister, Zero 7

Zero 7

Zero 7 is a British musical duo consisting of Henry Binns and Sam Hardaker. The group members began their musical careers as studio engineers and in 1997 formed the group Zero 7. Their debut album, Simple Things was released in 2001 and received critical acclaim...

, Koop, Bliss, Cantoma, Bitter:Sweet

Bitter:sweet

Bitter:Sweet is an electronic/trip-hop duo with jazz-like qualities from Los Angeles. The band is composed of Shana Halligan, who provides vocals and lyrics and composes the songs, and Kiran Shahani, who produces and composes the songs.- Appearances :...

, Gecko Turner, Talvin Singh, Bomb the Bass, and Alex Reece. With over 50 records released through Island Records

Island Records

Island Records is a record label that was founded by Chris Blackwell in Jamaica. It was based in the United Kingdom for many years and is now owned by Universal Music Group...

 and Palm Pictures

Palm Pictures

Palm Pictures is a US-based entertainment company owned and run by Chris Blackwell. Palm Pictures produces, acquires and distributes innovative music and film projects with a particular focus on the DVD format...

, Quango has represented the emerging electronic sounds from around the world with a diverse roster of artists, and innovative concept compilations.

Background

The vision for Quango was created by Bruno Guez, the popular LA based DJ, producer and tastemaker. Guez was joined by Jason Bentley

Jason Bentley

Jason Bentley is a radio disc jockey of electronic music in Los Angeles, California. On December 1, 2008, Bentley replaced Nic Harcourt as the host of Morning Becomes Eclectic and as Music Director for KCRW...

 (KCRW

KCRW

KCRW is a public radio station broadcasting from the campus of Santa Monica College in Santa Monica, California, carrying a mix of National Public Radio news, talk radio and freeform music format. The general manager of KCRW is Jennifer Ferro...

/KROQ-FM

KROQ-FM

KROQ-FM — branded 106.7 KROQ — is a commercial modern rock radio station licensed to Pasadena, California serving the Greater Los Angeles. The call sign is pronounced "kay rock." It is the flagship station of Loveline hosted by Dr...

 DJ) to create the Quango aesthetic via compilations and artist albums that are widely acknowledged as being ahead of their time. In all, 28 titles were released through Island Records featuring early tracks by the likes of Tricky

Tricky

Tricky is an English musician and actor. As a producer and a musician, he is noted for a dark, rich and layered sound and a whispering sprechgesang lyrical style. Culturally, Tricky encourages an intertwining of societies, particularly in his musical fusion of rock and hip hop, high art and pop...

, Sneaker Pimps

Sneaker Pimps

Sneaker Pimps were a British trip-hop band formed in Hartlepool, England in 1994. They are best known for their first album Becoming X and particularly the singles "6 Underground", "Spin Spin Sugar", and "Tesko Suicide" from the same album...

 and Basement Jaxx

Basement Jaxx

Basement Jaxx are a British electronic dance music duo from London, England consisting of Felix Buxton born 1971 and Simon Ratcliffe born 1 December 1969. They first rose to popularity in the late 1990s...

 amongst many others. Releases included the first Kruder and Dorfmeister G-Stoned

G-Stoned

G-Stoned is an electronic four-track EP released by Kruder & Dorfmeister. The cover art humorously quotes and resembles that of Simon and Garfunkel's Bookends.- Track listing :# "Definition" - 5:09# "Deep Shit G-Stoned is an electronic four-track EP released by Kruder & Dorfmeister. The cover art...

 EP and Talvin Singh's Anokha

Anokha

-Cast:*A.K. Hangal - Hridaynath*Jeevan - Manchanda*Zarina Wahab - Sudha Manchanda*Hercules - Hercules, Manchanda's goon*Kanhaiyalal - Lala Kanhaiyalal*Imtiaz Khan - Shambu Khanna*Master Kotak - Kishan*Maruti - Gambler...

. Compilations included Abstract Vibes, World Groove and the Journey Into Ambient Groove series.

During this time, Bruno also developed the programming and musical branding of Chris Blackwell

Chris Blackwell

Christopher Percy Gordon "Chris" Blackwell is a British record producer and businessman, who was the founder of Island Records, acknowledged as the most successful and groundbreaking independent record company in history. Blackwell has been a music industry mogul for over fifty years...

's Island Outpost chain boutique hotels in Miami, the Bahamas, and Jamaica.

A decade later, Bruno continues to work closely with Chris Blackwell, executive producing Martina Topley-Bird's debut album as well as spearheading the musical direction of a new series of quintessential world music DVD projects for Blackwell's Palm World Voices label.

Quango represents and/or distributes Sunny Levine, Bitter:Sweet, Rosey, Slow Train Soul, Fat Freddy's Drop

Fat Freddy's Drop

Fat Freddy’s Drop is a seven-piece band from Wellington, New Zealand, whose musical style has been characterised as any combination of dub, reggae, soul, jazz, rhythm and blues, and techno. Originally a jam band formed in the late 1990s by musicians from other bands in Wellington, Fat Freddy’s Drop...

, Djosos Krost, Novalima

Novalima

Novalima is a Peruvian band. Novalima's style blends Afro-Peruvian music with Electronica, Latin American beats and other contemporary genres.- History :...

, Kraak and Smaak, Gecko Turner

Gecko Turner

Gecko Turner is a Spanish musician and singer-songwriter. Based near the border between Spain and Portugal, he has fronted several bands in his native Spain...

, Cantoma, Bliss, Natalie Walker

Natalie Walker

Natalie Walker is an American vocalist, songwriter and musician from Indianawho first came to prominence as part of the group Daughter Darling. While her time in the low-key electronica trip hop outfit was promising, Walker decided on a solo career, and released her first album Urban Angel in 2006,...

 and Zero 7

Zero 7

Zero 7 is a British musical duo consisting of Henry Binns and Sam Hardaker. The group members began their musical careers as studio engineers and in 1997 formed the group Zero 7. Their debut album, Simple Things was released in 2001 and received critical acclaim...

.