Canadian electronic duo Zeds Dead established Deadbeats in 2016, launching the Toronto label with “Back Home,” a track made with Freddie Gibbs. The imprint issued the duo’s album Northern Lights in October, then released Nebbra’s music in November. Nebbra was its first artist release after the album, and his You EP followed Northern Lights as the label’s second release. Deadbeats is artist-run, with artists’ creative visions central to its work. Its releases include drum and bass as well as other bass music, in line with Zeds Dead’s own genre-hopping tastes.
Deadbeats began its We Are Deadbeats compilation series with a first volume in February 2017. That year, it also put out “Broken,” a single by DNMO and Sub Urban. The label later released the drum-and-bass compilation Deadbeats & Brownies with Brownies & Lemonade, featuring artists including Zeds Dead and Reaper. In 2021, Deadbeats introduced Altered States, a side label for experimental electronic and downtempo music.
