Ekou Recordings grew out of Ekou, the drum and bass events company Paulo Sousa started in London in 2018. After meeting the DJ and producer Rui, known as Complice, through a last-minute booking change, Sousa invited him to help turn it into a record label. Sousa handled accounting, business and events, while Rui took on finding artists, reviewing submissions, distribution, premieres and promotion. Ekou’s first event, at The Steelyard, featured Neonlight, Mind Vortex, C4C and Zombie Cats.
The label’s main focus is drum and bass, especially its deeper and darker sounds, and it also releases neurofunk. Its tracks draw on jungle, dubstep and techno while exploring different styles within drum and bass. Its roster comes from that scene, and its releases have been played on radio and in DJ sets around the world. Mako, Volatile Cycle and Nymfo are among the established artists it has released, alongside Creatures and Molecular.
Among the releases are Creatures’ 2019 single Lifted | Transitions and Nichenka Zoryana and Subrix’s 2022 track Svitanok (Original Mix). The first major release, The Voice of Ekou Part 1, consisted of nine remixes. On June 12, 2020, the label issued the charity compilation New Horizon Shines LP, with proceeds for the UK National Health Service, and Division’s Occult EP followed on December 14 that year.
The 2021 compilation The Full Spectrum brought together emerging and established producers across a range of drum and bass styles. On September 1, 2023, The Voice Of Ekou Vol.3 arrived with remixes by Submarine, Trex, Revaux and Thematic, marking four years of the label’s activity.
