No, not "ninety-nine," but "nine-nine." What's so great about this label? Three letters - ESG (who, incidentally were produced by Martin Hannett, who produced Factory Records geniuses Joy Division - Factory actually put out their first record). Ed Bahlman, the man behind 99 Records (which was run out of his NYC record store of the same name) simply loved music and put out lots of great stuff across many different genres (also worth a mention here has to be 99 artists Liquid Liquid). 99 only lasted four years (a dispute over a lifted bass line with Sugarhill Records soured Bahlman on the music business for good), but three cheers for a label that showed you don't have to be constrained by genre as long as you release great music, and producers everywhere owe 99 a debt of gratitude for all the samples.
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