Circus Records

Circus Records emerged from the late-2000s dubstep surge, founded in 2009 by Joshua “Flux Pavilion” Steele, Shaun “Doctor P” Brockhurst, Simon Swan and Earl Falconer of UB40. The independent label is associated with the United States and brought together producers whose work connected dubstep’s heavy low end and festival-scale energy with a wider audience.

Its identity is closely tied to its founders’ music. Flux Pavilion’s “I Can’t Stop” was sampled by Kanye West and Jay-Z for “Who Gon Stop Me,” while his Blow the Roof EP reached number 60 on the UK Albums Chart. Doctor P and Flux Pavilion became central names in the label’s output, alongside artists including Conrank, Phocust, Viskus, WHOiSEE, Selekta and Mikesh!ft.

Circus Records played a part in bringing dubstep into the mainstream during a period when the genre was moving from specialist dance floors to international pop and hip-hop audiences. The label’s roster and releases have remained rooted in bass-driven electronic music, with the founders’ own productions providing a clear link between its original 2009 vision and its wider artist community.