Defected

Defected is a British independent music company specialising in house music, with activities spanning recordings, compilation albums, events, publishing, artist bookings and management. Founded by Simon Dunmore, formerly an A&R figure at Cooltempo and AM:PM, the label launched in 1999 with Janet Bell as his partner. Its early development was supported by Ministry of Sound.

House music has remained Defected’s central identity, reflected both in its core releases and in an expanding family of labels with distinct musical focuses. These include Glitterbox, Classic Music Company, D4 D4NCE, Faith, Big Love Music, D-Vine Sounds, Mahaba and Stay True Sounds, alongside heritage house catalogues such as Nu Groove Records, Soulfuric Recordings, Slip ’N’ Slide Records and Yoruba Records. The company has also issued long-running house-focused series including In The House, House Masters, Bargrooves and For The Love Of House.

Defected’s roster and releases connect established dance-music figures with newer club-facing artists. Its catalogue has included work by Moby, Jonas Blue, BLOND:ISH, HUGEL, Dames Brown, Kiko Franco and Malive, illustrating a broad house remit that ranges across vocal house, contemporary dance records and deeper, disco-informed sounds.

Andy Daniell served as A&R manager from 2004 to 2019 and later became Director of Music in 2024. Allan Nicoll, also known as Kid Fonque, became Head of A&R in 2023. In July 2022, former managing director Wez Saunders acquired Defected and its subsidiaries through a management buyout and became chief executive officer. Defected marked its 25th anniversary in 2024 with a special logo designed by Trevor Jackson.