Glasgow Underground

Glasgow Underground is a record label established in 1997 by Scottish DJ and producer Kevin McKay. It began as an outlet for McKay’s own productions and collaborations, rooted in Glasgow and closely tied to the city’s club culture. Early releases drew on a circle of local and like-minded artists, including Omid 16B, Studio Blue, DJ Q, and Harri, setting a foundation in house and related dance music styles.

As McKay’s profile grew through DJ work and writing for UK dance music magazines such as Muzik, Jockey Slut, and Mixmag Update, the label’s network widened. Those connections helped bring in producers McKay admired, including Romanthony, Mateo & Matos, and Idjut Boys, aligning Glasgow Underground with a strain of house music that balanced club functionality with producer-led identity.

In the early 2000s, McKay met Mylo and co-founded the label Breastfed Recordings. The international success of Mylo’s Destroy Rock & Roll led to Glasgow Underground being put on hold for a period. After McKay left Breastfed in 2011, he restarted Glasgow Underground and returned it to regular activity.

In its later phase, Glasgow Underground placed renewed emphasis on Romanthony’s catalogue, commissioning remixes from a wide range of DJs and producers including Dixon, Motor City Drum Ensemble, Gerd, Andrés, Oliver $, Ejeca, Audiojack, Claptone, Christian Nielsen, Supernova, Jimmy Edgar, and Waifs & Strays. Alongside this archival and remix-focused work, the label has continued to develop new artists and issue records by both emerging and established names. Artists associated with its output include Daniel Trim, Brett Gould, Mia Dora, Illyus & Barrientos, Metodi Hristov, Stefano Ritteri, and Sabb, as well as more recent names tracked on the platform such as Mallin, Pupa Nas T, Baccus, Groove Delight, JOHANNSON, Amal Nemer, and Simon Ellis.

The label’s identity remains closely linked to Kevin McKay’s curatorial role and to a house-music lineage that connects Glasgow’s local scene with international producers. Its official site is glasgowunderground.com.