Beyond Records was an English independent record label founded in Birmingham in 1992 by Mike Barnett. It is best known for its ambient dub compilations, which helped define that genre.
The label was established to release music that combined contemporary electronic dance music with 1970s ambient music, influenced by artists such as Terry Riley. Beyond Records worked closely with the groups Higher Intelligence Agency and Rockers Hi-Fi, and was involved with the Oscillate club in Birmingham, which hosted early performances by ambient dub pioneers. The label released a series of influential compilations under the Ambient Dub series (including volumes such as The Big Chill, Earthjuice, Aqua, and Jellyfish), as well as albums by artists including A Positive Life, Another Fine Day, Electronic Eye, and Stillpoint. The label's catalog numbers typically used the prefix "RBAD" (for "Rocket Boy Ambient Dub").
Beyond Records was active primarily from 1992 through the mid-1990s. Its releases were later reissued in the United States by Waveform Records.
Note: The name "Beyond Records" has also been used by other entities, including:
- Beyond Music (also known as Beyond Records), an American record label group founded in 1997 by Allen Kovac in Los Angeles, which operated until 2002 and released music by artists such as Mötley Crüe, Blondie, Yes, and Veruca Salt.
- Beyond Records (a French label), established in 2019, based in Paris, focusing on electronic music.
- Beyond Records (a Pakistani music label), a division of Beyond Entertainment Pvt. Ltd., featuring artists such as Naseebo Lal, Rahat Fateh Ali Khan, and Abrar Ul Haq.
- Beyond Recordings, an electronic music label on Beatport.
- 株式会社BEYOND RECORDS (Beyond Records Co., Ltd.), a Japanese company founded in 2018, based in Tokyo, offering consulting, web design, and training services.
