Breda, Netherlands · 1997–present · Still releasing
Black Hole Recordings
“Tiësto's label, and the home of In Search Of Sunrise.”
The short answer — what is Black Hole Recordings?
Black Hole Recordings is the Dutch label founded in Breda in 1997 by Tiësto (Tijs Verwest) and Arny Bink. It became the base for Tiësto's own catalogue through the Magik Muzik sublabel, for the In Search Of Sunrise compilation series, and for a large share of the Dutch trance output that defined the genre's commercial peak.
Founded 1997 in Breda by Tiësto and Arny Bink · Sublabels: Magik Muzik, Songbird, In Search Of Sunrise.
How Black Hole Recordings shaped the era
Black Hole was founded as an artist-controlled operation at precisely the moment Dutch trance was becoming an export industry. Owning the label meant Tiësto controlled his release schedule, his remix commissions and his compilations at the point when all three mattered most.
The In Search Of Sunrise series, launched in 1999, is the label's most durable asset. It defined a slower, more melodic and more atmospheric strand of trance than the peak-time material dominating the charts, and it is still the reference point people mean when they talk about 'sunrise' trance.
Magik Muzik carried Tiësto's own records, including the 2005 'Adagio For Strings' that took Samuel Barber's orchestral piece into peak-time sets. Black Hole has continued as a substantial independent long after Tiësto's own sound moved away from trance.
What a Black Hole Recordings record sounds like
- Melodic Dutch trance with widescreen arrangements
- Compilation-led A&R via In Search Of Sunrise
- Artist ownership of the full release pipeline
Anthems released on Black Hole Recordings
Who founded Black Hole Recordings?
Black Hole Recordings was founded in 1997 in Breda, Netherlands by Tiësto and Arny Bink.
Is Black Hole Recordings still active?
Yes. Black Hole Recordings has released records continuously since 1997 and remains active.
Which artists released on Black Hole Recordings?
Artists associated with Black Hole Recordings include Tiësto, Cor Fijneman, Kyau & Albert, Richard Durand, Mark Otten.