Nettwerk Productions

Vancouver's Nettwerk has blossomed from a one-bedroom apartment operation, founded in 1984, into a self-sufficient, all-inclusive music making machine — and has picked up and developed a huge roster of artists, both international and Canadian. Stable superstar Sarah McLachlan leads the Nettwerk pack here with "Adia" and her clubbed-up Delerium smash "Silence," closely followed by Skinny Puppy (and the hugely influential 1986 track "Dig It") and freshly signed electronic-popsters Ladytron ("Ghosts"). BT joins the Finn Brothers in Nettwerk's Next Steps.

The sheer diversity of the Nettwerk community becomes overwhelmingly apparent here in Next Steps, as we move from the uplifting electronica of BT — "Simply Being Loved (Somnambulist)" — to the warm, embracing pop melodies of the Finn Brothers ("Won't Give In"); and from the catchy rustic folk-pop of Great Lake Swimmers — "Your Rocky Spine" from 2007's Ongiara — to a wah-wah'd blast of vintage Mystery Machine — "Ride" from 1992's Glazed. Thought-provoking samples and some rockin' banjo can be found in Deep Cuts.

In the mood for a bit of banjo-rock? Then look no further than Pretty Green's "Swimming Song," the delightful work of truck driver Ed Blocki, who recorded his demo in between stints on the road. Junkie XL picks it up with the crisp combination sonic punches on "Booming Right At You," U.S. West Coasters Trespassers William hook a sonic dream on "Different Stars," and industrial/rap activists Consolidated offer us food for thought with "The S****l Politics of Meat."

Nettwerk was set up by Terry McBride and Mark Jowett in 1984 to release albums by Moev (Jowett's band: check out "Took Out the Lace" and "Yeah, Whatever"). Since then, the Vancouver label has become the biggest independent operation in Canada and has gone global, with a matrix of outposts that includes Hamburg and Los Angeles. Our extensive sampler of Nettwerk Essentials takes you from Alpha to Wild Strawberries, via label big guns like Sarah McLachlan, the Be Good Tanyas and Tiësto, not forgetting some of the bands (the Grapes of Wrath, Rose Chronicles et al) that made the '90s such a fruitful Nettwerk decade.