Anderworld Records

Anderworld is a record label founded in 2026 by Amsterdam Alternative. Not a traditional, hierarchical label, but a cooperative, post-capitalist initiative focused on music, research, and experimentation. Alongside joy and creativity, we stand for collective ownership models, community meaning, hope, and radical imagination.

The name ‘Anderworld’
The name is a blend of the Dutch word ander (meaning “other”) and the English world - a linguistic mix that Amsterdam Alternative has used since its founding in 2015, as it reflects Amsterdam’s identity as a global village. ‘Anderworld’ refers to another world: a world built on trust, collectivity, freedom, love, and care for each other and non-human life. A world that is enjoyable, fair, and healthy for everyone.

Music and local connection
Anderworld releases music by artists who live and/or work in Amsterdam. Not because Amsterdam is better than other cities, but because we want to build a local structure with space for conversation, encounter, and collaboration. The label serves as a springboard for emerging talent and works with experienced artists. Beyond music, we are interested in other art forms, such as design, coding, video, and performance. Unusual crossovers and projects are embraced.

Music as a universal language
We see music as a boundary-crossing language. It is listened to and danced to all over the world. Music speaks to emotion and imagination, connects, inspires, and communicates on abstract levels where words fall short. It is also a medium to expose serious, unacceptable things without explicitly naming every meaning: the message is in the music.

Part of Amsterdam Alternative
Anderworld is part of Amsterdam Alternative, an organic, creative, and activist collective that emerged from Amsterdam’s counterculture and free space scene. Since 2025, Amsterdam Alternative has been working to amplify the voice of the underground. Nearly forty non-commercial free spaces are affiliated (OT301, OCCII, Cinetol, Het Groene Veld, Plantage Dok, etc.). These spaces provide room for experiment, passion, and dedication, rather than profit maximization and endless growth.

Post-Capitalist model
As a post-capitalist label, Anderworld explores what the role of a record label can be in these times. How can the music industry be shaped differently from the current system, in which artists often receive only a small share of the income, while most goes to large corporations, managers, and shareholders? We are not focused on profit maximization, but on fair distribution. What matters is what happens with the income: fair payments to artists, investments in local facilities, and a strong local economy.

Cooperative structure
The cooperative structure is expressed through co-decision making, shared responsibility, and a horizontal organizational structure. Artists become part of the collective and have a say in decisions. Amsterdam Alternative has been organizing horizontally since 2015. Key aspects include: DIY mentality, focus on community, spontaneity, experimentation, creativity, and democracy. This way of organizing involves regular consultation, but also a degree of chaos. We embrace that chaos, because it often leads to beautiful, unexpected results.