# Higher Ground (record label)
Higher Ground is an American house-music record label and imprint of [Mad Decent](https://www.edgepedia.org/mad-decent), founded in 2019 by the DJ and producer Diplo as his second label, dedicated to house music.[1](https://www.billboard.com/pro/diplo-higher-ground-house-label-walker-royce/) It is named after Diplo's four-track house EP of the same name, released in May 2019, and its first official release was a double single from the Brooklyn duo [Walker & Royce](https://www.edgepedia.org/walker-and-royce).[1](https://www.billboard.com/pro/diplo-higher-ground-house-label-walker-royce/) By August 2026 the label reported more than 100 releases, multiple Grammy nominations, and multiple US dance radio number ones.[2](https://music.apple.com/us/curator/higher-ground/1697371065)
| Fact | Detail |
| --- | --- |
| Founded | 2019, by Diplo, as an imprint of Mad Decent[1](https://www.billboard.com/pro/diplo-higher-ground-house-label-walker-royce/) • [3](https://www.1001tracklists.com/label/7xun76r/higher-ground/index.html) |
| Namesake | Diplo's four-track house EP *Higher Ground*, May 2019[1](https://www.billboard.com/pro/diplo-higher-ground-house-label-walker-royce/) |
| Debut release | Walker & Royce, "Rave Grave" (with VNSSA) / "The Biznes", September 2019[1](https://www.billboard.com/pro/diplo-higher-ground-house-label-walker-royce/) • [4](https://www.djtimes.com/2019/09/diplos-higher-ground-imprint-debuts-with-walker-royces-rave-grave/) |
| Catalogue | 137 releases tracked by August 2026; label reports over 100 releases[5](https://tracknack.com/profile/label/higher-ground) • [2](https://music.apple.com/us/curator/higher-ground/1697371065) |
| Chart records | "On My Mind" (Diplo & SIDEPIECE) and "Turn Back Time" (Diplo & Sonny Fodera) each reached #1 on the 1001Tracklists weekly chart[3](https://www.1001tracklists.com/label/7xun76r/higher-ground/index.html) |
| Head of A&R | Sam Sciarra; Paul Devro has led Mad Decent's A&R since its 2006 formation[6](https://www.avairl.com/p/interview-sam-sciarra-head-ar-higher-ground) • [7](https://www.billboard.com/pro/diplo-mad-decent-label-higher-ground-interview/) |
| Brand events | Signature showcases at New York Fashion Week, Coachella, and Amsterdam Dance Event[2](https://music.apple.com/us/curator/higher-ground/1697371065) |
## Founding and relationship to Mad Decent
Diplo founded Mad Decent around 2006, and Higher Ground is positioned as an imprint of that label; 1001Tracklists lists it as a sub-label of Mad Decent.[7](https://www.billboard.com/pro/diplo-mad-decent-label-higher-ground-interview/) • [3](https://www.1001tracklists.com/label/7xun76r/higher-ground/index.html)
Mad Decent kept its plans for the imprint quiet at launch, but a range of melodic, deep and tech house was expected.[7](https://www.billboard.com/pro/diplo-mad-decent-label-higher-ground-interview/) Paul Devro, who has led Mad Decent's A&R since its 2006 formation, framed the caution behind the launch: "We respect house music so much... We didn't want to do it if we couldn't do it right."[7](https://www.billboard.com/pro/diplo-mad-decent-label-higher-ground-interview/) Day-to-day A&R at Higher Ground is led by Sam Sciarra, who described the label's founding brief as a reaction to "a lot of homogeneousness associated with house and techno," creating "a platform for a wide range of genres and sounds from across the dance and house music spectrums."[6](https://www.avairl.com/p/interview-sam-sciarra-head-ar-higher-ground)
## Roster and discography
Higher Ground's debut release was Walker & Royce's double-single "Rave Grave," featuring the title track, a collaboration with the house artist VNSSA, with "The Biznes" as the B-side.[4](https://www.djtimes.com/2019/09/diplos-higher-ground-imprint-debuts-with-walker-royces-rave-grave/) Early releases were also planned from Diplo himself, Lisbon's DJEFF, France's Born Dirty, the German duo Andhim, and a new duo called Sidepiece.[1](https://www.billboard.com/pro/diplo-higher-ground-house-label-walker-royce/)
The catalog has since spread across tech-house, deep and melodic house, lo-fi, and Afro-infused house.[8](https://dancingastronaut.com/2019/09/diplo-walker-royce-golf-clap-and-more-to-spin-at-mad-decents-higher-ground-showcase/) Artists released on the label include Diplo, Paul Woolford, DJ Tennis, Damian Lazarus, JADED, Carlita, Andhim, Purple Disco Machine, Aluna, TSHA, and Azzecca.[2](https://music.apple.com/us/curator/higher-ground/1697371065)
## Festival stages and brand events
The label launched publicly with a takeover of The Brooklyn Mirage on September 22, 2019, co-produced by Mad Decent and Made Event, with a lineup of Diplo, Walker & Royce, Paul Woolford, Golf Clap, Huxley, SIDEPIECE, Dateless, LP Giobbi, Anden, Fundido, and Lukewarm.[8](https://dancingastronaut.com/2019/09/diplo-walker-royce-golf-clap-and-more-to-spin-at-mad-decents-higher-ground-showcase/) • [7](https://www.billboard.com/pro/diplo-mad-decent-label-higher-ground-interview/) • [4](https://www.djtimes.com/2019/09/diplos-higher-ground-imprint-debuts-with-walker-royces-rave-grave/)
Beyond records, Higher Ground stages signature events at [New York Fashion Week](https://www.edgepedia.org/new-york-fashion-week), Coachella, and Amsterdam Dance Event, plus one-off showcases in London, Brooklyn, Los Angeles, Seattle, Miami, and Paris.[2](https://music.apple.com/us/curator/higher-ground/1697371065) In September 2024 Diplo and HUGEL played a joint show at [Brooklyn Mirage](https://www.edgepedia.org/brooklyn-mirage) during the release weekend for their single "Forever."[9](https://mixmagcaribbean.com/read/hugel-and-diplo-team-up-for-massive-new-joint-insomniac-records-x-higher-ground-release-music)
## By the numbers
The label's commercial footprint is documented across DJ-play charts and its own catalog counts. On the 1001Tracklists weekly chart, Diplo & SIDEPIECE's "On My Mind" reached #1 in week 2019/52 and Diplo & Sonny Fodera's "Turn Back Time" reached #1 in week 2020/49.[3](https://www.1001tracklists.com/label/7xun76r/higher-ground/index.html) The label reports multiple Grammy nominations and dance radio number ones across a catalog of over 100 releases.[2](https://music.apple.com/us/curator/higher-ground/1697371065) • [6](https://www.avairl.com/p/interview-sam-sciarra-head-ar-higher-ground) Tracknack, a discography database, tracks 137 Higher Ground releases by 148 credited artists, with the most recent, *Podcast My BPM Heart*, dated 2026.[5](https://tracknack.com/profile/label/higher-ground)
## Recent developments
Diplo's self-titled album, released March 4, 2022 via Higher Ground, was his first all-electronic album in 18 years, featuring underground mainstays such as Seth Troxler, Damian Lazarus, Amtrac, Aluna, TSHA, and Jungle.[10](https://www.billboard.com/music/music-news/diplo-interview-new-album-higher-ground-avicii-skrillex-underground-damian-lazarus-1235038940/) The label also joined [Insomniac Records](https://www.edgepedia.org/insomniac-records) for a joint release: HUGEL and Diplo's afro house single "Forever (feat. Malou & Yuna)", out worldwide on September 20, 2024, following their earlier collaboration "Stay High."[9](https://mixmagcaribbean.com/read/hugel-and-diplo-team-up-for-massive-new-joint-insomniac-records-x-higher-ground-release-music)
The catalog's HIGH series ran through 2025 and 2026 with regular club singles: Emmanuel Jal & Timathi featuring Nyadollar's "Shabab" (HIGH245, November 20, 2025), Mx Cartier & Elida Almeida's "Dondona" (HIGH258E, June 19, 2026) and Erez's "ATTNN" (HIGH261E, August 7, 2026).[11](https://bleep.com/label/33888-higher-ground?lang=en_GB) The Afro-house thread visible in these releases, from "Forever" to "Shabab," and "Dondona," extends the direction Sciarra described of platforming a wide range of sounds rather than a single tech-house formula.[6](https://www.avairl.com/p/interview-sam-sciarra-head-ar-higher-ground)
## References
1. [Diplo Launches House Label Higher Ground With Walker & Royce: Listen](https://www.billboard.com/pro/diplo-higher-ground-house-label-walker-royce/), Billboard Pro.
2. [Higher Ground (Apple Music curator page)](https://music.apple.com/us/curator/higher-ground/1697371065), Apple Music.
3. [Higher Ground Tracks Overview](https://www.1001tracklists.com/label/7xun76r/higher-ground/index.html), 1001Tracklists.
4. [Diplo's Higher Ground Imprint Debuts With Walker & Royce's "Rave Grave"](https://www.djtimes.com/2019/09/diplos-higher-ground-imprint-debuts-with-walker-royces-rave-grave/), DJ Times.
5. [Higher Ground // artists, releases & discography](https://tracknack.com/profile/label/higher-ground), Tracknack.
6. [The Industry Connection, Interview: Sam Sciarra, Head of A&R, Higher Ground](https://www.avairl.com/p/interview-sam-sciarra-head-ar-higher-ground), Avairl.
7. [Diplo on Mad Decent's New Imprint Higher Ground](https://www.billboard.com/pro/diplo-mad-decent-label-higher-ground-interview/), Billboard Pro.
8. [Diplo, Walker & Royce, Golf Clap, and more to play Mad Decent's Higher Ground showcase](https://dancingastronaut.com/2019/09/diplo-walker-royce-golf-clap-and-more-to-spin-at-mad-decents-higher-ground-showcase/), Dancing Astronaut.
9. [HUGEL and Diplo team up for massive new joint Insomniac Records X Higher Ground release](https://mixmagcaribbean.com/read/hugel-and-diplo-team-up-for-massive-new-joint-insomniac-records-x-higher-ground-release-music), Mixmag Caribbean.
10. [Diplo Interview: On His New Album, Avicii & Why The Underground Won](https://www.billboard.com/music/music-news/diplo-interview-new-album-higher-ground-avicii-skrillex-underground-damian-lazarus-1235038940/), Billboard.
11. [Bleep, Higher Ground](https://bleep.com/label/33888-higher-ground?lang=en_GB), Bleep.
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Music › Music scenes › Transnational genre scenes › Electronic dance music (EDM) and rave culture › Industry and media: Electronic dance music (EDM) and rave culture*
*Initially written Sep 19, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 19, 2026; Sep 30, 2026 · Edited: Sep 30, 2026; Oct 11, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 21, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Sep 30, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license