Originally founded as Deathwatch Asia in 2005 and still headquartered in Japan, DWA has subsequently become a global force in dark electronic music.
Renowned for high-end packaging, bonus content and production values, DWA has also developed a formidable reputation for identifying and nurturing emerging talent - having discovered and developed, among others, Terrolokaust, Surgyn, CygnosiC and Detroit Diesel.
Once the licensee of numerous overseas acts in Japan, since 2010 DWA has instead become a source of supply for European and American labels like NoiTekk, Infacted Recordings and Vendetta Music, since 2011 the principal sponsor of Resistanz International Industrial Music Festival, and since 2012 organizing and sponsoring tours for its artists across both Europe and North America - alongside acts such as Combichrist, Aesthetic Perfection and Icon Of Coil.
In 2013, the label officially changed name to "Digital World Audio", reflecting its new global positioning and distribution within the industrial music scene.
This label WAS once a really good and famous JP label for Electro Industrial music like EBM/Dark Electro/Futurepop and so on. Or just Gothic Electro Music in general. They had their main breakthrough from 2009-2013. I always loved its limited Japanese editions and bought quite a lot there. They also brought some of the most talented acts ever out.
Reaxion Guerrilla, Nitro/Noise, Cyferdyne, Terrorkode, SIN DNA, BlakOPz, Detroit Diesel. All those are in fact between my favorite artists of all time. Yeah, by now there are some more like Sirus, Ruinizer or Seraphim System but honestly I can't do that much with them anymore. They are not really Industrial. More like they use Industrial as a side element in their music. Nearly none of the named artists are with DWA anymore. And there is a good reason. I would say the label started to go downhill in 2013. They also changed their name which was the first noticeable thing. They are now Digital World Audio. Dont ask me why they would even change it. But many of the artists weren't happy with the label anymore. Because of certain reasons. Good reasons, believe me. They left the label by now anyway. I'm not pulling this out of my hair. People who take a proper look on the label will see that some of the very big and quality names are no longer there. I have actually contacts and know why exactly those artists left DWA. There are nearly no good artists left and the limited Japanese Editions which are licensed from other labels are also no longer produced. Shame. The artist rooster reminds more of a mainstream Electronic rooster by now. More Dubstep and Hardcore or general Electronics than anything that would have to do with Gothic. Or how do they call it? "Swaggrotech"? Jesus Christ, seriously? Acts like Ruinizer or Seraphim System have not much to do with Industrial... Yeah, they are not bad but definitely not mine and nothing what that Label stood for once.
Shame. And thats how a great label goes downhill. I personally cant do much with the label anymore. Im still following many of the artists that left DWA. There are many extremely talented ones. DWA still has some good artists though. Like Terrorkode, BlakOPz or Cyferdyne. However, I'm not entirely sure if all those are still signed to DWA. This label is still good anyway but lets just say that it was a lot better once...
![Cygnosic - The Key[s]](https://i.discogs.com/cOwSwOD5ItLCrIuUhxTKlqmnN9EZUDE-850HSTRwXZc/rs:fill/g:sm/q:40/h:100/w:100/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTgzOTM2/OTItMTQ2MDc1Mjc0/OC0xOTQzLmpwZWc.jpeg)
Dark-Lucifer
June 28, 2016Or just Gothic Electro Music in general. They had their main breakthrough from 2009-2013.
I always loved its limited Japanese editions and bought quite a lot there.
They also brought some of the most talented acts ever out.
Reaxion Guerrilla, Nitro/Noise, Cyferdyne, Terrorkode, SIN DNA, BlakOPz, Detroit Diesel. All those are in fact between my favorite artists of all time. Yeah, by now there are some more like Sirus, Ruinizer or Seraphim System but honestly I can't do that much with them anymore. They are not really Industrial. More like they use Industrial as a side element in their music.
Nearly none of the named artists are with DWA anymore. And there is a good reason. I would say the label started to go downhill in 2013. They also changed their name which was the first noticeable thing. They are now Digital World Audio. Dont ask me why they would even change it. But many of the artists weren't happy with the label anymore. Because of certain reasons. Good reasons, believe me. They left the label by now anyway. I'm not pulling this out of my hair. People who take a proper look on the label will see that some of the very big and quality names are no longer there. I have actually contacts and know why exactly those artists left DWA. There are nearly no good artists left and the limited Japanese Editions which are licensed from other labels are also no longer produced. Shame. The artist rooster reminds more of a mainstream Electronic rooster by now. More Dubstep and Hardcore or general Electronics than anything that would have to do with Gothic. Or how do they call it? "Swaggrotech"? Jesus Christ, seriously? Acts like Ruinizer or Seraphim System have not much to do with Industrial... Yeah, they are not bad but definitely not mine and nothing what that Label stood for once.
Shame. And thats how a great label goes downhill. I personally cant do much with the label anymore.
Im still following many of the artists that left DWA. There are many extremely talented ones.
DWA still has some good artists though. Like Terrorkode, BlakOPz or Cyferdyne.
However, I'm not entirely sure if all those are still signed to DWA.
This label is still good anyway but lets just say that it was a lot better once...