2007

Architects and Heroes emerged in 2007 as a music/culture blog of Los Angeles-based DJ and producer Stephen Ruiz. Starting off in Dallas, the blog was originally an outlet to document the local and national electronic/left-of-center music that seemed to be evolving faster than traditional media outlets could keep up. With the evolution of technology, the promise of the independent music blog becoming the curatorial bellwether of underground music was becoming a reality. Tiny local scenes were going global, music culture was accelerating and mutating into something new.

2011

Together with fellow musician and Graphic Designer William Rosario of Los Angeles respectively, Stephen set out to extend the reach of the blog and develop a label concept that would unite a love of left-of-center electronic music and visual art. Based on the label models other highly-curated, artist-run entities such as Underground Resistance, Soul Jazz, Merck, Raster-Noton, Hyperdub, Planet Mu, etc., the label released 18 records between January 2011 and January 2014.

2014

In February of 2014 William parted ways with Architects and Heroes to start the abstract beat-oriented Bonding Tapes. For the duration of 2014 A&H took a break to reassess it’s direction, and emerged as something that is a better reflection of the pervasive digital environment in which we all live. A digital art collective.

2015

The goal of Architects and Heroes was summed-up in “LEARNING TO EVOLVE: A MANIFESTO OF REINVENTION.”

“We want to expand the scope and diversity of our output beyond music. Design, literature, philosophy, art and cultural critique are all a part of this expansion. We want to raise the bar on our own consciousness, collaborate with other creatives, examine the zeitgeist and be a true independent content provider.”

As the collective moves into this new terrain, no medium will be off limits. Music, film, literature, performance and curated live experiences will all co-mingle in a shared cultural space. We will actively be seeking out relationship with artists for collaboration and continue to grow our global family. With a presence in the USA in Los Angeles and Portland, as well as collective members in the United Kingdom and Japan, we hope to have a presence wherever there are forward-thinking artists.