Chapter one: the Metric years
Last Gang's foundation was Metric — the Emily Haines/James Shaw band that the label developed from its earliest Toronto days through the imperial run (Old World Underground, Live It Out, Fantasies). The partnership proved the model: patient development, artist control, and the slow build that turned Metric from club favorites to arena headliners. The label's roster expanded: Crystal Castles (the Ethan Kath/Alice Glass electro-noise duo) brought the blog-house wave to the label's doors, and Death From Above 1979's early singles found a home.
Chapter two: the electro boom
The label's mid-2000s peak coincided with Toronto's electro explosion (see our blog-house feature): Crystal Castles' detonation, Metric's Fantasies dominating 2009, and the label's roster becoming synonymous with the sound the blogs couldn't get enough of. Last Gang's A&R instincts — signing the weird, the loud, the immediate — captured the moment perfectly.
Chapter three: the acquisition and after
Last Gang was acquired by Entertainment One in 2016 — the indie-to-major trajectory that defined the era — and the label's roster continued under the new umbrella. The legacy: the label that housed Metric's rise and Crystal Castles' chaos, bridging the indie and electro waves that made 2000s Toronto the center of the musical universe.
Frequently asked questions
Who founded Last Gang Records?
Chris Taylor, in Toronto in 2003.
What artists were on Last Gang?
Metric, Crystal Castles, Death From Above 1979, and the 2000s Toronto electro wave.
What happened to Last Gang Records?
Acquired by Entertainment One in 2016 — the indie-to-major trajectory that defined the era.