The label was started in 2006 by British radio DJ and A&R legend Gilles Peterson to release artists he felt deserved attention. It follows on from the first Brownswood Records imprint which was a side-label of Talkin' Loud. The label's inspiration comes from the Brownswood Sessions that Gilles does every 3 months or so on his BBC Radio 1 'Worldwide' show. In these sessions he gets back to the roots of modern Jazz-influenced dancefloor music by playing records that continue to inspire newer musicians and producers today. Some of these newer artists, musicians and producers are highlighted on the label, and it serves as an outlet for those who are a bit different or unusual, and who might have been overlooked by most labels, a space to get their work released.