It’s not every day that you find the needle in the haystack, that little pot of gold that sits atop the rest and makes everything else look like a dog’s breakfast. Sometimes it takes sifting through an endless sea of rubbish to find what you’re looking for, but when you do it really is something special.

No, we’re not talking about you and your Nan’s Saturday thrift shopping escapades (which let’s be honest, aren’t that thrilling anyway). Today, we’re looking at those hidden gems of YouTube that are a little bit different, a little bit good, and a little bit bloody hard to find.

These are the channels bringing consistently good tunes from anywhere and everywhere. They might not be labels by definition, but in all fairness they may as well be. These are the secret nooks and crannies of YouTube – the places tucked away; hiding in plain sight; the ones that’ve spent countless hours cultivating distinctive sounds and building extensive catalogues for your listening pleasure.

And as luck would have it… We’ve been digging through that side of YouTube for quite some time in the hope of bringing you the cream of the crop! Here’s Part 1 of our list in no particular order:

OOUKFunkyOO

Being the channel (and the tune) that inspired me to write this, I think it’s only fitting that OOUKFunkyOO kicks the list off in the #1 spot. A lo-fi powerhouse that has been churning out nothing but quality since late 2010, this is a staple in any good YouTube subscription column. From House to Techno and all things in between, this is the spot for soulful lo-fi.

Having posted Ross From Friends’ revolutionary ‘Talk To Me You’ll Understand’ months prior to its announcement on Distant Hawaii, sister label to Lobster Theremin, it’s clear that the blokes at OOUKFunkyOO have their finger right on the pulse when it comes to upcoming, undiscovered and pretty darn decent music.

Moskalus

To say this guy is everywhere would be an understatement. Often he’s listened through and is commenting on videos before they’ve even finished uploading. An influential presence within the YouTube community, Moskalus is also one of the most consistent and prevalent contributors to this growing movement of YouTube sound houses.

Mixing some pretty grouse, trippy visuals with tunes from the deepest corners of the Internet, Moskalus always hits the nail on the head and has definitely concocted a proper recipe for getting it right.

District Groove

Next cab off the rank is a criminally underrated hub for what can only be described as the Mickey Mouse grouse. Groove is certainly the right word and with just shy of 1,000 subscribers, this is the place to go for sounds that are little known but boast some heavy hitting depth.

The dudes at District Groove also have a sneaky second channel for all the other goodness that doesn’t quite make the cut for their OG stream. These are definitely two of the best hotspots out there for new, undiscovered belters.

We’ll be back with more YouTube labels you need to wrap your ears around in the near future. Be sure to comment any recommendations as well!