Founded in 1993 by Laurence Bell and Jacqui Rice, the label's first release was the
Sebadoh EP
Rocking the Forest, licensed from
Sub Pop records for release in the UK. Many of the early releases were by American artists who in the US were signed to
Drag City (
Smog,
Will Oldham,
Royal Trux), a relationship which continues to this day. Success was not immediate, as labels such as Domino, who were releasing more established American rock and unusual British music, were marginalised during the
Britpop era, but a steady stream of new signings gave the label increasing credibility. Recent high-profile releases from
Anna Calvi,
Franz Ferdinand,
Arctic Monkeys,
Wild Beasts, and
The Kills have only acted as a catalyst to this, and Domino is now one of the longest running and most successful independent record labels in the UK. The label celebrated its 10th anniversary in 2003. There were a number of new releases, as well as a
compilation album and a series of gigs in London under the 'Worlds of Possibility' banner, to celebrate the label's first decade in October of that year. Domino celebrated their first UK #1 album in October 2005 with
Franz Ferdinand's You Could Have It So Much Better, and their first UK #1 single with
Arctic Monkeys' "
I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor" later that same month. In 2006, Bell and co-owner, Harry Martin, founded Domino Publishing Company, a music publishing company. In March 2021, it was announced that seminal
shoegaze band
My Bloody Valentine had signed with the label. This announcement was accompanied by the first ever official digital release of the band's discography to streaming platforms. As well as new music, Domino have released compilations by British
post-punk bands such as
Orange Juice,
Josef K,
Fire Engines and
Young Marble Giants. ==Notable artists==