Wide Hive Records is an independent record label based in Berkeley, California. It was originally founded by Gregory Howe in 1999 in San Francisco’s Mission District as a record label, live music venue, recording studio and café.

In its early incarnation Wide Hive hosted live acts and recorded, mixed and mastered CDs of the performances that were available to the audience for purchase at the end of the show.

Since the release of its first record, Dissent, in 1997, Wide Hive has released over thirty titles ranging from Jazz to turntablism

Turntablism

Turntablism is the art of manipulating sounds and creating music using phonograph turntables and a DJ mixer.The word 'turntablist' was coined in 1995 by DJ Babu to describe the difference between a DJ who just plays records, and one who performs by touching and moving the records, stylus and mixer...

, downtempo, and funk. Artists on the label include Phil Ranelin

Phil Ranelin

Phil Ranelin is an American jazz and experimental music trombonist.Ranelin was born in Indianapolis, and lived in New York before moving to Detroit in the 1960s...

, Calvin Keys

Calvin Keys

Calvin Keys is an American jazz guitarist, known for the several albums he released for Black Jazz Records.The Bay Area virtuoso guitarist is well known for his performances and recordings with greats such as Ray Charles, John Handy, Bobby Hutcherson, Eddie Marshall, Sonny Stitt, Pharaoh Sanders,...

, DJ Zeph, MC Azeem

MC Azeem

Azeem Ismail , better known simply as Azeem is a performance poet and hip-hop MC, residing in Oakland, California.-Biography:...

, DJ Quest

DJ Quest

DJ Quest was born in 1973 in El Salvador. While there are others using the name 'DJ Quest', Carlos Aguilar has most likely had the moniker the longest,. He is considered one of the most skilled and reputable DJ and innovators in the field of Turntablism. DJ Quest has contributed to the hip hop DJ...

, Harvey Mandel

Harvey Mandel

Harvey Mandel is an American guitarist known for his innovative approach to electric guitar playing. A professional at twenty, he played with Charlie Musselwhite, Canned Heat, The Rolling Stones, and John Mayall before starting a solo career...

 and Larry Coryell

Larry Coryell

Larry Coryell is an American jazz fusion guitarist.-Biography:Coryell was born in Galveston, Texas. He graduated from Richland High School, in Richland, Washington, where he played in local bands The Jailers, The Rumblers, The Royals, and The Flames. He also played with The Checkers from nearby...

. Wide Hive Records had five CMJ (College Music Journal) top ten placements between 2001 and 2010 with DJ Zeph, Variable Unit Seven Grain, Variable Unit Handbook for the Apocalypse, Variable Unit Mayhem Mystics and Wide Hive Players II Guitar, respectively.