BIG EGO Records is a Mom and Pop record label run by Chris and Adriana Schlarb. The husband and wife opened their Long Beach recording studio, BIG EGO, in 2016. Two years later they began pressing vinyl LPs of albums made at the studio. Since 2018, the label has kept a schedule of four vinyl releases per year with each album produced and mixed by Chris Schlarb. Hundreds of records are packed by Adriana at the couple’s kitchen table each month. Usually after Isabella is dropped off at school and Coda takes his morning nap.

The common thread [is] Schlarb’s clean, uncluttered production style and his never-ending quest to push musicians outside their comfort zones. - Downbeat Magazine

In keeping with the spirit of classic studio / record labels such as FAME and Stax, BIG EGO carved out a unique space in a crowded musical landscape. A dedication to sound and songcraft combined with a regional approach to assembling musicians that was once more common. It’s not uncommon to hear the same musicians on jazz, country, rock, and pop albums.

BIG EGO’s philosophy harkens back to a day when records were finished in weeks, and a label’s sound relied heavily on a single studio and its session band. The medium has changed from tape to RADAR, but the vibe remains. - Tape Op

BIG EGO Records feature insightful liner notes and photographs with each vinyl release. The timeless back cover layout from David J. Woodruff recalls Blue Note, Prestige, and Riverside Records of the 1960’s. In a day and age where most music is streamed, free from credits and context, we feel this is more important than ever.

Schlarb’s obsessive nature is also reflective elsewhere… with meticulous vinyl packaging… - Los Angeles Times

When you purchase a BIG EGO Record, you are supporting an ecosystem of artists, musicians, songwriters, photographers, visual artists, engineers, and, of course Mom and Pop.

Website designed and organized by Alyssandra Nighswonger.