Rising High Records was a leading British record label, established in 1991, specializing in rave, techno and ambient chillout music. Founded by Caspar Pound, who had had chart success with a Homeboy, A Hippie and a Funky Dread, the label went on to be at the forefront of dance music in the 1990s, according to Colin Larkin in The Guinness Who's Who of Rap, Dance and Techno[1] .
Pound was a direct descendant of the famous and controversial poet Ezra Pound. Originally from Peterborough, he shot to fame at age 19 with the single 'Total Confusion', and then founded the Rising High and Sapho labels. As The Hypnotist he became a star in Germany, and played at the Love Parade to thousands of ravers. He licensed the Harthouse (UK) label to the UK, pioneering German Trance music, a genre then unknown in the UK; and licensed Underground Resistance (band) for their debut UK release. Rising High was also among the first to champion hardcore techno and ambient chill-out music in the UK. In 1995 Rising High established a American branch for their label in Santa Monica, California under the Rising High USA banner, but would fold operations in 1996.
Caspar Pound died on 30 April 2004, aged 33.
Notable artists recording for the label included :