thinner from frankfurt/germany is one of the most prominent netlabels, having accumulated over 2 million downloads in the past.
randomly select an available release from the extensive thinner discography and there's a very high probability that the sounds on that album can be broadly described as "dub-inspired" i.e. some permutation of a fusion of dub with house, techno, or even ambient music. it's also quite possible that the album could be further redefined as belonging to the sound departments of either "dubby techhouse" or "intelligent dub," and, if not one of these, the more evasive aesthetic referred to as "minimalism" is an increasingly more likely descriptor. an alternate categorization can also classify the music as either soft and mellifluous or hard and edgy.
although dub-influences are clearly the predominant inspiration behind the general flavor of the thinner sound, even a cursory sampling of its catalog quickly reveals that thinner is not a static label. during the time period 2001 - 2007, thinner has grown and evolved to encompass a wider variety of sounds and to make available a more diverse palette of releases from which interested listeners can make their selections.
the early steady stream of signature dub-inspired techno/house music for which thinner initially became recognized still make their appearances but, as time has progressed and tastes have changed, new sounds have found their way into the thinner discography. while many of early thinner virtual releases were clearly efforts to emulate styles/genres similar to those offered by popular physical labels (eg. basic channel), later albums demonstrate innovative efforts to offer new sounds and/or interesting hybrids of existing ones.