Five British electronic labels hit by the recent shuttering of Amato Distribution have come up with a practical business solution.
The labels — Freerange, Urbantorque, secretsundaze, Rekids and 2020Vision — have formed a collective to represents its members and respective artists. And PIAS U.K. (formerly Vital Distribution) has come on board as distributor for the collective.
Ralph Lawson, owner of Leeds-based 2020Vision, says the collective proves that strength lies in numbers. “The Amato disaster hit independent electronic labels particularly hard, but it takes crisis situations to act as catalysts for change,” he comments in a statement.
“Independent companies have always lead the way when it comes to innovation,” he adds, “and we have now gathered the very best independent labels from the world of electronic music at [PIAS] U.K. to further push the boundaries.”
CD-centric Amato — which distributed such hot labels as Kompakt, Crosstown Rebels, Anjunabeats, Buzzin’ Fly and Poker Flat — was acquired by vinyl-focused Unique Distribution in late 2006, and reportedly took on a good deal of its debt, contributing to its shuttering in late 2007. Buzzin’ Fly and a handful of other labels have already made the switch to PIAS U.K.
