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Despotz opens UK office
By Andy Malt | Published on Thursday 5 November 2015
Swedish independent record label Despotz has announced plans to open a new office in the UK, and to expand the availability of its releases in the US.
The company’s new UK office in Reading is to be run by Gavin Harry, who previously worked with Despotz on its UK distribution through RSK Entertainment. The office will operate as part of Harry’s artist and label management company Eighty4 Music.
“Sweden really lacks a strong, fully independent record label with an international set-up and who have the backing needed for an international launch”, says Despotz co-founder Carl-Marcus Gidlöf. “A label where you can work in close contact with the artists and from day one, pull up a release plan with promotion, marketing and distribution on an international level. We now have both Europe and North America covered and have several international releases planned for 2016, and are looking at a few new signings as well!”
Harry adds: “Although this chapter in my working relationship with Ömer [Akay, the other co-founder] and Carl-Marcus is indeed new, our professional relationship goes back nearly ten years. Despotz has been a label that I’ve carefully followed from their very first releases in the early days right through to seeing them become one of the leading independent labels in Scandinavia. Despotz has always remained particularly special to me as it was the first label I signed under my (then) role as label manager at UK distributor RSK Entertainment. During that initial period we worked together on a number of successful campaigns for the likes of The Deer Tracks, Civil War and The Unguided, to name a few”.
The company opened a New York office in May this year, overseen by former Spinefarm A&R Director Luis Alvarenga. Physical editions of Despotz releases will be made available in the US from early 2016 through a partnership between the newly launched All Independent Service Alliance (of which Alvarenga is co-founder and COO) and Sony’s Red distribution company.