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Warner relaunch Elektra

By | Published on Tuesday 2 June 2009

The good thing about the recent trend for major record companies to relaunch the imprint labels they previously shut down, is that they’ll have a whole load of extra divisions ready to close the next time a bout of streamlining is called for.

The latest major label imprint to be reborn is Elektra Records, the US division of the Warner Music Group which only shut down first time round five years ago. It is being relaunched as an imprint of Warner’s Atlantic division, and will be headed up by the founder of New York-based and Atlantic-distributed indie Fueled By Ramen, and existing Atlantic A&R exec Mike Caren.

Although the new division’s chiefs will be looking for new talent, their launch roster will consist of artists already working with Warner – Little Boots, signed to Atlantic over here; Cee-Lo Green, who has worked with Warner via the Gnarls Barkley project; and Justice, whose previous Ed Banger releases were distributed by the major.

Confirming the Elektra releaunch, the bosses of Atlantic US, Julie Greenwald and Craig Kallman, told Billboard: “When Elektra merged with Atlantic five years ago, we always knew the right moment would come to bring it back to life. The great news is that we have found the perfect people to do it. John and Mike are two of the most passionate, creative, forward-thinking young executives in our business. They both started their careers as teenagers and have gone on to champion some of the most exciting new music of the last decade. The independent, entrepreneurial spirit that long defined Elektra is in great hands, and we are truly thrilled to see the label take flight once again”.



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