The Orchard Announces Significant European and American Label Signings

The Orchard Announces Significant European and American Label Signings

The World's Leading Independent Labels Continue to Choose The Orchard for its Unparalleled Digital Reach and Marketing Clout

-- Labels Including Ariwa, Checkered Past Records, Big Chill, Tomato, Manifesto, Document, Fire Records, Atavistic and Inspired Corporation; As Well as Artists Including MJ Cole, Chris De Burgh and Blazing Squad Choose The Orchard --

NEW YORK and CANNES, France, Jan. 26 /PRNewswire/ -- The Orchard, the world's leading distributor and marketer of independent music, today announced that it has signed over fifteen more leading European and American independent record labels for distribution through The Orchard's unparalleled digital distribution and marketing network.

The diverse artist rosters represented by these labels will be digitally distributed and marketed to all of the world's leading global digital music services, songtone providers and other legal digital music sellers, including iTunes, eMusic, MSN, MusicMatch, Real/Rhapsody and over more than 100 other digital music services.

The newly-signed European labels include:

* Big Chill: Label outgrowth of massive UK-based electronica / chill-out
festival The Big Chill.

* Fire Records: Long-running underground UK rock label with early
catalogue from Pulp, Television Personalities and Spacemen 3, plus new
music from Bark Psychosis and others.

* JSP: Since 1978, JSP has released jazz and blues recordings from
legends like Louis Armstrong, Charlie Parker, Django Rheinhardt, Mills
Brothers, Buddy Guy, Cab Calloway, Louis Prima and many others.

* Avid: Over 100 jazz and easy listening titles from Count Basie, Duke
Ellington, Benny Goodman, Nat King Cole, Perry Como, Bing Crosby, Doris
Day, Glenn Miller, Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday, Peggy Lee and many
others.

* Document: Over 900 historical vintage blues and jazz recordings from
Lightnin' Hopkins, Son House, Big Joe Williams, Blind Willie McTell and
others.

* Black Lotus: Greek extreme metal label with artists including Acheron,
On Thorns I Lay, Morning After, Velocity and many others.

* Simply-Red.com: Artist-owned label for UK soul-pop giants Simply Red.

* Ariwa: Dub reggae label run by London-based producer Mad Professor.
Catalogue includes Lee "Scratch" Perry, Horace Andy, U-Roy and others.

* Season of Mist: French extreme metal label with artists like Mayhem,
Morgul, CarpathianForest, Green Carnation and others.

* TVA: Norwegian label featuring traditional Norwegian folk, country &
western, children's music, jazz and much more.

The newly-signed US labels include:

* Checkered Past Records: Few independent record labels on the scene
today have enjoyed as auspicious a beginning as has Chicago's Checkered
Past Records. Founded in March of 1997 by Larry Lipson and Yvonne
Jones, CPR set out to provide a suitable home for the finest roots
musicians from the underground.

* Atavistic: Chicago label focusing on avant rock and experimental jazz,
including artists like Swans, Vandermark, Glenn Branca, Spaceways
Incorporated.

* Slam Jamz: Started by Public Enemy's Chuck D in 1996, Slam Jamz is an
Internet-based label releasing Hip-Hop, rock and metal.

* Manifesto: With roots dating to 1968, Manifesto's catalogue includes
early recordings from Tom Waits, Tim Buckley and the Dead Kennedys, plus
the Wedding Present, The Lilys and others.

* Tipitina's: In-house label for legendary long-running New Orleans
nightclub known for nurturing roots, blues, rock and R&B acts.

* Go Kart: NYC-based punk/hardcore label established in 1992 includes
music from Buzzcocks, Anti-Flag, Lunachicks, Down By Law and others.

* Inspired Corporation: Diverse label founded in 1928 featuring the Peter
Pan Music Publishing catalogue, one of the oldest independent
distributors of children's health and wellness products.

* Tomato: Folk/blues label with origins dating to 1968. Catalogue
includes Townes Van Zandt, John Lee Hooker, Albert King, Ike & Tina
Turner, Louis Armstrong, Howlin' Wolf, Nina Simone and many others.

* Acrobat Music: UK label with huge archive of blues, jazz, doo-wop and
country titles, including music from Son House, Frank Sinatra, Dave
Brubeck, Jefferson Airplane, Etta James, Count Basie, Duke Ellington,
Lionel Hamptonand many more.



"From Simply Red to The Dead Kennedys and Ella Fitzgerald to Tom Waits and Ike & Tina Turner, The Orchard continues to solidify our position as the clear leader digitally distributing and marketing independent music," said Greg Scholl, chief executive of The Orchard and managing director of Dimensional Associates, the company which owns The Orchard, eMusic and Dimensional Music Publishing. "This incredibly diverse set of labels expands our burgeoning catalogue, and we have many more exciting label announcements to make in the coming months. Each label in this announcement is an independent music leader, and their catalogues represent seminal recordings from the most talented artists of our time. We look forward to working with the labels as their marketing and promotion partner to build new and greater audiences in today's global digital music marketplace, capturing the full value of their back catalogue and helping them to establish the artists of tomorrow."

About The Orchard

The Orchard (http://www.theorchard.com/) is the leading distributor and marketer of independent music in the world, representing thousands of labels spanning over 72 countries and every music genre. The Orchard supplies its catalogue of more than 300,000 tracks to all of the leading legal digital music stores and services throughout the world. Headquartered in New York, The Orchard maintains operations in London, Tokyo, Buenos Aires, Tel Aviv and Melbourne.

About Dimensional Associates, Inc.

Dimensional Associates, Inc., is the New York-based private equity arm of JDS Capital Management, Inc. Its portfolio companies include eMusic, The Orchard and Dimensional Music Publishing (formerly DreamWorks Music Publishing.)

Media Contacts:

Andy Morris MIDEM-based Contact
Andy Morris & Company Jason Ojalvo
212-561-7465 +1 917-640-7018
andy@amc-pr.com MIDEM stand R 31.17



Source: The Orchard

CONTACT: Andy Morris of Andy Morris & Company, +1-212-561-7465,
andy@amc-pr.com; Jason Ojalvo, MIDEM-based Contact, +1-917-640-7018, MIDEM
stand R 31.17

Web site: http://www.theorchard.com/


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