BMG Acquires Skint Records

Big news in the independent label world as international music behemoths BMG have revealed that they have acquired UK dance label Loaded Records and its subsidiary Skint, including producer Fatboy Slim’s entire recording catalog, among others. 

The acquisition allows worldwide rights  (excluding North America ) to five Fatboy Slim albums, alongside Skint’s roster of hits including Xpress 2′s ‘Lazy’ and Freemasons‘ ‘Uninvited’.

Speaking on the acquisition BMG Chrystalis UK EVP Alexi Cory-Smith said:

“Skint and Loaded are among the most influential and successful UK independent labels and we are delighted to add them to our growing international catalogue of recordings… There is significant potential in particular in the peerless Fatboy Slim catalogue and we will ensure it gets the attention it deserves.”

Founded  backin 1990 by JC Reid and Tim Jeffrey, Loaded was one of the early flag bearers for elctronic music in the UK and forged a reputation as an outlet for quality despite regularly showcasing music that had the ability to crossover into more mainstream public consciousness. 1995, saw the arrival of Damien Harris and founding of Skint which quickly became adriving force within the emerging “Big Beat” scene, spearheaded by artists like Fatboy Slim and the Chemical Brothers. Together, the two labels have the rights to 2,500 tracks and have sold 10 million albums and 15 million singles. 

It’s not the first time BMG have moved to secure the rights to one of electronic music’s larger independent labels with January seeing the major label acquire the  master rights to US dance label Strictly Rhythm and Talpa Music, the Benelux-based music publisher holding the rights to songs by some of EDM’s biggest stars such as Afrojack and Laidback Luke. The investment in electronic music continues…