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Relentless Records joins Sony Music
By CMU Editorial | Published on Friday 13 January 2012
Sony Music has announced plans to relaunch former EMI imprint Relentless Records, with co-founder Shabs Jobanputra back at the helm.
Relentless was founded in 1999 by Jobanputra and Paul Franklyn, catching the rise of UK garage with signings such as Craig David, Artful Dodger and So Solid Crew. The label began working with EMI in 2003 for the release of Joss Stone’s debut album, ‘The Soul Sessions’, and in 2009 was sold to the major’s Virgin Records UK division, of which Jobanputra became president.
But, as previously reported, Jobanputra left EMI in April last year, and while the Relentless roster – including Roll Deep, KT Tunstall and Cage The Elephant – stayed with the major, he took the label’s name with him. In July last year the company released Ms Dynamite’s ‘Neva Soft’ single, and its first signings as part of Sony Music are grime producer Rude Kid and folk musician Misty Miller.
Announcing the news, Sony Music UK’s CEO Nick Gatfield (and former colleague of Jobanputra at EMI), said: “Shabs has a tremendous track record of working with artists across multiple genres. He is a great addition to our A&R capability”.
Jobanputra added: “I’m very excited to bring Relentless Records to Sony Music. There are lot of great people here and I hope to learn lots as we begin the next chapter”.
