3 Beat Official Statement
3 BEAT RECORDS FORCED TO CLOSE LABEL MANAGEMENT SERVICE AND DIGITAL DOWNLOAD STORE
Liverpool’s influential record shop 3 Beat Records is to close its label management company 3 Beat Label Management and its download store, 3beatdigital.com with immediate effect. The decision to close the label management company and the download store were taken after the recent demise of Amato Distribution left the company owed approximately £75,000, a debt which they were unable to absorb. 3 Beat Label Management also created and maintained the mp3 store 3beatdigital.com leaving that, at least temporarily, on hold. The closure of 3 Beat Label Management will have no effect on the other elements of the 3 Beat business, namely the legendary record shop, the record label 3 Beat Productions and the club night ‘Back To The Old ‘Pool’.
3 Beat Label Management has forged an enviable reputation since its inception in 1999 and represented some leading dance music labels including, Border Community, Boss Records, Vapour Recordings, Supplement Facts, Perc Trax and Love Triangle Music. In an increasingly difficult
market 3 Beat Label Management continued to provide a high quality and successful service, however was unable to avoid becoming one of the first high profile casualties in the fallout from Amato’s closure.
Founder of 3 Beat, Jon Barlow comments,
“It really saddens me to have to close 3 Beat Label Management and to see the knock on effects of this decision, not only on the labels that have been part of the 3 Beat family, but also on our own digital download business. We looked at all options to avoid this decision, but felt that there were none. Unfortunately, I think the demise of Amato will cause further repercussions in the world of dance music before things settle down again. I am now looking forward, focusing positively on the rest of the 3 Beat Records business which remains buoyant. Our recent deal with Universal will see 3 Beat Productions aiming for crossover success in 2008, the record shop is as strong as ever and our recent foray into club promoting has been an unqualified success. These are the areas on which we will be focusing in 2008.”
Although there are no plans to work in label management again in the near future, 3 Beat Records remain hopeful that a partner will be found to enable to them to reopen their digital download store.
