Warner Music’s Emerging Markets division has launched a new label called OUT OF ORDER.
The label will highlight artists, music, cultures and communities from regions including Africa, India, the Middle East, Southeastern Europe and the Eastern Mediterranean.
OUT OF ORDER is headed by Selina Chowdhury, Warner Music’s Head of Marketing for Emerging Markets, who has previously worked at Atlantic Records in New York.
The label will be supported by Atlantic Records in the US and Parlophone in the UK and work in partnership with Warner Music’s established affiliates in those markets.
Warner says that the label will release a series of albums featuring 10 original, unreleased, dance-leaning records from local emerging, developing and established artists.
Alongside the album releases, OUT OF ORDER will also run a weekly online radio show, featuring 60-minute DJ mixes, each inspired by a track from one of the albums. The mixes will live on Audiomack, SoundCloud and YouTube.
The album artwork and creative will showcase work from up-and-coming local designers in the region the music is curated from.
The first album – launched Friday, November 11 – is called OOO: AFRO, in partnership with Warner Music Africa and features a mix of Afrobeats, Amapiano and House tracks from the likes of Da Capo, Makhadzi, Moelogo, Oscar Mbo, P-Priime and Rouge.
The album’s artwork was created by rising Ghanaian designer Nyahan Tachie-Menson.
Warner says that the next album in the series will be in partnership with Warner Music India early next year.
“We hope that OUT OF ORDER will take music fans on an adventure and introduce them to sounds and artists they might not otherwise have had the chance to hear.”
Selina Chowdhury
Selina Chowdhury says: “I’m incredibly passionate about this initiative. There’s so much unique and inspired international music that often doesn’t have a global platform.
“We hope that OUT OF ORDER will take music fans on an adventure and introduce them to sounds and artists they might not otherwise have had the chance to hear.”
“Africa is a continent rich with various sounds, which have for the longest time influenced popular culture, but is only now really being spotlighted for its contributions.”
Garth Brown, Warner Music Africa
Garth Brown, Creative Lead, Warner Music Africa, said: “Africa is a continent rich with various sounds, which have for the longest time influenced popular culture, but is only now really being spotlighted for its contributions.
“This album showcases some of the music from across the continent. It’s an opportunity to give the world a peek of what Africa sounds like.”
Nyahan Tachie-Menson said: “There’s so much going on with the music emerging from individuals on the continent; something we can all relate to is the vibrancy of the music, and that’s what I captured here.”Music Business Worldwide