Elektra Records – Newly Resurrected And To Mark Its 60th Anniversary In 2010

Elektra Records (Motley Crue, The Doors, MC5) has been re-launched under the leadership of Co-Presidents Mike Caren and John Janick. Caren is currently EVP of A&R for Atlantic Records, while Janick is the founder and President of indie label Fueled By Ramen. Elektra will operate as a freestanding label within the Atlantic Records Group, which will provide resources and services in support of Elektra and its artists. The first acts signed to the resurrected label are one half of the Gnarls Barkley duo – Cee-Lo – as well as French electronic music duo Justice and new U.K. dance sensation Little Boots. Elektra has also just released the soundtrack to the HBO series True Blood.

“Elektra Records will mark its 60th Anniversary in 2010, and it feels like the perfect time to recapture and reignite the spirit which made the label a beacon of great music and eclectic artistry,” commented Janick. “Elektra has always been first and foremost about its artists, supporting their vision and giving them the freedom to do their best work. This is a sacred trust that Mike and I take very seriously, and that we will strive to uphold in the years ahead. We’d like to especially thank Jac Holzman for his wonderful support as we begin to build on the legacy of the amazing label he started six decades ago.”

Caren added, “Our first signings already signal the diversity that has been and will continue to be Elektra’s trademark. The Elektra logo has always stood for quality and integrity, defining genres while crossing and transcending them. John and I are devoted to seeking out original and compelling artists from all walks of music, and giving them a place they can call home. We are thrilled to be partnering with our friends at Warner Music Group and Atlantic Records to reinvent a groundbreaking music culture for a new era.”

“When Elektra merged with Atlantic five years ago, we always knew the right moment would come to bring it back to life,” said Atlantic Chairman/CEO Craig Kallman and Chairman/COO Julie Greenwald. “The great news is that we have found the perfect people to do it. John and Mike are two of the most passionate, creative, forward-thinking young executives in our business. They both started their careers as teenagers and have gone on to champion some of the most exciting new music of the last decade. The independent, entrepreneurial spirit that long defined Elektra is in great hands, and we are truly thrilled to see the label take flight once again.”

Elektra founder Jac Holzman, who started the label in 1950, commented, “Iconic isn’t my word but it is how Elektra came to be recognized over the years. I wanted people to be able to trust Elektra, to feel each release had an artistic core of some merit, and that there was someone who stood behind it. Each new label head reverentially built on the accomplishments of his predecessor, zealously guarding Elektra’s magical reputation. In 2004, Elektra was allowed to go dormant until bright new talents could be found to re-energize and rebirth it as the ‘artists label’ for a new century. I’m fortunate to have yet another chance to watch Elektra bloom.”

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