Warner Music’s Emerging Markets division has launched a new label, 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 (pictured), 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 the markets from which the repertoire is sourced.
Billed as “a diverse collection of sounds in no particular order”, the label will release a series of albums featuring 10 original, unreleased, dance-leaning records from local emerging, developing and established artists. The album artwork and creative will showcase work from up-and-coming local designers in the region from which the music is curated.
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.
Selina Chowdhury said: “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.”
We hope that Out Of Order will take music fans on an adventure
Selina Chowdhury
The first album – launched today – is 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.
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.”
The album’s artwork was created by rising Ghanaian designer Nyahan Tachie-Menson and aims to reflect the signature energy the African music scene has become globally known for.
The next album in the series will be in partnership with Warner Music India early next year.
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