Elitist Release

Elitist Records is a brand new collaboration between the original founder of Candlelight Records, Lee Barrett, the man solely responsible for the signing / discovery of bands such as Emperor, Opeth, Enslaved, Beyond Dawn, Solstice and many more, and Earache Records, home of some of the Metal scene's biggest household names.

"It's an exciting time for me" states Barrett. "I've got over the personal problems that were affecting my life when I ended up leaving Candlelight, and I've since carved myself a lucrative career in the computing industry. Being outside of the music industry re-ignited my passion for the music itself; I was no longer cynical about bands, and I actually started looking forward to new releases."

The rest of the release follows:

"Earlier this year I was chatting socially to Digby (The owner of Earache Records), and it was he that suggested the idea of an imprint label, with me signing the bands and Earache releasing them. This sounded like an ideal solution: I could stay in touch with the music that I love, without having to take care of any of the business aspects that left me cold. I now have a free reign to sign the bands I please without any major interference. I'm also able to offer them decent budgets and a true worldwide distribution network, something that was lacking for me in the past. Trying to start a brand new label from scratch would be next to impossible in this day and age, but with Earache's marketing muscle behind it, Elitist has already avoided those perilous first steps and is straight in contention."

Elitist's aim is to focus on bands pushing the boundaries of the metal genre, be it in terms of uniqueness or sheer musical progression. Don't expect a precession of clones pandering to the latest trends. The label will continue to strive toward the cutting edge of metal, always searching for emerging talent and nurturing
it towards greatness. With Barrett's previous track record and keen ear for innovation and Earache's distribution and marketing firepower it's guaranteed that tomorrow's legends are only a signing away.

The first band to join this "Elite Force" is Italy's experimental black metal band Ephel Duath. Their debut release for Elitist, "Rephomula", will be out in January. It promises a heady mix of styles and tempos: a controlled cacophony displaying outstanding musicianship and state-of-the-art programming skills. The CD will be a full 75 minutes, including remixes and demo material. Check out a track at http://www.mp3.com/ephelduath

There are more bands very close to signing, but we can't announce these until the ink is dry. We'll keep you up to date with these regular newsletters.

If anyone has any questions regarding the label and related business then please don't hesitate to get in touch. The email is lee@elitistrecords.co.uk