Founded in 2003 by the well-respected music industry executive Karl Anderson, Just Music is unarguably one of the most influential, credible and successful indie labels ever to emerge from the South African music scene. Just Music has become the ‘go-to’ label for cutting-edge South African as well as international artists and labels.
As a home for many of the worlds most relevant indie labels, Just Music has not only serviced the existing alternative markets, but also broken ground in developing new markets for the trend-setting and progressive artists they have passionately, and often bravely, released.
Apart from massive international successes, Just Music has discovered and developed some of the leading artists in South Africa. Included in the carefully selected roster are The Muffinz, Locnville (LCNVL), Zebra & Giraffe, Flash Republic, Yoav, Shadowclub, Tailor, GoodLuck, Pascal and Pearce, and more recently, Nakhane Toure, The Anti-Retro Vinyls, Matthew Mole and Death By Misadventure.
Just Music works closely with artists to ensure that they not only make an impact on the music scene but also that they have long and sustainable careers. This full-service support for artists has made a Just Music deal a highly coveted signing – coveted by artists and respected by the rest of the industry.
Unsurprisingly this impressive roster of artists has brought in over a dozen SAMA awards to the Just Music stable including most recently Best Rock Group award for Zebra & Giraffe for the second time. Other winners include Shadowclub, Karen Zoid, Dear Reader, BLK JKS, Locnville and Yoav.
On an international level, Anderson has carefully selected labels that consistently deliver on his core vision to grow the independent music scene in South Africa, whilst creating a brand that is associated with great music, artist development, strong business ethics and consistent professional services to its labels, artists, media, retailers and consumers.
International labels and artists that Just Music represents in the SA market include The Beggars Group (includes XL, Matador, Rough Trade and 4AD), Glassnote, Ministry Of Sound, Mute, Domino, Ninja Tune, Spinnin, Dramatico, Hidden Beach Recordings, New State and Toolroom, to name but a few.
More familiar are the artists that are represented by these labels, including Adele, Passenger, Vampire Weekend, The National, Arctic Monkeys, The Civil Wars, AWOLNATION, m83, The xx, Two Door Cinema Club, Queens Of The Stone Age, Example, DJ Fresh, Bon Iver, Faithless, Dave Matthew Band, Katie Melua, Ministry Of Sound, Martin Solveig and many, many others.
The success Just Music has achieved locally on Adele has made the label a real force to be reckoned with in the industry, with the artist achieving 6 x platinum sales status in South Africa alone. Another milestone was selling over 260 000 units of Katie Melua and the phenomenal success of Locnville, who raked in sales of over 80 000 physical copies on their debut album ‘Sun In My Pocket’.
Anderson has also successfully licensed South African artists including Pascal and Pearce, Locnville, Flash Republic and Dear Reader to various international labels, spreading South African artists music across the globe wherever possible.
The accolades for Just Music come from all over the world and reflect the respect that both the South African and international markets have for this pioneering label (please see attached quotes for reference.)
Just Music will be celebrating this milestone anniversary year with a series of limited edition CD & vinyl releases, exciting live events, international artist visits and some other yet to be revealed ventures.
Just Music has proved that an indie label, and the artists attached to it, can succeed even in a challenging market. Proof of this is Just Music holding the No.1 and No.2 positions on this week’s SA iTunes album chart with Passenger and Queens of The Stone Age respectively. Anderson and the Just Music team will continue to celebrate their passion for music – and succeed on their own terms.
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Issued By Red Flag
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