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Candlelight Records

Candlelight Records
Parent companySpinefarm Music Group / Universal Music Group (since 2016)
Founded1993 (1993)
FounderLee Barrett
StatusActive
Distributor(s)
Genre
Country of originEngland
LocationLondon, England
Official websitecandlelightrecords.co.uk

Candlelight Records is a British record label based in London, founded by former Extreme Noise Terror bass guitarist Lee Barrett in 1993.[1] The record label originally specialized in black metal, but quickly expanded to various other forms of heavy metal, extreme metal and hard rock, including death metal and melodic death metal, thrash metal, symphonic metal, metalcore, gothic rock, post-rock and post-metal.

Some of the company's flagship bands include Emperor, 1349, Blut Aus Nord, Ihsahn, Opeth, Christian Death, Orange Goblin, Winterfylleth, Zyklon, Abigail Williams, Insomnium, Havok, Obituary, Nachtmystium and Limbonic Art.

In January 2001, Candlelight Records launched an American division, Candlelight Records USA, which is headquartered in Schwenksville, Pennsylvania, and is administered by Paula Hogan.[1][2] In 2002, Barrett sold Candlelight Records to Edward Christie and Steve Beatty, and went on to form the Earache Records imprint Elitist Records (which only lasted three years, folding in 2005).[2][3] In 2004, the company set up a licensing deal with Back on Black Records (also owned by Beatty) to release its titles on vinyl in the United Kingdom, and later (in 2006), in North America.[4]

In December 2003, Candlelight Records USA signed a licensing deal to handle the North American manufacturing, distribution and sales of Dutch record label Karmageddon Media.[5] Similar licensing and distribution agreements were later signed with American record label Arctic Music Group in February 2004,[6] Norwegian record label Tabu Recordings in March 2004,[7] Swedish record label Threeman Recordings in April 2004,[8] English record label Rise Above Records[9] and French record label Appease Me Records (owned by members of Blut Aus Nord), both in November 2004,[10] Swedish record label Regain Records in February 2005,[11] Norwegian record label Nocturnal Art Productions (for worldwide distribution) in May 2005,[12] German record label AFM Records in June 2005,[13] and American record label Willowtip Records (for European distribution) in August 2007.[14]

In January 2016, Christie and Beatty sold Candlelight Records' assets to Finnish company Spinefarm Music Group (which also houses Spinefarm Records, Spikefarm Records and Snakefarm Records), which itself has been owned by Universal Music Group since 2002.[2][15][16] As such, Candlelight Records became an affiliate of Universal Music Group, and has since been managed by Spinefarm Records' Dante Bonutto.[2][16] In December 2022, Universal Music Group announced that all Spinefarm Music Group record labels would be distributed worldwide by PIAS Group, starting January 2023.[16][17]

  1. ^ a b Bergman, Keith (18 January 2006). "CANDLELIGHT USA Announces BACK ON BLACK Vinyl Collectors Series". Blabbermouth. Archived from the original on 1 October 2007. Retrieved 12 April 2007.
  2. ^ a b c d Bergman, Keith (19 January 2016). "Long-Running U.K. Record Label CANDLELIGHT Acquired By SPINEFARM". Blabbermouth. Archived from the original on 20 January 2016. Retrieved 9 June 2016.
  3. ^ Bergman, Keith (7 December 2005). "ELITIST RECORDS Is No More". Blabbermouth. Archived from the original on 31 January 2023. Retrieved 31 January 2023.
  4. ^ Bergman, Keith (18 January 2006). "CANDLELIGHT USA Announces BACK ON BLACK Vinyl Collectors Series". Blabbermouth. Archived from the original on 10 November 2013. Retrieved 31 January 2023.
  5. ^ Bergman, Keith (17 December 2003). "CANDLELIGHT RECORDS Inks North American Licensing Deal With KARMAGEDDON MEDIA". Blabbermouth. Archived from the original on 31 January 2023. Retrieved 31 January 2023.
  6. ^ Bergman, Keith (16 February 2004). "CANDLELIGHT And ARCTIC MUSIC GROUP Ink U.S. Distribution Agreement". Blabbermouth. Archived from the original on 31 January 2023. Retrieved 31 January 2023.
  7. ^ Bergman, Keith (1 March 2004). "CANDLELIGHT Signs North American Licensing Deal With TABU RECORDINGS". Blabbermouth. Archived from the original on 30 September 2020. Retrieved 31 January 2023.
  8. ^ Bergman, Keith (1 April 2004). "CANDLELIGHT, THREEMAN Ink North American Licensing Agreement". Blabbermouth. Archived from the original on 31 January 2023. Retrieved 31 January 2023.
  9. ^ Bergman, Keith (22 November 2004). "CANDLELIGHT RECORDS Inks Deal With LEE DORRIAN's RISE ABOVE Label". Blabbermouth. Archived from the original on 26 October 2020. Retrieved 31 January 2023.
  10. ^ Bergman, Keith (22 November 2004). "Candlelight Records Signs U.S. Licensing Deal With France's Appease Me Records". Blabbermouth. Archived from the original on 30 September 2007. Retrieved 12 April 2007.
  11. ^ Bergman, Keith (8 February 2005). "CANDLELIGHT And REGAIN RECORDS Confirm Agreement for the Americas". Blabbermouth. Archived from the original on 2 December 2020. Retrieved 31 January 2023.
  12. ^ Bergman, Keith (28 May 2005). "NOCTURNAL ART Joins Forces With CANDLELIGHT RECORDS". Blabbermouth. Archived from the original on 31 January 2023. Retrieved 31 January 2023.
  13. ^ Bergman, Keith (30 June 2005). "Candlelight And AFM Records Announce North American Agreement". Blabbermouth. Archived from the original on 30 September 2007. Retrieved 12 April 2007.
  14. ^ Bergman, Keith (23 August 2007). "WILLOWTIP RECORDS Signs Distribution/Licensing Deal With CANDLELIGHT". Blabbermouth. Archived from the original on 26 September 2015. Retrieved 31 January 2023.
  15. ^ Neilstein, Vince (19 January 2016). "Op-Ed: On Spinefarm's Acquisition of Candlelight Records". MetalSucks. Archived from the original on 21 January 2016. Retrieved 1 February 2023.
  16. ^ a b c Stassen, Murray (8 December 2022). "[PIAS] to distribute Universal-owned Spinefarm Records as part of companies' global alliance". Music Business Worldwide. Archived from the original on 8 December 2022. Retrieved 1 February 2023.
  17. ^ "PIAS to distribute UMG's rock label Spinefarm Records". Music Week. 8 December 2022. Archived from the original on 8 December 2022. Retrieved 1 February 2023.

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