RSK Classical were delighted to attend the Gramophone Awards 2016 at St John’s, Smith Square on the 15^th September 2016, to celebrate two award winning recordings.

Veronique Gens and Susan Manhoff were at the ceremony to collect their Solo Vocal award and performed a Reynaldo Hahn song from the disc “Neere” released on Alpha Classics

Rachel Podger was performing at King’s Place and so not able to appear in person, but sent an amusing video acceptance speech for the Baroque Instrumental Award for her Biber Rosary Sonatas recording on Channel Classics.

RSK markets, PR’s and distributes both labels.

Mahler: Symphony No. 9
Budapest Festival Orchestra, Iván Fischer
‘The sound he draws from his players is rich without being heavy… even when the music peters out into inaudibility at the end somehow that richness still seems to be there, which leaves an aftertaste of serenity rather than of exhausted collapse. If you like your Mahler histrionic and overwrought then this may not be the disc for you – but I found it a mature, sensitive performance throughout.’

Smetana: String Quartets Nos. 1 & 2
Pavel Haas Quartet
‘[This disc] maintains the astonishingly high standards that we have come to expect from them…Their tone, radiant one moment and poignantly hushed the next, is quite marvellous…With these highly expressive, virtuosic performances, the Pavel Haas Quartet have done it again!’

The Independent Classical Specialists award annually a prize for ‘Best
Distribution Company’ and ‘Best Individual in Distribution’ to show our
appreciation for quality service to ICS members.
Each ICS member has been invited to nominate one distributor and one
individual for each category.

2014-5 WINNERS
I am delighted to announce that this year’s winner of the distributor category is:
RSK Entertainment
The winner of the individual award is: Matt Groom (RSK) .

“So honored to receive Classic Rock Mag’s Outstanding Contribution Award and share the night with Amy and so many great musicians and friends, especially Andy Newmark, my award presenter. The UK has always been a magical music community to me and a second home to perform in. Amazing night!” – Nils Lofgren

Gramophone 2015 – Label of the Year
The timing couldn’t be any better for the label as this year marks Channel’s 25th anniversary. Label owner and producer Jared Sacks was on hand to receive his award and gave an inspiring speech. This caps of a great year for the label, which included the release of Rachel Podger’s L’estro armonic and Ivan Fischer’s Mahler 9.

We are very happy to welcome the dynamic scottish label Delphian Records, who will join RSK of 1st December 2015. Delphian is recognised as one of the UK’s most innovative labels, so much so that they were awarded Gramophone’s Label of the Year award in 2014.

Gramophone 2015 – Chamber Award – Pavel Haas Quartet – Smetana String Quartets.
This is the Pavel Haas Quartet’s fourth Gramophone Chamber Award (not counting Recording of the Year) in under ten years! The quartet’s live performance of the slow movement of the 1st quartet was a particular highlight of the evening.

Katie Brayben for Beautiful – The Carole King Musical at Aldwych Theatre Winner of the 2015 Olivier Award for the Best Actress in a Musical.
“Katie Brayben gives a performance as Carole King that is full of raw soulfulness, grasping all the emotion in the American singer’s journey”

ICEH2O, the label founded by hip hop legend and multi-platinum selling artist, RAEKWON, and RSK Entertainment are pleased to announce today the release of Raekwon’s FLY INTERNATIONAL LUXURIOUS ART (F.I.L.A.), his sixth studio album release, on April 27th in Europe. The album is available for pre-order today, March 17th.
RAEKWON, who is a member of the iconic platinum-selling rap group, WU-TANG, released the first street song, “Wall To Wall,” featuring Busta Ryhmes and French Montana on February 24th to high marks. The song graced the Top 5 (#4) of “iTunes Hot Tracks” chart in the US on its first day of release and is generating a lot of interest throughout Europe.
“The music and sentiment on Fly International Luxurious Art spans 2 decades of my career. I am very proud of all of the music and guest appearances on the project. I carefully curated each guest appearance with tracks built especially for each artist that appeared with me to bring out their essence. Everyone shines and every song is fly and luxurious art,” Raekwon states.
“RSK Entertainment is very excited to work with Raekwon again on what is our third release together. Raekwon’s legacy and creative vision are un-matched and we look forward to providing a variety of services from marketing to sales across both physical and digital platforms to help support and promote the new record,” says RSK Joint Managing Director Simon Carver. “All of our European partners are completely fired up and the initial response from the press and media has been tremendous.”
FLY INTERNATIONAL LUXURIOUS ART is an eleven 12-track stunner with production that includes a female producer out of Toronto She Da God, Jerry Wonda, and more. Guest appearances include French Montana, Busta Rhymes, Estelle, Snoop Dogg and Wu-Tang Brethren, Ghostface Killah.
To warm up the streets, RAEKWON has led with the head-nodding laid back “Wall To Wall,” produced by female producer out of Toronto She Da God, The track finds the guest rappers at their best on what is sure to be the next anthem. Also on FLY INTERNATIONAL LUXURIOUS ART Raekwon is joined by Estelle for the lush R&B groove that’s perfect for the ladies called “All About You.” produced by Jerry Wonda who also produces Soundboy Kill It, featuring Melanie Fiona.

Jamestown, NY – Having conquered the alternative rock world with multi-platinum selling albums and unforgettable singles such as “These Are Days,” 10,000 Maniacs are about to release the most ambitious album of their career, a full-length collection of traditional British Isles folk songs, titled ‘Twice Told Tales’, newly interpreted by the band whose organic, neo-folk sound has influenced countless others. The official street date for the album is May 04  and will be made available on both CD as well as a special 180-gram 12” vinyl format from Cleopatra Records!

Founding member and keyboardist Dennis Drew explains the germination of the project, “Folk music of all types has been a strong influence on the band. One of the songs on the new record ‘Do You Love An Apple’ has been in our repertoire for 30 years. We’ve also recorded Carter family songs and other American, Irish and British Folk music in the past.” With that experience under wing, the group set out to create an entire album’s worth of modern versions of traditional British folk classics that would fit right alongside the rest of the 10,000 Maniacs’ body of work. “These are timeless melodies,” Drew continues, “Some songs are funny, some are heartbreaking. Most are 100, 200, 300 years old. It’s crazy how they can be turned into 21st century pop songs!”

The cast of Beautiful – The Carole King Musical were surprised by a visit from Tom Cruise after their preview performance last night.
Beautiful – The Carole King Musical is the untold story of her journey from school girl to superstar; from her relationship with husband and song-writing partner Gerry Goffin, their close friendship and playful rivalry with fellow song-writing duo Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil, to her remarkable rise to stardom. Along the way, she became one of the most successful solo acts in music history, and wrote the soundtrack to a generation.

Rachel Podger, who has been recording and performing Bach’s music for violin to critical acclaim for over two decades, has been awarded the Royal Academy of Music Bach Prize.

The Prize, supported by the Kohn Foundation, is awarded annually to an individual who has made an outstanding contribution to the performance and/or scholarly study of the music of Johann Sebastian Bach. Rachel holds the Micaela Comberti Chair of Baroque Violin at the Academy and performs and teaches there regularly, notably as part of the RAM/Kohn Foundation’s Bach Cantata series.

Rachel becomes the tenth, and first female, winner of the Prize.

RSK Classical is delighted to represent two winners in the Gramophone Awards 2014. The Chamber Awards has been won by the Pavel Haas Quartet with Danjulo Ishizaka for their recording of Schubert’s Death And The Maiden Quartet and the String Quintet on Supraphon. The Dunedin Consort conducted by John Butt have won the Choral Award for their disc of Mozart: Requiem (Reconstruction of first performance) on Linn Records. RSK is responsible for the marketing, publicity and distribution of both labels in the UK.

This is the Pavel Haas Quartet’s third Gramophone Chamber Award, the first of which was for their Janacek and Haas disc in 2007 and followed by the Chamber award in 2011 for the Dvorak album, which was also given the ultimate accolade of Gramophone “Recording of the Year”. Supraphon and RSK are proud that this incredible quartet have once again been recognised for their artistry and passion. The Pavel Haas Quartet will release their highly anticipated recording of the two Smetana quartets in Spring 2015. For a preview please take a look at this clip from a session they recorded with Sinfini Music of Smetana’s String Quartet No.1 “From My Life” http://youtu.be/daHu4cy4NDM

“This is good. Very good. Acclaim and the Pavel Haas Quartet are familiar bedfellows – after all, they did win Gramophone’s Record of the Year for their Dvovák two years ago. But this is their first recording that really steps into a crowded marketplace. They represent the best qualities of the Czech tradition – warmth, sonorousness, individuality, intensity; but what’s striking here is their fearless risk-taking, their fervency and the absolute confidence with which they propel you through these two masterpieces. In the Quintet they have the perfect partner in cellist Danjulo Ishizaka…” Gramophone
Gramophone described the Dunedin Consort’s disc as ‘one of the finest Mozart Requiems of recent years’. After winning the ‘Baroque Vocal’ Award for ‘Handel: Messiah’ in 2007 we are delighted that this outstanding ensemble has once again been recognised by the top classical music industry awards.

‘Purely on grounds of performance alone, this is one of the finest Mozart Requiems of recent years. As with all of Butt’s recordings, however, this Mozart Requiem is something of an event. It is Butt’s minute attention to these details, though, that makes this such a thrilling performance.’ Gramophone

Rough Trade customers were treated to a ‘Special’ in-store performance on Wednesday night (11/6/2014) by none other than the ‘Original Rudeboy’ himself, Neville Staple.

RSK & Rough Trade (East) organised the in-store show to celebrate the launch of ‘Ska Crazy’, Neville’s new album which was released in May 2014 through Cleopatra Records.

The guest list was bursting with names from the UK music industry past and present, including Garry Bushell (Pictured with Neville Staple), Jerry Dammers, Pauline Black, Rico Rodriguez and Kevin Rowland.

Neville Staple and his band played a number of tracks from ‘Ska Crazy’ and delighted punters by playing The Specials favourites ‘Gangsters’ and ‘A Message to you Rudy’.

After the performance, Neville stayed around to have his photo taken with fans and sign albums.

Garry Bushell tweeted:

“Neville Staple on fine form @ Ska Crazy album launch last night, loved Roadblock & Time Longer Than Rope live. 30-date tour coming” (https://twitter.com/GarryBushell/status/476958931940831233)

Neville will be on tour in the UK for the rest of the year.

‘Ska Crazy’ is available everywhere now

Rachel Podger won the instrumental category at the prestigious BBC Music Magazine Awards for her acclaimed solo recital album Guardian Angel on Channel Classics. The award was decided by a public vote.
Rachel also appeared on BBC Radio 4’s Woman’s Hour on the day of the Awards to talk to Jane Garvey about the award, her career and upcoming projects. Rachel performed an extract from Guardian Angel live on air for Radio 4 listeners before accepting her award from BBC Music Magazine during an exclusive ceremony at Kings Place.

Rachel Podger: “Each piece of music on this CD has a special, personal significance for me. However clichéd that may sound, a good deal has to do with the nature of playing completely solo – and how you identify with each note, considered and crafted completely in your own space and time. It’s an immense honour to win this award and I’d very much like to thank all those of you who voted, I have never before had the experience of being voted for by the public! I feel as though I should be donning a ball gown and given points for my performance by the ‘Strictly’ judges!”

Multi-services company RSK Entertainment has signed a distribution deal with SideOneDummy Records.

The agreement will see RSK take on a primary marketing role for the UK, as well as sales and distribution, effective immediately with new releases beginning this month.

SideOneDummy’s digital distribution has moved to INgrooves, but is under RSK’s marketing remit. “We’re thrilled,” said RSK joint managing director, Simon Carver. “We have been talking to SideOneDummy for a while with a view to something rather more proactive than straight sales and distribution.

“Everyone at RSK is looking forward to working closely with long-standing SideOne plugger, Steve Ager and the US office, and we will look to build complementary teams and create effective strategies to take the label forward.”

Added RSK joint managing director, Rashmi Patani: “It is a super label. It has a great outlook and catalogue and we join at a time when SideOne is making key signings and very much looking to develop its new tier of artists.”

The 2014 schedule begins with The Gaslight Anthem’s The B-Sides on January 27, followed by albums from Chuck Ragan and Dresses in March, and an LP?from new signing Pup in April.

RSK moved its physical distribution to Sony DADC in September last year.

Two of the world’s most prominent guitarists collided last night at the 2013 Gramophone Classical Music Awards, when legendary rock and classical guitarist Steve Hackett met Miloš Karadaglić, the world’s best-selling classical guitarist and who recently performed solo to a sold out Royal Albert Hall, where Hackett takes his own Genesis Revisited tour on 24th October.  Miloš, it turns out, is a huge fan of the ex-Genesis guitarist!  Hackett’s classical catalogue will be re-released over the next few months through RSK’s new classical crossover label, Edifying Records, with Bay of Kings, Steve’s first cross-over album, due out in November.

RSK Entertainment has signed a new distribution deal with Sony DADC which will see Sony DADC take on UK and Irish physical distribution for RSK, as well as becoming both RSK’s manufacturing and European supply hub for its network of affiliates.

“We took our time in properly assessing the current landscape and our options,” says RSK Joint Managing Director, Rashmi Patani. “And Sony DADC’s enthusiasm, vision and infrastructure ultimately made them the obvious choice. We are thrilled to be there!”

RSK will take a significant and diverse, specialist music catalogue into Sony DADC, ranging from award winning classical labels, such as Linn, Channel Classics, Pentatone and Brilliant Classics to reissue, urban and rock, such as Repertoire, eOne, Death Row and Loud & Proud Records. The move to Sony DADC coincides with new key acquisition and partnership, as well as the inception of RSK’s new in-house imprint, Edifying Records and very much marks Sony DADC’s return to the core and specialist music market.

“Gem has been super,” says RSK JMD, Simon Carver. “But in Sony DADC we have found a fully connected distributor and manufacturer, which is at once secure and committed to our Industry, as well as having made a significant investment in the long term in its new state of the art facility in Enfield. Sony DADC feels like a very natural partner and Natasha Tyrrell and her team will allow RSK to better realise its goals.”

“We are excited to have won such a major new music client in RSK and we look forward to working closely with them to grow and enhance their business,” said Natasha Tyrrell, General Manager Distribution at Sony DADC UK. “RSK proactively seeks out new avenues and opportunities for its clients’ products, which is always important in a fast changing retail environment, and it is a source of great pride to us that they have trusted Sony DADC to support them in their endeavour.”

RSK Entertainment announces the launch of a new international record label, Edifying Records and first signing, Steve Hackett’s classical catalogue.

“We decided on the name of Edifying Records because we intend to release music that will promote intellectual and spiritual improvement” says Head of Labels, Matt Groom. “Our first release will exemplify this beautifully, being reissue of Steve Hackett’s Bay of Kings, which was originally released in 1983 and  has been out of print for years now. This was the first of Steve’s classical cross-over albums, and something of a landmark release. We then have the Momentum, Sketches of Satie, and Metamorpheus albums and the live (electric) DVD, Fire And Ice, as well as a newly filmed documentary. We will release limited 180g collector vinyl LPS, as well as CD formats.”

“Everyone is very excited at RSK,” says Joint Managing Director, Simon Carver. “We have not had our own imprint since we were Koch and returning to the label business is really the next step of our development. We are now an international business and very much involved in wider rights management and Edifying Records will properly realise a rather unique skillset which spans both the classical and rock worlds. In short the label will release thinking persons’ rock-rooted music, which will be both eclectic and compelling.”

“This is a natural development for RSK,” continues Joint Managing Director, Rashmi Patani. “We will release new music as well as reissuing valid and exciting recordings from the past.  The label will complement everything we currently represent, while providing what we perceive as a much needed platform. As Simon says, we are all very excited.“

Edifying Records will be distributed worldwide (ex-Japan) via RSK’s international network of distributors, with Bay of Kings scheduled for July.

Marketing and distribution company RSK is celebrating 10 years of representing foreign labels and artists on the ground in the UK. Joint MDs Simon Carver and Rashmi Patani talk about breaking away from big beginnings and how their model of bespoke services has become an industry standard.

Label services is a phrase that seems to be growing in popularity these days as music companies and artists big and small look for more flexible ways to work across territories. It’s also a phrase that makes RSK Entertainment’s joint managing directors Simon Carver and Rashmi Patani smile. “Everything you’d tick off the list for label services is what we were doing in 1995,” Carver tells Music Week.

Emerging from Koch UK, RSK is this year celebrating a decade of providing foreign labels with feet on the ground in the UK and independent local expertise for its partners. The word ‘partner’ is important, because, despite having come from the giant that was Koch – the German-owned firm was once the third biggest independent record company in the world – Carver and Patani have established a very personal business.

…… Read the full article RSK Music Week

Yesterday afternoon the most prestigious classical music industry award, Gramophone Magazine’s Recording of the Year was awarded to the “Musicalische Exequien” – Heinrich Schütz (RIC311) by Vox Luminis and Lionel Meunier in the Ricercar Collection at the Gramophone Awards 2012. The disc also won the Baroque Vocal Award.

The artist and label are represented by RSK’s in-house PR and marketing team in the UK. This is RSK’s second consecutive Recording of the Year Award, following the Pavel Haas Quartet’s triumph at the 2011 Awards for their recording of Dvorak String Quartets (SU40382) on the Supraphon label.

Gramophone said of the disc “Impeccably performed, recorded and presented, this extraordinary release of Schütz’s masterpiece embodies everything a Recording of the Year should be.”

Chamber Music
Martinu: The Complete Piano Trios
Smetana Trio: Jitka Čechová (piano), Jiří Vodička (violin) & Jan Páleníček (cello) (SU41972)
‘These are quite simply benchmark performances of these life-affirming works. The Smetana Trio proves hugely responsive to the Czech composer Martinů’s characteristic sprung rhythms, effervescent humour and contrasting moments of introspective lyricism. It’s an intoxicating mixture that leaves you puzzled as to why such incredible music has not yet established itself firmly in the repertory.’

We are proud to announce the following classical titles, distributed by RSK, have all been listed in The Sunday Times Best 100 albums of the year:

GIACOMELLI, ORLANDINI, ALBINONI, PORPORA, LEO, VINCI: Carnevale 1729: opera arias
Ann Hallenberg, Il Pomo d’Oro, dir Stefano Montanari (Pentatone)
The Swedish mezzo is in her element with these arias from little-known operas written for the Venice Carnival season.
MAHLER: Symphony No 3
Gerhild Romberger, choirs, Budapest Festival Orchestra, cond Ivan Fischer (Channel Classics)
Mahler’s epic symphony gets a deeply felt reading.
BIZET, DAVID, FRANCK ET AL : Visions: opera and oratorio arias
Véronique Gens, Münchner Rundfunkorchester, cond Hervé Niquet (Alpha)
The French soprano’s 19th-century rarities include some delicious discoveries.
BRITTEN, HINDEMITH : Violin concertos
Arabella Steinbacher, Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Berlin, cond Vladimir Jurowski (Pentatone)
The coupling of these near-contemporaries by the German violinist is inspired.
MARTINU: The Epic of Gilgamesh
Soloists, Prague Philharmonic Choir, Czech Philharmonic, cond Manfred Honeck (Supraphon)
Martinu’s gripping cantata — a sort of Cold War requiem — gets a thrilling performance.
PETER MAXWELL DAVIES: The Last Island
Hebrides Ensemble (Delphian)
This beguiling sequence of late inventions ends with a quartet unfinished at Davies’s death.
PASCAL DUSAPIN : String Quartets Nos 6 and 7
Arditti Quartet, Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France, cond Pascal Rophé (Aeon)
The longer quartet, No 7, OpenTime, requires an orchestra as well as four string players, and is full of intricate, repetitive figuration.

LIZA LIM : The Wreck of Former Boundaries
Elision, cond Carl Rosman (Huddersfield Contemporary)
This release marks the Australian ensemble’s 30th birthday. Lim’s work How Forests Think is cast in a nuanced avant-garde idiom.
MORTON FELDMAN : Three Voices
Juliet Fraser (Hat[now]Art)
Fraser’s sensitive realisation of this late Feldman opus, based on a poem written to him by Frank O’Hara, sees her become a singular trio.
JOHN MCCABE : Silver Nocturnes
Roderick Williams, Sacconi Quartet (NMC)
The title piece among these three works is an arresting setting of 16th-century “silver” poets, framed by Shakespeare.
EDGARD VARESE : New York
Ensemble Intercontemporain, cond Matthias Pintscher (Alpha)
Varèse’s Intégrales stands out on this deft evocation of New York’s creative spirit.
SCIARRINO, CARTER, NUNES ET AL : Caprices
Irvine Arditti (Aeon)
The violinist and leader of the great quartet is an indomitable espouser of the avant-garde, as we see in this programme.
STRAVINSKY : The Soldier’s Tale
Royal Academy of Music Manson Ensemble, cond Oliver Knussen (Linn)
Stravinsky’s theatre piece is set beside short items by him, Birtwistle and Maxwell Davies. Harriet Walter narrates.

Dvorak: Quintets Op. 81 & 97
Boris Giltburg (piano), Pavel Nikl (viola)
Pavel Haas Quartet (SU41952)
Throughout the slow movement, the playing of the solo lines is captivating…The Haas Quartet with Boris Giltburg provide both relaxation and a strong sense of purposeful energy…Excellently recorded,… — BBC Music Magazine, November 2017, *****

Carbonelli: Sonate da Camera Nos. 1-6
Bojan Čičić (violin)
The Illyria Consort (DCD34194)
Čičić’s distinctive sound – sweet, slightly dry and exquisitely centred – is ideal for the taut beauty of Carbonelli’s solo lines. Crucially, Čičić fleshes out the composer’s ideas, filling rests… — BBC Music Magazine, September 2017, *****

Mozart: Piano Concertos Nos. 25 & 26
Francesco Piemontesi (piano)
Scottish Chamber Orchestra, Andrew Manze (CKD544)
Piemontesi’s playing is mostly magnificent, with crystalline clarity, radiant tone and eloquent phrasing. In the fine and intriguing cadenzas, he shines with surety of purpose — BBC Music Magazine, October 2017, ***

Early Music
Dowland: Lachrimae, or Seaven Teares
Elizabeth Kenny (lute), Phantasm (CKD527)
“Phantasm’s performances are totally convincing and absorbing…their acuity to the music’s ever-active emotional flux leaves them unafraid to use forceful gestures of articulation and dynamics to make a point

Orchestral
Haydn 2032 Volume 4 – Il Distratto
Il Giardino Armonico, Giovanni Antonini (ALPHA674)
“As in the previous volumes, the orchestral playing is breathtaking in its accuracy -the sort of Haydn playing you dream of…this may well become the period-instrument Haydn cycle by which all others are measured.”

RSK Classical were delighted to attend the Gramophone Awards 2016 at St John’s, Smith Square on the 15^th September 2016, to celebrate two award winning recordings.

Veronique Gens and Susan Manhoff were at the ceremony to collect their Solo Vocal award and performed a Reynaldo Hahn song from the disc “Neere” released on Alpha Classics

Rachel Podger was performing at King’s Place and so not able to appear in person, but sent an amusing video acceptance speech for the Baroque Instrumental Award for her Biber Rosary Sonatas recording on Channel Classics.

RSK markets, PR’s and distributes both labels.

Mahler: Symphony No. 9
Budapest Festival Orchestra, Iván Fischer
‘The sound he draws from his players is rich without being heavy… even when the music peters out into inaudibility at the end somehow that richness still seems to be there, which leaves an aftertaste of serenity rather than of exhausted collapse. If you like your Mahler histrionic and overwrought then this may not be the disc for you – but I found it a mature, sensitive performance throughout.’

Smetana: String Quartets Nos. 1 & 2
Pavel Haas Quartet
‘[This disc] maintains the astonishingly high standards that we have come to expect from them…Their tone, radiant one moment and poignantly hushed the next, is quite marvellous…With these highly expressive, virtuosic performances, the Pavel Haas Quartet have done it again!’

The Independent Classical Specialists award annually a prize for ‘Best
Distribution Company’ and ‘Best Individual in Distribution’ to show our
appreciation for quality service to ICS members.
Each ICS member has been invited to nominate one distributor and one
individual for each category.

2014-5 WINNERS
I am delighted to announce that this year’s winner of the distributor category is:
RSK Entertainment
The winner of the individual award is: Matt Groom (RSK) .

“So honored to receive Classic Rock Mag’s Outstanding Contribution Award and share the night with Amy and so many great musicians and friends, especially Andy Newmark, my award presenter. The UK has always been a magical music community to me and a second home to perform in. Amazing night!” – Nils Lofgren

Gramophone 2015 – Label of the Year
The timing couldn’t be any better for the label as this year marks Channel’s 25th anniversary. Label owner and producer Jared Sacks was on hand to receive his award and gave an inspiring speech. This caps of a great year for the label, which included the release of Rachel Podger’s L’estro armonic and Ivan Fischer’s Mahler 9.

We are very happy to welcome the dynamic scottish label Delphian Records, who will join RSK of 1st December 2015. Delphian is recognised as one of the UK’s most innovative labels, so much so that they were awarded Gramophone’s Label of the Year award in 2014.

Gramophone 2015 – Chamber Award – Pavel Haas Quartet – Smetana String Quartets.
This is the Pavel Haas Quartet’s fourth Gramophone Chamber Award (not counting Recording of the Year) in under ten years! The quartet’s live performance of the slow movement of the 1st quartet was a particular highlight of the evening.

Katie Brayben for Beautiful – The Carole King Musical at Aldwych Theatre Winner of the 2015 Olivier Award for the Best Actress in a Musical.
“Katie Brayben gives a performance as Carole King that is full of raw soulfulness, grasping all the emotion in the American singer’s journey”

ICEH2O, the label founded by hip hop legend and multi-platinum selling artist, RAEKWON, and RSK Entertainment are pleased to announce today the release of Raekwon’s FLY INTERNATIONAL LUXURIOUS ART (F.I.L.A.), his sixth studio album release, on April 27th in Europe. The album is available for pre-order today, March 17th.
RAEKWON, who is a member of the iconic platinum-selling rap group, WU-TANG, released the first street song, “Wall To Wall,” featuring Busta Ryhmes and French Montana on February 24th to high marks. The song graced the Top 5 (#4) of “iTunes Hot Tracks” chart in the US on its first day of release and is generating a lot of interest throughout Europe.
“The music and sentiment on Fly International Luxurious Art spans 2 decades of my career. I am very proud of all of the music and guest appearances on the project. I carefully curated each guest appearance with tracks built especially for each artist that appeared with me to bring out their essence. Everyone shines and every song is fly and luxurious art,” Raekwon states.
“RSK Entertainment is very excited to work with Raekwon again on what is our third release together. Raekwon’s legacy and creative vision are un-matched and we look forward to providing a variety of services from marketing to sales across both physical and digital platforms to help support and promote the new record,” says RSK Joint Managing Director Simon Carver. “All of our European partners are completely fired up and the initial response from the press and media has been tremendous.”
FLY INTERNATIONAL LUXURIOUS ART is an eleven 12-track stunner with production that includes a female producer out of Toronto She Da God, Jerry Wonda, and more. Guest appearances include French Montana, Busta Rhymes, Estelle, Snoop Dogg and Wu-Tang Brethren, Ghostface Killah.
To warm up the streets, RAEKWON has led with the head-nodding laid back “Wall To Wall,” produced by female producer out of Toronto She Da God, The track finds the guest rappers at their best on what is sure to be the next anthem. Also on FLY INTERNATIONAL LUXURIOUS ART Raekwon is joined by Estelle for the lush R&B groove that’s perfect for the ladies called “All About You.” produced by Jerry Wonda who also produces Soundboy Kill It, featuring Melanie Fiona.

Jamestown, NY – Having conquered the alternative rock world with multi-platinum selling albums and unforgettable singles such as “These Are Days,” 10,000 Maniacs are about to release the most ambitious album of their career, a full-length collection of traditional British Isles folk songs, titled ‘Twice Told Tales’, newly interpreted by the band whose organic, neo-folk sound has influenced countless others. The official street date for the album is May 04  and will be made available on both CD as well as a special 180-gram 12” vinyl format from Cleopatra Records!

Founding member and keyboardist Dennis Drew explains the germination of the project, “Folk music of all types has been a strong influence on the band. One of the songs on the new record ‘Do You Love An Apple’ has been in our repertoire for 30 years. We’ve also recorded Carter family songs and other American, Irish and British Folk music in the past.” With that experience under wing, the group set out to create an entire album’s worth of modern versions of traditional British folk classics that would fit right alongside the rest of the 10,000 Maniacs’ body of work. “These are timeless melodies,” Drew continues, “Some songs are funny, some are heartbreaking. Most are 100, 200, 300 years old. It’s crazy how they can be turned into 21st century pop songs!”

The cast of Beautiful – The Carole King Musical were surprised by a visit from Tom Cruise after their preview performance last night.
Beautiful – The Carole King Musical is the untold story of her journey from school girl to superstar; from her relationship with husband and song-writing partner Gerry Goffin, their close friendship and playful rivalry with fellow song-writing duo Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil, to her remarkable rise to stardom. Along the way, she became one of the most successful solo acts in music history, and wrote the soundtrack to a generation.

Rachel Podger, who has been recording and performing Bach’s music for violin to critical acclaim for over two decades, has been awarded the Royal Academy of Music Bach Prize.

The Prize, supported by the Kohn Foundation, is awarded annually to an individual who has made an outstanding contribution to the performance and/or scholarly study of the music of Johann Sebastian Bach. Rachel holds the Micaela Comberti Chair of Baroque Violin at the Academy and performs and teaches there regularly, notably as part of the RAM/Kohn Foundation’s Bach Cantata series.

Rachel becomes the tenth, and first female, winner of the Prize.

RSK Classical is delighted to represent two winners in the Gramophone Awards 2014. The Chamber Awards has been won by the Pavel Haas Quartet with Danjulo Ishizaka for their recording of Schubert’s Death And The Maiden Quartet and the String Quintet on Supraphon. The Dunedin Consort conducted by John Butt have won the Choral Award for their disc of Mozart: Requiem (Reconstruction of first performance) on Linn Records. RSK is responsible for the marketing, publicity and distribution of both labels in the UK.

This is the Pavel Haas Quartet’s third Gramophone Chamber Award, the first of which was for their Janacek and Haas disc in 2007 and followed by the Chamber award in 2011 for the Dvorak album, which was also given the ultimate accolade of Gramophone “Recording of the Year”. Supraphon and RSK are proud that this incredible quartet have once again been recognised for their artistry and passion. The Pavel Haas Quartet will release their highly anticipated recording of the two Smetana quartets in Spring 2015. For a preview please take a look at this clip from a session they recorded with Sinfini Music of Smetana’s String Quartet No.1 “From My Life” http://youtu.be/daHu4cy4NDM

“This is good. Very good. Acclaim and the Pavel Haas Quartet are familiar bedfellows – after all, they did win Gramophone’s Record of the Year for their Dvovák two years ago. But this is their first recording that really steps into a crowded marketplace. They represent the best qualities of the Czech tradition – warmth, sonorousness, individuality, intensity; but what’s striking here is their fearless risk-taking, their fervency and the absolute confidence with which they propel you through these two masterpieces. In the Quintet they have the perfect partner in cellist Danjulo Ishizaka…” Gramophone
Gramophone described the Dunedin Consort’s disc as ‘one of the finest Mozart Requiems of recent years’. After winning the ‘Baroque Vocal’ Award for ‘Handel: Messiah’ in 2007 we are delighted that this outstanding ensemble has once again been recognised by the top classical music industry awards.

‘Purely on grounds of performance alone, this is one of the finest Mozart Requiems of recent years. As with all of Butt’s recordings, however, this Mozart Requiem is something of an event. It is Butt’s minute attention to these details, though, that makes this such a thrilling performance.’ Gramophone

Rough Trade customers were treated to a ‘Special’ in-store performance on Wednesday night (11/6/2014) by none other than the ‘Original Rudeboy’ himself, Neville Staple.

RSK & Rough Trade (East) organised the in-store show to celebrate the launch of ‘Ska Crazy’, Neville’s new album which was released in May 2014 through Cleopatra Records.

The guest list was bursting with names from the UK music industry past and present, including Garry Bushell (Pictured with Neville Staple), Jerry Dammers, Pauline Black, Rico Rodriguez and Kevin Rowland.

Neville Staple and his band played a number of tracks from ‘Ska Crazy’ and delighted punters by playing The Specials favourites ‘Gangsters’ and ‘A Message to you Rudy’.

After the performance, Neville stayed around to have his photo taken with fans and sign albums.

Garry Bushell tweeted:

“Neville Staple on fine form @ Ska Crazy album launch last night, loved Roadblock & Time Longer Than Rope live. 30-date tour coming” (https://twitter.com/GarryBushell/status/476958931940831233)

Neville will be on tour in the UK for the rest of the year.

‘Ska Crazy’ is available everywhere now

Rachel Podger won the instrumental category at the prestigious BBC Music Magazine Awards for her acclaimed solo recital album Guardian Angel on Channel Classics. The award was decided by a public vote.
Rachel also appeared on BBC Radio 4’s Woman’s Hour on the day of the Awards to talk to Jane Garvey about the award, her career and upcoming projects. Rachel performed an extract from Guardian Angel live on air for Radio 4 listeners before accepting her award from BBC Music Magazine during an exclusive ceremony at Kings Place.

Rachel Podger: “Each piece of music on this CD has a special, personal significance for me. However clichéd that may sound, a good deal has to do with the nature of playing completely solo – and how you identify with each note, considered and crafted completely in your own space and time. It’s an immense honour to win this award and I’d very much like to thank all those of you who voted, I have never before had the experience of being voted for by the public! I feel as though I should be donning a ball gown and given points for my performance by the ‘Strictly’ judges!”

Multi-services company RSK Entertainment has signed a distribution deal with SideOneDummy Records.

The agreement will see RSK take on a primary marketing role for the UK, as well as sales and distribution, effective immediately with new releases beginning this month.

SideOneDummy’s digital distribution has moved to INgrooves, but is under RSK’s marketing remit. “We’re thrilled,” said RSK joint managing director, Simon Carver. “We have been talking to SideOneDummy for a while with a view to something rather more proactive than straight sales and distribution.

“Everyone at RSK is looking forward to working closely with long-standing SideOne plugger, Steve Ager and the US office, and we will look to build complementary teams and create effective strategies to take the label forward.”

Added RSK joint managing director, Rashmi Patani: “It is a super label. It has a great outlook and catalogue and we join at a time when SideOne is making key signings and very much looking to develop its new tier of artists.”

The 2014 schedule begins with The Gaslight Anthem’s The B-Sides on January 27, followed by albums from Chuck Ragan and Dresses in March, and an LP?from new signing Pup in April.

RSK moved its physical distribution to Sony DADC in September last year.

Two of the world’s most prominent guitarists collided last night at the 2013 Gramophone Classical Music Awards, when legendary rock and classical guitarist Steve Hackett met Miloš Karadaglić, the world’s best-selling classical guitarist and who recently performed solo to a sold out Royal Albert Hall, where Hackett takes his own Genesis Revisited tour on 24th October.  Miloš, it turns out, is a huge fan of the ex-Genesis guitarist!  Hackett’s classical catalogue will be re-released over the next few months through RSK’s new classical crossover label, Edifying Records, with Bay of Kings, Steve’s first cross-over album, due out in November.

RSK Entertainment has signed a new distribution deal with Sony DADC which will see Sony DADC take on UK and Irish physical distribution for RSK, as well as becoming both RSK’s manufacturing and European supply hub for its network of affiliates.

“We took our time in properly assessing the current landscape and our options,” says RSK Joint Managing Director, Rashmi Patani. “And Sony DADC’s enthusiasm, vision and infrastructure ultimately made them the obvious choice. We are thrilled to be there!”

RSK will take a significant and diverse, specialist music catalogue into Sony DADC, ranging from award winning classical labels, such as Linn, Channel Classics, Pentatone and Brilliant Classics to reissue, urban and rock, such as Repertoire, eOne, Death Row and Loud & Proud Records. The move to Sony DADC coincides with new key acquisition and partnership, as well as the inception of RSK’s new in-house imprint, Edifying Records and very much marks Sony DADC’s return to the core and specialist music market.

“Gem has been super,” says RSK JMD, Simon Carver. “But in Sony DADC we have found a fully connected distributor and manufacturer, which is at once secure and committed to our Industry, as well as having made a significant investment in the long term in its new state of the art facility in Enfield. Sony DADC feels like a very natural partner and Natasha Tyrrell and her team will allow RSK to better realise its goals.”

“We are excited to have won such a major new music client in RSK and we look forward to working closely with them to grow and enhance their business,” said Natasha Tyrrell, General Manager Distribution at Sony DADC UK. “RSK proactively seeks out new avenues and opportunities for its clients’ products, which is always important in a fast changing retail environment, and it is a source of great pride to us that they have trusted Sony DADC to support them in their endeavour.”

RSK Entertainment announces the launch of a new international record label, Edifying Records and first signing, Steve Hackett’s classical catalogue.

“We decided on the name of Edifying Records because we intend to release music that will promote intellectual and spiritual improvement” says Head of Labels, Matt Groom. “Our first release will exemplify this beautifully, being reissue of Steve Hackett’s Bay of Kings, which was originally released in 1983 and  has been out of print for years now. This was the first of Steve’s classical cross-over albums, and something of a landmark release. We then have the Momentum, Sketches of Satie, and Metamorpheus albums and the live (electric) DVD, Fire And Ice, as well as a newly filmed documentary. We will release limited 180g collector vinyl LPS, as well as CD formats.”

“Everyone is very excited at RSK,” says Joint Managing Director, Simon Carver. “We have not had our own imprint since we were Koch and returning to the label business is really the next step of our development. We are now an international business and very much involved in wider rights management and Edifying Records will properly realise a rather unique skillset which spans both the classical and rock worlds. In short the label will release thinking persons’ rock-rooted music, which will be both eclectic and compelling.”

“This is a natural development for RSK,” continues Joint Managing Director, Rashmi Patani. “We will release new music as well as reissuing valid and exciting recordings from the past.  The label will complement everything we currently represent, while providing what we perceive as a much needed platform. As Simon says, we are all very excited.“

Edifying Records will be distributed worldwide (ex-Japan) via RSK’s international network of distributors, with Bay of Kings scheduled for July.

Marketing and distribution company RSK is celebrating 10 years of representing foreign labels and artists on the ground in the UK. Joint MDs Simon Carver and Rashmi Patani talk about breaking away from big beginnings and how their model of bespoke services has become an industry standard.

Label services is a phrase that seems to be growing in popularity these days as music companies and artists big and small look for more flexible ways to work across territories. It’s also a phrase that makes RSK Entertainment’s joint managing directors Simon Carver and Rashmi Patani smile. “Everything you’d tick off the list for label services is what we were doing in 1995,” Carver tells Music Week.

Emerging from Koch UK, RSK is this year celebrating a decade of providing foreign labels with feet on the ground in the UK and independent local expertise for its partners. The word ‘partner’ is important, because, despite having come from the giant that was Koch – the German-owned firm was once the third biggest independent record company in the world – Carver and Patani have established a very personal business.

…… Read the full article RSK Music Week

Yesterday afternoon the most prestigious classical music industry award, Gramophone Magazine’s Recording of the Year was awarded to the “Musicalische Exequien” – Heinrich Schütz (RIC311) by Vox Luminis and Lionel Meunier in the Ricercar Collection at the Gramophone Awards 2012. The disc also won the Baroque Vocal Award.

The artist and label are represented by RSK’s in-house PR and marketing team in the UK. This is RSK’s second consecutive Recording of the Year Award, following the Pavel Haas Quartet’s triumph at the 2011 Awards for their recording of Dvorak String Quartets (SU40382) on the Supraphon label.

Gramophone said of the disc “Impeccably performed, recorded and presented, this extraordinary release of Schütz’s masterpiece embodies everything a Recording of the Year should be.”