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Sony/PIAS fire disaster

Riots severely damage music industry as record labels lose stock in warehouse fire

The recent riots sweeping across London since Saturday have proved disastrous for a large number of music labels - mostly small independents - after a fire has damaged a Sony/PIAS storage facility in Enfield.

On Monday night, a three-story warehouse in Enfield was burnt down to the detriment of a huge list of record labels. Record label Domino has been affected, whilst elsewhere Ninja Tune claims to have lost in excess of over 100,000 CDs and Vinyl records. Furthermore, the website Hypetrak reported that Beggars Group, who are associated with the likes of Rough Trade and 4AD, are understood to have lost their entire UK stock, estimated to be in excess of 750,000 copies and state that the strain of the fire means that it will take 10 days to replace CDs and at least three months to replace the vinyl stock.

Domino stressed on Tuesday the damage this has done:

Domino has lost a large quantity of its CD and Vinyl stock in the Sony DADC fire, which took place last night. While relieved that no-one was injured in the incident, we’re upset about the loss and destruction of our stock, and thinking of our friends at other independent labels who were also affected by the fire. We are currently working hard with Sony DADC to maintain our release schedule and keep business going as usual. On a practical level, the physical release of Arctic Monkeys new single ‘The Hellcat Spangled Shalalalal’ will be affected, with limited quantities of the 7 inch now only available on its planned release date. All stock going to usual retail outlets has been in the Sony DADC warehouse in Enfield”. 

Meanwhile, Ninja Tune expressed their displeasure stating that they were “sad that all the record were lost and destroyed”.

PIAS released a statement to DJmag yesterday to clarify the ruinous level of damage done:

“Sony DADC have actioned their business continuity plan and are back up and running from a new control room in Enfield. PIAS continue to work with them to minimise the impact on the business, a number one priority for all labels and clients. Sony DADC have identified a temporary distribution partner and it is envisaged that they will be in a position to pick, pack and ship orders in the course of next week. This follows an earlier statement regarding a fire last night at the SonyDADC warehouse, which services the physical distribution for PIAS in the UK and Ireland. PIAS’s UK offices in London and all other areas of our business are unaffected”.

Yesterday, The Guardian reported that Label boss and DJ, Rob Da Bank, was devastated with recent events: “I’m furious that people are doing this, and I’m devastated for PIAS and all the labels that have lost stock," he said. “It won’t ruin us as a business, but it will be a problem for labels who need stock to sell to keep them going”.

It certainly doesn’t stop there, with the following list indicating the full extent of the damage and the amount of record labels impacted by the fire:

1234

2020 Vision

Accidental

Ad Altiora

Adventures Close to home

Alberts

All City

Alt Delete

Ambush Reality

Angular

Ark

ATC

Atic

Atlantic Jaxx

Azuli

B Unique

Backyard

Bad Sneakers

Bandstock

Banquet

Beggars

Big Chill

Big Dada

Big Life / Nul / Sindy Stroker

Boombox

Border Community

Boysnoize

Brille

Bronzerat

Brownswood

Buzzin Fly

Can You Feel It

Catskills

ChannelFly

Chemikal Underground

City Rockers

Counter

D Cypher

Dance To The Radio

Deceptive

Def Jux

Dirtee Stank

Divine Comedy

Domino

Drag City

Drive Thru

Drowned in Sound

Duophonic

Eat Sleep / Sorepoint

Electric Toaster

Emfire

F. Comm

Fabric

Faith And Hope

Fantastic Plastic

Fargo

FatCat

Feraltone

Finders Keepers / Twisted Nerve

Fingerlickin'

Flock

Free Range

From The Basement

Full Time Hobby

Goldsoul

Gronland

Groove Attack

Halftime

Hassle

Heron

Hum&Haw

Independiente

Info UK

Join Us

Kartel

Kensaltown

Kitsune

Kompakt

Laughing Stock

Leftroom

Lex

Lo Max

Loose

Love Box

Lowlife

Lucky Number

Marquis Cha Cha

Memphis Industry

Merok

Metroline

Mute

Naïve

Nation

Navigator

New World

Ninja Tune

Nuclear Blast

One Little Indian

Output / People in the Sky / Process

Pale Blue

Palm

Peacefrog

PIAS Recordings

PIP 555 Productions

Play To Work

Powerhouse (T2)

Propaganda / Ho Hum

Raw Canvas

Red Grape

Red Telephone Box

Rekids

Renaissance

Respect Productions (PES digital)

Reveal Records

RMG

Rock Action

Roots

Rough Trade

Rough Trade Comps

Rubyworks

Ruffa Lane

Search And Destroy

Secret Sundaze

Secretly Canadian / Jagjaguwar / Dead Oceans

Sell Yourself

Setanta

Shatterproof

Sideone Dummy

Slam Dunk

Smalltown

Soma

Something In Construction

Sonar Kollectiv

Soul Jazz

Southern Fried

Stranded Soldier

Subliminal

Sunday Best

TARGO

Taste

Ten Worlds

Thrill Jockey

Total Fitness

Touch And Go

Track And Field

TriTone

Trouble

Try Harder

Turk

Turnstile

Twenty 20

Underworld

Union Square

Urban Torque

Vagrant

Vice

Victory

Wagram

Wall Of Sound

Warp

Wi45

Wonky Atlas

Word And Sound

Xtra Mile

You Are Here

Words: David Rivers

Photograph: Luke Macgregor/Reuters