S2 Records

S2 Records was a United Kingdom record label operated within Sony Music Entertainment's British recorded-music business. The label was initially known as Sony Soho Square, a name derived from its association with Soho Square in London, and was also styled as Sony Soho2 or Sony S2. Rather than functioning as a standalone publicly traded company, it operated as a label imprint within the Sony Music corporate structure. Lincoln Elias founded the label. Elias later became managing director of Virgin Records in 2006 and subsequently worked with PMR Records. The label was later headed by Muff Winwood, a music-industry executive and the brother of musician Steve Winwood. Winwood had worked for CBS Records and Sony Music Entertainment from the late 1970s, placing the imprint within a broader major-label A&R and marketing network. S2's catalogue reflected the commercially oriented British and international pop, rock, soul and funk market of the 1990s and early 2000s. Its associated artists included Jamiroquai, Des'ree, Reef and Jimmy Ray. Jamiroquai was among the label's most prominent acts, helping give the imprint visibility beyond its London base. The label's work principally consisted of signing, developing, recording, marketing and distributing music rather than manufacturing consumer products under a separate retail brand. The label's corporate life ended during the 2004 combination of Sony Music Entertainment and Bertelsmann Music Group, which created Sony BMG Music Entertainment. Sony S2 was dissolved into the newly reorganized Sony BMG Music Entertainment UK operation. Several acts associated with S2 were dropped during the restructuring. Jamiroquai's subsequent records were issued through the Sony BMG label, with marketing handled by Columbia Records. The former S2 identity therefore survives primarily as a historical record-label name and catalogue association rather than as an active label.

S2 Records originated as Sony Soho Square, a Sony Music-affiliated record label associated with London's Soho Square. Its location-based name distinguished it from Sony Music's larger corporate identity while making clear that it belonged to the Sony family of labels. The imprint was founded by Lincoln Elias, a label executive who later held senior management responsibilities at Virgin Records and worked with PMR Records. During its active period, the label operated within the competitive UK music market of the 1990s and early 2000s. Its role was to discover and develop artists, release recordings, and use Sony Music's distribution, marketing and corporate infrastructure to reach audiences in Britain and overseas. The roster included Jamiroquai, Des'ree, Reef and Jimmy Ray, among other acts. These artists represented a broad commercial mixture of funk, soul, pop and rock rather than a narrowly defined genre identity. Jamiroquai became the most prominent act associated with the imprint and remained connected to Sony's wider recorded-music operations after the S2 name disappeared. The label was later headed by Muff Winwood. Winwood had a long association with the major-label business, having worked at CBS Records and Sony Music Entertainment from the late 1970s. His leadership linked S2 to the established A&R and executive structures of the Sony organization. The label's identity was consequently shaped both by its London location and by its position as a specialist imprint inside a major international music company. S2's independent identity ended in 2004, when Sony Music Entertainment and Bertelsmann Music Group combined their recorded-music operations. The resulting Sony BMG Music Entertainment UK structure absorbed Sony S2, and the S2 label was dissolved. The restructuring affected the imprint's roster: many of its associated artists were dropped, while Jamiroquai's recordings continued under the Sony BMG label. Marketing for Jamiroquai's subsequent releases was handled by Columbia Records, another Sony-affiliated label. The former Sony Soho Square and S2 names are therefore best understood as historical stages in the development of Sony's UK label portfolio. S2 no longer operates as an active label, but its catalogue associations remain relevant to the history of Sony Music's British business and to the early major-label careers of the artists it released.

• 2004

  Sony S2 is absorbed into Sony BMG UK

  [1]S2 Recordsen.wikipedia.org

  The Sony-BMG combination led to the dissolution of Sony S2 and its absorption into Sony BMG Music Entertainment UK. Several associated artists were dropped, while Jamiroquai continued through Sony BMG and Columbia Records.

• Sony Soho Square is established

  [1]S2 Recordsen.wikipedia.org

  Lincoln Elias founded the London-based Sony-affiliated label that became known as Sony Soho Square and later Sony S2.

• The label operates under the S2 identity

  [1]S2 Recordsen.wikipedia.org

  The imprint was subsequently known as S2 Records, Sony S2 or Sony Soho2 and released music by artists including Jamiroquai, Des'ree, Reef and Jimmy Ray.

A Sony-affiliated UK label imprint focused on signing, developing and marketing commercially oriented recording artists during the 1990s and early 2000s.

• Album · 1993

  Emergency on Planet Earth

  A 1993 Jamiroquai publication associated with the Sony Soho Square/S2 catalogue. The work was written by Jamiroquai and illustrated by James Marsh. It represents the type of artist-led recorded-music property that gave the label visibility during its active period.

• Artist recordings

  Jamiroquai catalogue

  Recordings by Jamiroquai formed one of the most visible parts of the S2-associated catalogue. After the label was dissolved in 2004, the group's later records continued through Sony BMG, with marketing handled by Columbia Records.

• Artist recordings

  Des'ree recordings

  Music by singer Des'ree was among the artist material associated with Sony S2 during the label's operating period.

• Artist recordings

  Reef recordings

  Recordings by the band Reef formed part of the label's rock-oriented roster alongside its pop, soul and funk acts.

• Artist recordings

  Jimmy Ray recordings

  Music by Jimmy Ray was also released or represented within the Sony S2 artist portfolio.

• 2004

  Dissolution following the Sony-BMG combinationM&A

  Background

  Sony Music Entertainment and Bertelsmann Music Group combined their recorded-music operations in 2004, creating Sony BMG Music Entertainment and prompting a restructuring of the UK label portfolio.

  Action taken

  Sony S2 was dissolved into Sony BMG Music Entertainment UK. Many associated artists were dropped, while Jamiroquai's subsequent records moved to the Sony BMG label with Columbia Records responsible for marketing.

  Aftermath

  The S2 brand ceased operating as an independent label identity, although its releases and artist associations remained part of the wider Sony catalogue history.

  Source

• 2004

  Sony S2 dissolved during Sony-BMG merger reorganization[1]S2 Recordsen.wikipedia.org

  M&A · Leadership change · Other

  Following the merger of Sony Music Entertainment and Bertelsmann Music Group, Sony S2 was absorbed into Sony BMG Music Entertainment UK. A number of artists associated with the label were dropped, while Jamiroquai's later releases continued through Sony BMG with Columbia Records handling marketing.

1. 1S2 Recordsen.wikipedia.org