Ministry Of Sound

Profile:

British dance music label.
The label is part of a multimedia entertainment business based in London which includes a nightclub, shared workspace and private ' club, worldwide events operation, music publishing business and fitness studio.
In August 2016, Ministry Of Sound's A&R and compilations business was acquired by the UK branch of Sony Music Entertainment. Rights to most recordings under the Ministry Of Sound name are now held and distributed by Sony Music, with the remaining Ministry Of Sound businesses retained within the original group.
Managing Director of the label from July 2023: Negla Abdela.

The business was founded in 1991 by British entrepreneur James "Jamie" Palumbo (now Baron Palumbo of Southwark), his school friend Humphrey Waterhouse and DJ Justin Berkmann.
Key personnel in the 1990s:
Mark Rodol: ed the company in 1992, appointed a director in 1993, promoted to CEO in March 2003, resigned in July 2004.
Palumbo temporarily stepped down from running the company in March 2003 when Rodol, then creative and marketing director, was promoted to CEO.
After Rodol resigned, Palumbo resumed his role as CEO before he handed over the day-to-day running of the business to Lohan Presencer in 2008.
Presencer became Chairman in 2018.

The record label was initially split into two divisions: Compilations and A&R.
The compilations division was established in 1993 with the Sessions (5) series.
The A&R division was established in the early 1990s and two imprints Open were launched in 1994.
Further in-house labels followed including Smoove Records (2001).

Ministry Of Sound grew to become one of the UK's largest independent labels and diversified into include magazines, satellite/internet radio stations and selling DRM-free s on their websites. The company part-funded the launch of Defected in 1999.
At the turn of the millennium, Ministry Of Sound Australia Ltd and Ministry Of Sound GmbH were established. The German branch of Ministry Of Sound became independent from the UK headquarters in 2007 and changed its name to Embassy Of Music three years later.
In the United States, Ministry Of Sound non-import releases were relabeled and distributed through Ultra Records, while in Spain they were released through Blanco y Negro.

Regional Ministry Of Sound offices:
Ministry Of Sound Ltd: Cremorne NSW, Australia (formed in 2000)
Ministry Of Sound GmbH: Berlin, (formed in 2000)
Ministry Of Sound Music Group Nordic: Stockholm
Sweden (formed in 2001 as a sub-label of Bonnier Amigo Music)

Parent Label:

Ministry Of Sound Recordings Ltd.

Sublabels:

Dance Nation, ...

Info:

Ministry Of Sound
103 Gaunt Street
London
SE1 6DP

Tel: +44 (0) 20 7740 8600
Fax: +44 (0) 20 7403 5348
Email: [email protected]

Manufacturer

Ministry Of Sound Sony Music Entertainment UK Limited 2 Canal Reach London N1C 4DB UNITED KINGDOM https://discogs.librosgratis.biz/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection" class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="cdbfa8aea8bdb9a4a2a3e3a8a3bcb8a4bfa4a8be8dbea2a3b4a0b8bea4aee3aea2a0">[email protected]

Manufacturer EU

Sony Music Entertainment GmbH Bülowstr. 80 10783 Berlin https://discogs.librosgratis.biz/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection" class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="63080c0d1702081723100c0d1a0e16100a004d000c0e">[email protected]

Links:

ministryofsound.com , X , Facebook , Instagram , Soundcloud , Mixcloud , YouTube , YouTube , Linktree

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Reviews

  • jamesbreeze's avatar
    jamesbreeze
    Wow, this list is a nightmare. Any chance of someone at MOS editing the list or putting them in order? Manage the heritage.
    • NilsLWeber's avatar
      NilsLWeber
      I wish MoS would part ways with Sony. That would be a dream.
      • GiveMeYourTots's avatar
        GiveMeYourTots
        Edited 5 years ago
        If you think that the things that were wrong with Ministry of Sound were bad on their own, the label’s acquisition by Sony only exacerbated them. The label’s guilty habit of “repeating the same songs over and over on many different releases” only got worse to the point that in my habit of choosing releases against this trend that the only one single release in a year that I can get is the new 2 CD annual releases. How ironic since that’s supposed to be a “best of” compilation for the year’s new songs. It seems also with the overall decline in sales of CDs that they have gone over two months as of writing without a new physical release (a record). On top of that, I notice that MOS is now scared to look back at their pre-Sony days. An example being that when Andrew Weatherall ed away, they initially posted on FB a picture of his Masterpiece compilation as a tribute; but then took that off and replaced it simply with a picture of the guy himself. Simply put, if you’re someone like me who fantasizes about MOS actually reissuing some of the classic releases such as the Northern Exposure series; then it’s probably time to forget about it and acknowledge that you were born in the wrong year.
        • arklowgirlxx's avatar
          arklowgirlxx
          To be honest went to ministry a few times in 90's and whilst pretty good vibe it always had the feel of the end of real dance music and welcome to the superclub and £30 entrance . Best club I went to back in the day was Progress in Derby they used to get Sasha/ Healy / Digweed etc playing the whole night for £500 quid back in the day and the club held a great vibe up till about 1999.
          • telwin5000's avatar
            telwin5000
            Edited 13 years ago
            While i agree with what people have said about the commercial aspects of the compilation releases etc the club itself has stayed true. i was at ministry last night, first time since 1995 and the place just has,nt changed a bit. just like of old a lot of the time the sound seems bass heavy but at about 3am the sounds became super clear, stripped down house music where all the dynamics are in the snares and hats and it just cant be beaten.
            I have many records from their various labels and this can vary from ultra specialist house music to the absolute commercial and everything in between, take your pick.
            • duketranslucent3rd's avatar
              Edited 19 years ago
              Mr Jay is largely correct about MOS, though in fairness we should the good things about them. For one, they are the biggest name in all-encoming dance music in the UK. They may focus on the commercial stuff, but that's how many of us got into the proper house/trance. They are an accessible entry into the wider world of this genre, a function immitated in other genres too.

              Seconldly it's not all pap, as some have pointed out. Their club is decent (it's pricey but they play an intelligent mix in there rather than the contents of their Annuals) and their online radio is very good - diverse in output and respected. OK the shows are sub-contracted at least they're associating themselves with good music and putting out for free.

              But, yes there are downpoints. They used to be choice; now they're at the bottom of people's CD collections. They don't help themselves with their relentless push for money by releasing the same songs (the same track can appear on so many CDs - some supposedly successors to others in a series). And their label often justifies the widespread cynism about dance music: that is is full of talentless girls singing provactively in sex-driven music vids.
              • madinirose1's avatar
                madinirose1
                As everyone here knows The Ministry of Sound is a huge label/nightclub out of the UK who has helped spread electronic dance music to all four corners of the globe. As a matter of fact, the Ministry "educated" me about house music when I re-discovered it in 1996. Their "DJ Sessions CDs (especially Sessions 1 - 9)" were fabulous and still hold up despite the age of time. However, MOS is loosing the edge they once had. I guess that's what happens when an organization gets so large. Innovation suffers. MOS produced several CD series that were really excellent but it now seems that all they are interested in is cramming as many recycled, overplayed tracks they can on a double cd so you're stuck with only 2-3 minute snippet of each track. And what's even sadder is their "chill-out" selections. The MOS "Late Night Sessions" were mind-blowing and powerful (all three of them)! Nowadays, they don't even to have a DJ compile the tracks anyone (e.g. Chill-out Sessions Series). It's really sad. Ministry of Sound is no longer on my radar screen anymore. That's probably because everytime I look at a tracklisting of any of their CDs, I can't help but think, "Been, there, done that."
                • Jooles's avatar
                  Jooles
                  Ministry of Sound are part of the wider phenomenon of "dance" music going mainstream. A phenomenon which has been going on a long time, and which is here to stay.

                  Back in the day, when the Orb were indeed doing the Chill Out thing so much better, and today's 30-somethings were in their early twenties or late teens, and outdoor raves weren't sponsored, and the underground club scene really was for the true fanatics, and "Artifical Intelligence" was ahead of it's time, the idea of something like the Ministry of Sound even existing seemed impossible. Surely, this stuff could never become commercialized? The mainstream will never buy it!

                  But good vibes sells, and I reckon it was always inevitable that the marketing men would make some serious money out of dance culture. Look back to the early 90s and the commercial dance compilations were already there back then: Move the House, Serious Beats, Turn Up the Bass... ittedly, not selling as many truckloads as Chill Out Ibiza Vol. 235, but the targets had already been set by the big industry players.

                  I agree that most of what Ministry of Sound releases is drivvle, but at the end of the day, it's big bizness, and we all have the right to not buy it!

                  Someone me the Vicks, a lightstick, and some half-time oranges!
                  • Mr.Jay's avatar
                    Mr.Jay
                    Edited 23 years ago
                    Ministry Of Sound have a reputation to maintain as a cutting edge establishment given to pushing underground music to a reputable crowd who thrive on new talent... blah blah blah.

                    Bollocks - Ministry Of Sound is dedicated to pushing music 5 years past it's sell by date to a clientele who would never notice because they are more preoccupied with how they look, what they are seen drinking and just how bloody great they think they are thanks to a few lines of expensive Colombian powder. But you won't read that in Ministry magazine - they'll be too preoccupied trying to sell you a 'Ministry Of Sound' puffa jacket.

                    Think I'm joking? My how original those 'Chillout Sessions' must seem to a crowd who have only just jumped on the chill-out bandwagon after experiancing Cafe Del Mar when they last went out to Ibiza (it must be good, Ministry mag recommends it!) - sorry folks, The Orb and others were doing it better in '93. Mind you it probably seemed better then because anyone in a chill out room back in them days was there because they loved the music and there was not a hint of Gucci or Paul Smith to be seen.

                    Something cutting edge for the punters? Top move - send 'Judge' Jules out to buy all the trance that even Return To The Source would deem to shite to play to even thier most tripped out punter. Tell your customers that it's THE BIG THING at the moment - they wouldn't be seen dead in a hippy hole like Escape From Satsuma so will probably take your word for it!

                    If you want a reason why there is so much benal drivel going on in dance music, a reason to complain about extortianate prices to get into a club to hear someone play other peoples records for silly money, a reason to moan about many clubs charging stupid money for a bottle of water or just a reason to hate the armies of brainless morons lining the check-out of Top Shop every Saturday morning, I'll give you three words for free... Ministry Of Sound. Enjoy - it's the only time you'll get something connected to that organisation for nothing.

                    9pm 'til I come? Cold Day In Hell more like!