BEAT Music Fund has acquired the back catalogue of Sola Records

14 December 2023 - Press release

BEAT Music Fund, the first-ever dance music investment company from Armada Music, today announced it has acquired the back catalogue of Sola Records, which offers the best in tech house from past to present. The company also acquired a significant portion of VIVa MUSiC’s catalogue as well as master recordings of Ran-D’s ‘Zombie’ and Human Resource’s ‘Dominator,’ marking a significant development in BEAT's target to invest $100 million within the company's first two years and providing an artist-friendly vehicle to unlock value from recordings and copyrights within the dance arena. 

"It is truly an honor that Sola Records, VIVa MUSiC, Ran-D and Human Resource are entrusting us to breathe new life into their incredible music," said Maykel Piron, CEO of Armada Music and BEAT Music Fund. “As BEAT continues to grow, these partnerships provide us with a prime opportunity to collaborate with the best and the brightest in dance, bolster their legacies, and bring these tracks to the forefront.”

Based in Manchester and London, Sola Records was founded by production duo Mark Richards and James Eliot, collectively known as Solardo. The label promotes dance-floor-focused tracks and represents a range of established to emerging artists in contemporary house music such as Reblok, SOSA, Andrea Oliva and more. BEAT has acquired Sola Records’ back catalog, including tracks from Solardo, Biscits, Hannah Laing, Shermanology, CamelPhat, SOSA, Piero Pirupa, Ben Hemsley, Martin Ikin, Hannah Wants, Franky Rizardo, Will Clarke and Secondcity. 

"We're excited to begin this collaborative partnership with BEAT and see this as a critical opportunity to amplify the power of dance music and share our most cherished tracks with both new and longtime fans," said Solardo. 

Additionally, BEAT has acquired a large portion of U.K.-based dance label Steve Lawler’s VIVa MUSiC catalogue, the master recordings of hardstyle pioneer Ran-D’s 2018 smash hit ‘Zombie’ and Human Resource’s chart-topping 1991 single ‘Dominator’, which reached number six on the Dutch Top 40 and #36 on the UK Singles Chart. The song marked the birth of the new subgenre known as ‘hardcore/gabber’ and solidified Human Resource as one of the first Dutch dance acts with international charting success. This follows BEAT’s recent acquisitions of dance label King Street Sounds and the master and publishing catalog of Chocolate Puma, reflecting a growing appetite in the market for the $11.3 billion global dance industry.