Warner Music South East Europe (WM SEE) has announced the launch of Balkan Electro, a new record label dedicated to amplifying EDM artists from the Balkans and Ukraine.
The initiative aims to provide a global platform for these musicians, WM SEE said in a press release on Friday (April 19).
Balkan Electro is the product of a strategic collaboration between WM SEE and Ensis Records, an EDM label in Eastern Europe founded by Alex Cristian in 2013. The label initially focused on supporting a close-knit community of Romanian producers.
It quickly broadened its scope, collaborating with international producers and DJs. Their most notable success story is the discovery and signing of global EDM phenomenon, Norwegian DJ and producer Kygo. Ensis Records has released over 1,000 tracks to date.
The partnership with WM SEE allows Ensis Records’ existing roster to benefit from Warner Music’s distribution, marketing, and upstreaming capabilities. Additionally, WM SEE, Warner Music Poland, and Ensis Records will join forces to discover and sign new artists for the label.
Balkan Electro will tap into the expertise of Amsterdam-based Spinnin’ Records and the dance music specialists at Warner Music Central Europe and Warner Music France.
The label already has three upcoming global releases: Prisko and TBX’s Back to 95, which dropped on Friday; Melli’s Losing My Mind, out on April 26, and Kevin Palacios and Jordan Grace‘s Bright As You, dropping on May 10.
“It’s a proud moment for me launching Balkan Electro alongside Alex. EDM music has no geographical boundaries, so we’ll strive to find the next local superstar and take them to the world stage with the help of Warner Music’s global network,” said Izabela Ciszek-Podziemska, General Manager, Warner Music South East Europe.
Alex Cristian, founder and owner of Ensis Records, added: “There are so many unknown talented producers and DJs across Eastern and South Eastern Europe, so I’m looking forward to working with Iza, Warner Music and its team to make Balkan Electro a big success.”
“EDM is already present locally in this part of Europe thanks to local festivals such as Untold, Sziget, and Ultra Europe, so I want to showcase our local talent and music to the world.”
Warner Music South East Europe’s latest venture follows a series of acquisitions and expansions in Europe. Last month, WM SEE acquired a minority stake in Slovenia-based indie label NIKA.
NIKA is said to have been the first private-sector music label and distributor in what would be the former Yugoslavia when the label was founded by Darjo Rot and Marko Stopar in 1989.
Last year, Warner Music Group acquired a stake in Hungarian label Magneoton as part of a distribution deal and a plan to support local talent. The company also bought a stake in Serbian record label Mascom a year earlier. Mascom served as Warner’s local distributor.
In 2019, Warner purchased Slovak entertainment company Forza Music, and in 2022, it invested in Czech hip-hop label Mike Roft.
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