Clubbing Magazine

Andy Jarrod may be a name that isn’t that known to the ordinary, but he is a major factor in the music business when it comes to management, promotion and marketing of some of the greatest underground house labels in the world, like Vapour Recordings, Border Community, Deep Records and Release Records. He is the director of 3Beat Label Management that today manages 22 labels worldwide. In his busy schedule he has also found time to remix the likes of Dario G and Trancesetters and has also released tracks under the name of Blakstone (with Kasey Taylor), Black Jesus, under his own name and together with Barry Gilbey (of Mara). Clubbing Magazine sat down to talk to Andy Jarrod about his position at 3Beat and how it all started.

3Beat Records and 3Beat Label Management – how did it start?
- Most people think that I work for 3Beat Records – which is the record shop but I have absolutely nothing to do with 3Beat Records and never have - apart from that I used to buy my records there when I first started out as a DJ. Many years ago I worked as a label manager for Unique Distribution in Manchester. I was head of their labels from 96´till 99´. I wanted to try to do something by myself so my idea was to develop a new company with a group of labels and friends who told me that if I set up a management company they would come with me. So I decided to go for it. I knew I could call it Andy Jarrod Label Management or something else. But without an established brand behind it, it would have taken much longer to get a foothold in the marketplace.

What happened then?
- I put together a business plan in my head and wrote it down on paper and approached Pezz, the manager of 3 Beat Records. Pezz arranged a meeting with Jon Barlow, the guy who owns 3Beat Records. I have know Jon for many years so I presented my idea for a label management company to him. I explained the business methods, described the business plan, the figures and the need for us to use the 3Beat brand to get the company established. That was the beginning of 3Beat Label Management.

3beat is also a label and a mail order shop via the Internet, how do you work together?
- You have to think about 3Beat as an umbrella and underneath it we have 3Beat Records the shop, 3Beat mail-order, 3Beat Music the label and 3Beat Label Management Ltd. They all run as separate companies. We now have 22 labels that we look after and of course the shop gets first shout on the promos from all of the labels that we manage. The record shop can sell up to 250 copies of our releases – the strength is the brand – and the two companies work so well together.

You have also established 3Beat Breaks?
- 3Beat Breaks is a label housed under 3Beat Label Management and it is co-run by Adam from the shop and Michael who works for me. They came up with the idea of doing a breaks label some time ago and that's how 3Beat Breaks was born. It’s doing well really well. The label is up to its 7th record – releasing some really good stuff. Mike & Adam have also started remixing themselves under the name Dislodged.

You have also produced tracks under the name of Blakstone, Black Jesus and you are now working with Barry Gilbey (of Mara) – what can we expect from you in the future?
- It's been a couple of years since I've really immersed myself in the studio because the business has taken priority over everything else. But recently I've managed to get back in with Barry and we're producing again under our Jarrod & Gilbey moniker. We've just finished a new single called 'Monkey Trousers' - don't ask - and we'll be back working together within the next 4 weeks on another single. We've been best mates for years and our careers have both progressed well. So we feel that the time is right to push the Jarrod & Gilbey brand once more. Expect ultra-cool driving underground house with all the elements you would expect to hear in one of my DJ sets.

You are also a DJ – being a label manager how has that influenced your career?
- I have been DJ’ing for the last ten years and of course the numbers of gigs has increased dramatically – I now play more than I ever have done before and the gigs keep getting better and better. In 1999 when I set up the 3Beat Label Management I was working very hard for 18 months - long hours and very little money and not DJ’ing as much as I had been. I knew that if the business became successful it would immensely benefit my DJ’ing as well. We now manage labels for Mathew Dekay, James Holden, Kasey Taylor amongst many others – as far I’m concerned we have the best labels in the world for this particular style of house music. So the contacts that I have on a daily basis open many doors for me from a DJ'ing point of view. The last couple of years have been amazing, travelling around the world meeting some great people, promoting my labels, my clients, and their music. It has been very exciting. I’m still very humble about it. I love it and enjoy it incredibly. I’m not a super star DJ and I never will be. I’m not interested in money and the fame and all the bullshit that goes with it – it just something I really enjoy doing.

Interview and live photos: Christian Almind

Related features: Photos from Fokused 2004