Aegean Records Explained

Aegean Records
Parent:	Nobby's Hobbies Holdings
Founded:	1996
Founder:	George Michael and Andros Georgiou
Status:	Active Independent
Distributor:	Pinnacle Entertainment
Country:	United Kingdom

Aegean Records was an independent record label founded by George Michael and Andros Georgiou in 1996.^[1] The label was set up after Michael broke from Sony Music after his court case, which he eventually lost.^[2] Andros Georgiou became the managing director of the label.^[3]

The artists either signed or previously signed to Aegean Records include:

• George Michael;^[4]
• Trigger;^[4]
• Primitiva;^[4]
• Joanna Bryant;^[5]
• Toby Bourke.^[4]

Georgiou and Michael founded Aegean Net Ltd on 15 November 1996,^[6] which was the internet business of Aegean Records. Michael and Georgiou were directors of the business, although Georgiou resigned as a director on 25 January 2000, he then became managing director of mezzmusic.com.^[7] In May 1997, Aegean became the first European record label to adopt the Liquid Audio secure electronic music-delivery system via www.aegean.net, which was launched one year before BowieNet,^[8] and 11 years before Spotify.

Aegean.net was the first artist-owned website to allow fans to:

• Chat with music artists (including Michael);
• Purchase merchandise;
• Purchase and download music (via Liquid Audio);
• Audio/video streaming (via RealVideo);
• Join the first online-only fan club;
• Receive news and updates from Michael and other Aegean Records artists.

See also

• List of record labels

External links

• Archived website of aegean.net

Notes and References

1. Web site: Hello! – Interview with Andreas Georgiou . 14 August 2024 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20161228150246/http://www.angelfire.com/ca/LadyMisty/hello.html . 28 December 2016.
2. Web site: Smith . Giles . 'Pop slave' George Michael to fight on . . 21 June 1994 . limited . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20121106011613/http://www.independent.co.uk/news/pop-slave-george-michael-to-fight-on-1424205.html . 6 November 2012 . 29 October 2017.
3. Web site: Weigle . Lauren . James Kennedy's Parents Jacqueline & Andros Georgiou . . 14 December 2015 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20151219030509/http://heavy.com/entertainment/2015/12/james-kennedy-parents-jacqueline-andros-georgiou-mom-dad-mother-father-divorce/ . 19 December 2015 . 29 October 2017.
4. Web site: Frieser . Mark . A Tribute to George Michael, Dot-Com Visionary . SyncSummit . 31 December 2016 . 29 October 2017.
5. Lorenz . Christian . Michael's Aegean Links with Pinnacle for U.K. Distribution . . 22 February 1997 . 29 October 2017.
6. Web site: Aegean Net Limited . . 29 October 2017.
7. Poaletta . Michael . Web Co Mezzmusic Jumps Into Inferno With Joint Venture . . 15 April 2000 . 29 October 2017.
8. Web site: Stuart . Keith . BowieNet: how David Bowie's ISP foresaw the future of the internet . . 11 January 2016 . 29 October 2017.