SPITFIRE RECORDS Founder PAUL BIBEAU Returns With New Venture, FADE TO SILENCE RECORDS

Spitfire Records company founder/president and industry veteran Paul Bibeau has returned to the business of music after a long hiatus from the industry to launch Fade To Silence Records via AMPED Distribution worldwide.

The new label will focus on establishing a cutting and creative edge driven label brand, a catalog/visual/television imprint and publishing division highlighting the hard rock and heavy metal genre's broad musical spectrum.

Bibeau, Fade to Silence CEO, explained the idea for the choice of the new label's name: "When you are fully engulfed in a song, a full album, an experience, then the lead guitarist starts to unleash holy hell as the song begins to lower in level and you crank the volume to digest every last music morsel as the track dissipates into air and you are craving more — that is the Fade To Silence experience. I'm here again because I seriously missed the entire creative process that occurs while working with amazing talent, from artist and repertoire to the creation and execution of the marketing plans. For me, it is all about the passion for the art, the desire to contribute to revitalizing the style of music I adore and to help fill the void with great new artists. Having said that, it is true that hard rock and heavy metal music continues to grow in popularity globally, the various genres/sub genres are largely overlooked by the corporate system."

The independent start-up Fade to Silence Records will expand internationally in the fall with a comprehensive, artist-driven, artist-friendly, creative empowerment endeavor, leaving no possible stone unturned. The label will launch in the fall of 2015 with two reissues scheduled thus far, with the label's major frontline releases projected for 2016 street dates.

"Creating a new label is tough in this environment and is a tall order," said Dean Tabaac, VP of AMPED Distribution. "This is a fast-moving industry with new rules being created just about on a daily basis. To have a seasoned music master like Paul Bibeau come to AMPED to be his preferred distribution partner for Fade To Silence Records is an honor. His business acumen combined with his innate ability to catch bands on the rise before anyone else sees the potential makes it very exciting for AMPED to be a part of."

The label is in the initial stages of staffing and will utilize a range of specialist and support functions via AMPED, including physical and digital sales, distribution, and manufacturing. Fade To Silence Records will also add some of the top independent consultants for video promotion, public relations, marketing and radio promotion for college, metal, specialty show, internet radio and active rock formats.

"I have watched from the sidelines and the patient approach to long-term career development seems to be lacking," said Bibeau. "I believe that in the changing industry landscape, one major key to survival and growth is partnering with tremendous creative and unique talent that can deliver the goods live. Our talent partners will all have one thing in common, they will all be road warriors in the sense that they all have started to lay a solid foundation of fans through relentless touring."

"A great set-up and first-week SoundScan impact is always the goal, but in today's industry, that's the point when the record's life cycle abruptly ends," he continued. "Fade To Silence Records will strategically organize creative endeavors into multi-format physical and digital release, allowing each artist and release to be individually developed, produced, marketed, maintained and sold according to each unique requirement and objective. Our talent partners will receive preferential treatment, attention, guidance and creative resources over the long haul. Our main objective is to create a much longer window of time in the record's lifecycle and continue to focus on the daily fundamentals of creating awareness for each individual tour date/market."

Over the course of his career, Bibeau signed worldwide exclusive recording agreements, acquired historic music catalogs and compositions for publishing affiliates, oversaw the A&R creative process and created marketing plans for numerous, truly historic and simply amazing talent. In the past, Bibeau has provided outstanding leadership performance in both start-up and turnaround efforts. In September 1998, Bibeau founded, launched and rapidly developed Spitfire Records Inc. from a two-man operation located in his home bedroom in suburban Long Island, New York, to one of the premier independent record labels worldwide. Bibeau successfully negotiated a partnership with Eagle Rock Entertainment (Eagle Vision),a London-based audio and visual company. Prior to that, Bibeau tackled the revitalization of Mayhem Records Group Ltd. (Mayhem Records, Fierce Recordings and Futurist),he rejuvenated growth momentum during his tenure and the results were a reinvented image and stronger company brand through the acquisition of major new talent.

During his eight-year tenure at Relativity/Sony Music, Bibeau was a key management team member handling product management, marketing, artist development and A&R.

Bibeau's industry career began in New Orleans, where he enjoyed eight years as the general manager/buyer of the Warehouse Records & Tapes chain.

The label's first two signings, both with fall 2015 release dates, are ROCKETT QUEEN and WITH OUR ARMS TO THE SUN.