Downtown Signs Chase & Status

London, UK, Aug 9, 2018 -- Downtown has signed a worldwide deal with British Drum and Bass group Chase & Status. The futures deal covers the duo's upcoming release Return 2 Jungle as well as their external third party writing.

Described by GQ magazine as 'arguably the biggest band in British Dance Music,' Chase & Status have repeatedly found chart success in the UK, from topping the UK Dance Chart with their early hit "Pieces" featuring Plan B to peaking at Number 2 on the UK Albums chart with their sophomore album No More Idols. Multiple songs from Idols, including "End Credits" featuring Plan B and "Let You Go" featuring Mali, would become Top Forty hits in the UK, cementing Chase & Status's position as a premiere Drum & Bass group. Two albums later, the duo have built a collaborative roster spanning grime acts Kano, Dizzee Rascal, and Tinie Tempah, as well as global pop artists such as Jay-Z, Rita Ora, and Rihanna.

Chase & Status, who are currently celebrating their 15 year anniversary, commented, "We are very excited to have signed to the legendary Downtown Music Publishing roster, we've been working with Dan Lloyd Jones very closely for many years now and it's great to finally put pen to paper. He has brought a lot of great ideas in the past and we're very excited for the future and this partnership with Downtown."

"I've known Saul and Will for over a decade and worked closely with them on their past releases. They are diamonds in the rough," said Daniel Lloyd Jones, Head of A&R, UK. "Signing them is adding to the exceptional people that we are blessed to be surrounded by at Downtown. Will and Saul are not only talented writer/producers, they are fine music industry execs and entrepreneurs. On top of their own achievements, they've set-up Elam, which keeps expanding and providing opportunities for the next generation of writers, set up their own publishing company, had multiple cuts with Rihanna, and won the coveted Red Bull Culture Clash along with Shy FX and David Rodigan."

The multi-platinum selling duo are gearing up for a big year with the release of their highly anticipated Return 2 Jungle album, along with accompanying exhibitions, a documentary, and a European tour. Two new tracks from the forthcoming record, "Retreat 2018" ft. Cutty Ranks and "Heater" ft. General Levy, are due to drop around their headline set at Clapham's SW4 festival this coming August Bank Holiday weekend. Their Super Sharp Reloaded exhibition at Selfridges, launches on August 9th and runs till September 6th, celebrating Rave culture and its direct relationship with high fashion.

Since opening its London office in 2015, Downtown has continued to invest in British songwriters, building a diverse roster that reflects the UK's vibrant music market, including Sacha Skarbek, Imogen Heap, Naughty Boy (Sam Smith, Emile Sandé), Slaves, Izzy Bizu, Goldie, Kano, Saltwives (Zayn, Iggy Azalea, Charles Hamilton, BeBe Rexha), and ZDOT (Wiley, Professor Green, Lady Leshurr, Bugzy Malone).

About Chase & Status

Chase & Status was formed when Saul Milton (Chase) and Will Kennard (Status) met in London and then again in Manchester, where they were university students. Bonding over a love of dance music, raving, DJing and vinyl collecting, Milton and Kennard came to develop a sound self-described as 'a nod to the '90s, nostalgia and euphoria with rolling beats and bass', incorporating elements of breaks, hip-hop, dubstep, D&B and jungle music. After a series of successful singles, Chase & Status found crossover mainstream success with their sophomore album No More Idols, which was certified Gold in the first week of sales by the British Phonographic Industry. Since then the group has continued to balance mainstream work, such as collaborations with Rihanna and remixes with Jay Z, with efforts that shine a light on their local British underground scene. Chase & Status have been nominated for a BRIT award for British Group, and have won Drum & Bass Awards for Best Live Act and Best Producer. The group also prominently DJ in clubs and on the festival circuit, and the lineup of their live act includes drummer Andy Gangadeen and MC Rage.

About Downtown Music Publishing

Established in 2007, Downtown Music Publishing is one of the world's leading rights-management firms with offices in major music markets around the globe, including New York, Nashville, Los Angeles, London, Amsterdam, Tokyo, Paris, and Sydney. The company's catalog spans over a hundred years of popular music, encompassing some of the world's most beloved songwriters and artists including The Beatles, John Lennon & Yoko Ono, Ryan Tedder, Benny Blanco, Hans Zimmer, The Kinks, One Direction, Mötley Crüe, Robin Thicke, Naughty Boy, Hardwell, Sturgill Simpson, Santigold, Carla Bruni, and Social Distortion. Downtown Music Publishing is wholly owned by Downtown & Company, which also owns New York-based Downtown Music Studios and Songtrust, the world's largest technology platform for songwriting and music publishing royalties, which powers global royalty collection from over 120 territories and more than 20,000 unique income sources worldwide.