London independent record label Snapper buys out estate of Bryan Morrison

His bands may be some of the loudest in the music business, but Frederick Jude was making the noise today.

The boss of London independent music label Snapper has done a management buyout from the estate of Bryan Morrison, the late music impresario who died in a polo accident in 2008.

The label, founded in 1996, has three imprints — metal specialist Peaceville, prog-rock label Kscope and psychedelic mark Madfish.

Snapper was founded in 1996 and has handled artists including ex-Fleetwood Mac guitarist Peter Green and face-painted metal screamers Cradle of Filth.

Jude, who has been boss for 13 years, said he was “re-energised” by the deal for the company, worth £6 million.

He said: "Our heart is firmly in beautiful, physical packages and we’re continuing to learn how best to use today’s digital marketing tools to encourage fans to become aware & listen to music from our 12,000+ song catalogue.

"That’s not to say it’s been easy. Over the years at Snapper, there have been challenging times with a number of major retailers and distributors disappearing."