November 12, 2002 — With more than two decades of experience in major label A&R and new-music business ventures, music-industry veterans Michael Caplan and Larry Miller have formed Or Music, an upstart New York-based independent record label. As its name suggests, Or Music provides new options for music fans (particularly those 25 and older), while it offers artists the distribution muscle of a major label combined with the creative freedom of an independent.

Prior to founding Or Music with Miller, Michael Caplan served as Senior Vice President of A&R at Sony Music/Epic Records. Caplan spent 17 years in Epic's A&R department, producing three multi-platinum, six platinum and fourteen gold records, as well as seven Grammy Award winners, with a diverse roster ranging from Keb' Mo' to Ginuwine, from the Allman Brothers to G Love & Special Sauce to Living Color. Caplan will serve as Or Music President. Larry Miller's career has included executive roles with digital-music pacesetters such as Reciprocal and AT&T's a2b music, as well as New York's Z100 FM (WHTZ), CD101.9 (WQCD) and NBC Radio Entertainment. Miller has now transitioned to CEO of Or Music LLC.

With Or Music, Caplan and Miller wanted to redraw the blueprints of the contemporary record company -- refocusing on the development of long-term career artists and on creating amazing music, not just an amazing clatter. By specifically targeting an oft-ignored market of music fans -- those 25 and older -- and combining an indie's natural agility with the national distribution power of Sony-owned RED distribution, Or Music has found a strong balance.

"Even as the major labels see declining unit sales and an erosion of their traditional consumer base, many indie labels are enjoying banner years," Or Music's Miller says. "This is an ideal moment to launch our business with a great new roster of career artists, and RED distribution is the ideal partner to help us do it."

"As an industry, we've done so little lately to nurture and promote artists who have the capacity to develop a long career. We've made sure all these new acts have one hit single, and forgotten totally about what happens after that single's gone," said Caplan. "And nobody's targeting those music fans 25 and older, who actually remember artists with real careers. Or Music is about changing that."

Or Music's first signings include Essence (award-winning San Francisco female singer/songwriter), Tower of Power (legendary soul/funk ensemble), and Los Lonely Boys (trio of Texan brothers who combine blues virtuosity with three-part harmonies).