The Orchard has acquired Above Board, a dance and electronic-music distribution and artist/label-services company. London-based Above Board founder/Managing Director Dan Hill will report to The Orchard’s managing director, Ian Dutt, at The Orchard's U.K. headquarters.

Above Board has developed several U.K. and European electronic artists since its 2007 inception, including Peggy Gou, Charlotte de Witte, Patrick Topping, Jamie Jones and Maceo Plex.

“The Above Board team is excited about this new chapter of our company and we are now fully immersed in The Orchard’s ecosystem,” Hill attested. “The new relationship gives Above Board the global infrastructure and resources to match our artists’ and labels’ ambitions and gives them the platform to ensure they retain the rights to their music.”

Added Dutt, “It was crucial to The Orchard that we partnered with a company entirely immersed in the culture of electronic music. Collectively, we want to make a positive impact in this space by providing exciting, future-facing options for producer- and DJ-owned independent labels globally.”

The Orchard’s current roster of dance labels includes Liquid State/Dimitri Vegas, Amtrac, TMRW Music Group and Rose Avenue. Recent signings include Perfect Havoc (U.K.) and Solomun’s DIYnamic (Germany).

Hill, who has more than 20 years of experience in the electronic music/dance genre, is hoping he'll never have to see us cut a rug. We can't blame him.