U.K.-based Beggars Group and Japanese music company Hostess Entertainment have signed a licensing deal that will see Hostess exclusively release XL Recordings, Rough Trade, 4AD and Matador repertoire in Japan from Sept. 1.

Coinciding with the deal, Beggars has established a new affiliate company in Tokyo, Beggars Group Japan (BGJ), to oversee marketing and promotion for the Beggars labels and repertoire at Hostess. BGJ will be headed by David Wasserman, who most recently served as Japanese label manager for Beggars at Warner Music Japan, currently Beggars’ Japanese licensee.

“I am delighted that our independent future has arrived in Japan,” said Beggars U.K. CEO Martin Mills in a statement. “We will always be grateful to our partners over the years for their support, but now Beggars Japan will become part of the Beggars worldwide fully independent structure. We look forward with excitement to working with our great Japanese staff, our new partner in Hostess, our labels XL, Rough Trade, Matador and 4AD, and most of all, of course, our artists, and being on the front line in these stimulating times.”

Commented Hostess founder Andrew “Plug” Lazonby in a statement: “Hostess is committed to constantly developing the viable alternative route to success for those we represent and work with and improving the range and quality of services and support we can offer. It`s a great boost therefore to be able to welcome Beggars, their labels and artists back to Hostess and to get the opportunity to work with David, whose progress over the past year or two we’ve both followed and admired.”

“It’s very exciting to be working with Hostess during the next chapter of Beggars Japan,” said Wasserman in a statement. “In a more and more challenging market, we are confident that the partnership will enable us to bring our innovative and cutting-edge artists to a wider Japanese audience.”

The new partnership is expected to launch with new albums by Basement Jaxx and Yo La Tengo, as well as the debut release from The Big Pink. Albums from new Rough Trade signings Rox and Mystery Jets are also scheduled for release.

Since its establishment in 2000, Tokyo-based Hostess has grown into one of Japan’s biggest independent music companies based upon the concept of providing localized management, promotion, sales and marketing services for select artists and labels. Its overseas partners include leading indie labels Domino Recording, V2/Cooperative Music and the PIAS Entertainment Group.

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