Times Square Gossip

**** THE PASCHA'S CORNER **** Ernie Lake And Josh Katz When the Muzak Company filed for bankruptcy earlier this year (owing to a lack of money for the writers whose music they utilized), EL MEDIA GROUP jumped in with a similar and more realistic opportunity for people who require such programmed music. EL MEDIA GROUP has actually been on the map for the pasts several years, JOSH KATZ, a former power player in the record business; and, ERNIE LAKE, a producer who has worked with such artists as Pink, Usher, and Toni Braxton (“Unbreak My Heart”), pooled their efforts and smarts. Together the pair have not only produced CDs for hotels and restaurants (like the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino; Tao; Morgan’s Hotel group; and, the Hotel Gansevoort) but also designed all the operational sound installation equipment at Jet Blue’s new Terminal 5, at JFK. Says Katz, “Our music styling is 100% custom to each restaurant, hotel, or store. Many of our clients had Muzak prior to us coming in and they...

The Hudson Hotel has 60 Thompson to Hotel Gansevoort too ... what is it? It's that fabulous music that plays from your first step in the hotel to when you walk to your room. Ernie Lake has, with his partner Josh Katz, branded the so-called hip hotels with their own distinctive sounds. Says Lake, "We meet with the principals, like an Ian Schrager, to establish what they're going for and find the artists, the songs, put together the right music-theme for the location .... and, the customer can even buy the CD on their way out. It is basically branding the venue." Lake and Katz have also done the music for the HARD ROCK HOTEL in Vegas, TAO, the HAWAIIAN TROPIC ZONE is Times Square, and are on the verge of announcing a pact with a very prominent hotelier in Vegas. "Las Vegas is the new entertainment center of the world," says Lake, who's firm is based in NY, but he is opening a satellite office within the month. Lake, who's produced LIONEL RICHIE and CI...