For the five years or so following Trojan's sale to Sanctuary in July 2001, the label's fortunes had remained on the ascendant. Despite the growing popularity of digital downloads, CD sales remained relatively buoyant, thanks in no small part to a hardcore of loyal fans.

In addition to its physical releases, the label increasingly sponsored events, such as gigs by Reggae artistes and the Tighten Up and Trojan Sound Systems, while regular Reggae-themed evenings were held at central London venues. The main organisers of these events were label manager, Nick Bourne and Jean-Claude Mighty, whose main responsibility was press and promos for the Special Markets division.

As time went on, it became increasingly apparent that the release schedule was unsustainable and by the close of 2006, just four Trojan titles saw issue each month. It was a far more manageable number in terms of workload and from a personal point of view, meant I could finally start enjoying my evenings and weekends once more.

But for Sanctuary as a whole things were looking less rosy. Following a number of ill-fated decisions by senior management the company began struggling financially, making a staggering £110m loss in 2005, with shares plummeting dramatically as a result. Over the ensuing months various assets were sold off and numerous staff members made redundant, but these desperate actions did little to ease the company's financial burden. It was clear a buyer was urgently needed to prevent complete collapse and on June 17th 2007, the world's largest music company, Universal Music Group stepped in and took control of the company for £44.5m.

Among Universal's already impressive roster was Island, the label that had played such an important part in Trojan's development, from its inception in 1968 up until 1972 when Chris Blackwell finally pulled out of the company. As a fan, the prospect of combining two of the world's largest Reggae catalogues filled me with immense excitement, presenting as it did the possibility to create some truly exciting releases. But with any acquisition on such a major scale, a period of transition was inevitable and after the release of the final batch of titles that had been scheduled prior to the sale, things were put on hold. By the close of the year, all but a handful number of Sanctuary's original workforce had left, the old offices slowly evacuated as those remaining prepared to move to the Universal building.

Over the next year or so, things moved slowly. Changes in personnel at Universal resulted in various Trojan projects being shelved and releases held back and while various titles did still see issue, they were relatively few and far between. A restructure of the Catalogue department in 2010 led to a new determination to make the most of the old label and soon various new projects were instigated. Among these was a new website that would at last begin to meet the needs of Reggae fans once more. New lines were also introduced, while the combining of Trojan and Island repertoire produced some of the strongest collections in years.

In 2011, the fight to maintain Trojan's profile is tougher than ever. Widespread piracy has hit record companies hard, while also depriving artists and music producers royalties from sales. Ironically, many sites from which Jamaican music can be obtained illegally also purport to champion Reggae, yet they clearly care little or nothing for those whose music they claim to love.

As for Trojan's long-term future, only time will tell, but for the sake of the label's fans and the Reggae industry at large, I hope it will continue to make the best in classic Jamaican sounds accessible to all, whether it be through CDs, vinyl, downloads or formats yet to be created.

The past 20 years or so with Trojan certainly haven't always been plain sailing for me, but it has certainly provided many great moments of pleasure. I've been fortunate enough to compile and oversee the release of hundreds of compilations, had the great pleasure of working with some exceptionally nice people and met many of those whose music I've admired for more years than I care to remember. And for that I will always be thankful.

Laurence Cane-Honeysett