New Signings & Team-Ups: August 2

Sony Music inks Martin Garrix to global deal

Sony Music Entertainment Australia has released Dutch EDM wunderkind Martin Garrix’s (pictured) new single In The Name Of Love. It is part of a global label deal signed by the 20-year-old act with Sony Music International. He first came to attention in Australia in 2013 with smash hit Animals, which sold 10 million worldwide.

“Martin is one of the preeminent DJs in the world and we couldn’t be more excited to welcome him and his team to the Sony Music family,” said Adam Granite, President Northern & Eastern Europe & Africa, Sony International.

Garrix, on his part added: “I’m super excited to be working with such a hungry and passionate team at Sony Music Entertainment. Their forward thinking approach to streaming and incredible roster of talented artists combined with their passion and understanding for my vision of the future of my music made this a no brainer.”

His upcoming first album under the Sony deal features a hot of guest singers. Featured on In The Name Of Love is Bebe Rexha, an American singer-songwriter of Albanian descent who sang vocals on Hey Mama with David Guetta, collaborated with Nicki Minaj on No Broken Hearts and co-wrote Eminem’s huge Monster.

RCA inks Australia’s Will Singe

After a year long bidding battle, RCA in the US has signed Australia’s Will Singe. The 23-year-old one time X Factor Australia 2012 finalist turned YouTube sensation joins a roster including Chris Brown, Alicia Keys and Justin Timberlake. The deal is for five years and worth $2 million, according to reports.

Post X Factor, one time bank teller Singe joined The Collective, made up of other show contestants, which was signed by Sony and had a Top 10 single. He left them last year after six other singles tanked. Since then, he has drawn 2 million online followers, with over 200 million combined views on his Facebook and YouTube uploads, sold over 100,000 singles on iTunes, and embarked on a 45-date international tour with some dates sold out in advance.

Asked why, given his achievements, he sold to a major label, Singe’s manager and childhood friend, Julian Petroulas, told Forbes, “It’s about taking it to the next level. None of the other labels felt right. We knew what we wanted to give up and what we didn’t. Everyone at RCA had the same vision that we did, so it was something we knew we wanted to do.” He added, “He’s about to be a superstar.”

Dot Dash/ Remote Control hooks Dorsal Fins

Dot Dash and Remote Control Records signed Melbourne based 9-piece Dorsal Fins. Their new LP will be released later in 2016 via Dot Dash / Captured Tracks in North America and Dot Dash / Remote Control Records for rest of the world.

A new single Sedated is dropped before a run of east coast dates in Melbourne, Sydney, Byron and Brisbane throughout August. The band’s Jarrad Brown provided an insight to the single: “When the sun slinks way too low, and the stars forget to shine, and you need a cryogenic sleep chamber to knock you out and wake up somewhere a 1000 years in the future… you write a song like Sedated… and then you feel better.”

Apple Music snares DJ Khaled exclusive …

In the latest round of ‘exclusive’ grabbing by streaming services to increase subscriber figures, Apple Music has one with DJ Khaled’s Major Key. Khaled has his own weekly show on Apple’s Beats 1 called We The Best Radio. The album is released on We The Best Music Group/Epic Records and locally by Sony Music Entertainment Australia. Major Key is out on Apple Music and iTunes (it hit #1 on the Australian iTunes charts over the weekend) until its physical release on Friday August 5. The record includes cameos from Drake, Jay Z, Future, J. Cole, Nas, Nicki Minaj, Gucci Mane, YG and Meghan Trainor. Apple Music previously secured priority deals from Katy Perry and Britney Spears.

Major Key’s exclusive kicks off #EpicSummer which will push Epic artists on Apple Music and the iTunes store display online. The campaign will headline new music on a weekly basis from Epic artists Travis Scott, Big Boi, André 3000, Future, French Montana, Yo Gotti, Zara Larsson, Jidenna, Kent Jones, Blac Youngsta, Nick Grant, A Tribe Called Quest, Casey Veggies and Candice Boyd.

… and makes Carpool Karaoke a series

Apple Music has commissioned 16 episodes of Carpool Karaoke, the popular segment from The Late Late Show With James Corden. It seems Corden himself won’t take part, and a new host will be announced. It will be produced by the same company which makes the Corden show, which will continue to feature Carpool Karaoke distinct from the series.

Create/Control bug Moreton

Create/Control have brought in Brisbane/Byron Bay trio Moreton, and issued their debut single The Water. The track was produced with Matt Redlich (Holy Holy, Emma Louise) and already playlisted on triple j.

Alicia Keys, John Legend managers form partnership

US artist manager Ty Stiklorius’s company Friends at Work (John Legend, Lindsey Stirling) has formed a partnership with Erika Rose Santoro (Alicia Keys), bringing her into the company as a partner. Santoro’s team includes five female artist managers.

Live Nation expands footprint with Snapchat

Live Nation Europe emulates rival AEG by striking up a deal with the messaging app Snapchat to cover a series of festivals through its Live Stories feature. Users can upload their own videos and photos while attending the UK’s V Festival, Creamfields and Reading & Leeds, along with Sweden’s Way Out West. “Some of our best summer festivals will now be covered from every angle by music fans themselves,” said Live Nation Europe CEO Paul Latham.

123 Agency raises Rackett

Melbourne-based 123 Agency has taken over bookings for emerging Sydney band Rackett. They hit the road along the East Coast behind debut single Bats, off a January EP. Its members were individually with bands as Bec & Ben, SHE REX, Baby Lips & The Silhouettes and Mylee & The Milkshakes.

New team for chamber music competition

The Melbourne International Chamber Music Competition, and its sister event for the Asia Pacific region, will be delivered by Musica Viva in partnership with the Melbourne Recital Centre (MRC) and the Australian National Academy of Music (ANAM). The Melbourne International Chamber Music Competition has been staged in Melbourne every four years since 1991, and since 2009 has been complemented by the Asia Pacific Chamber Music Competition, held on an alternate four-year cycle.

Wilma Smith, former Concertmaster of the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra has been appointed Artistic Director of the Competitions, working alongside Musica Viva’s newly appointed Victorian General Manager, Hywel Sims. The Melbourne International Chamber Music Competition will be held in 2018 and the Asia Pacific Chamber Music Competition will be held in 2020.

Management deal announced for Liam Payne

Following on from signing a solo deal with Capitol UK, Liam Payne takes a further step away from the One Direction galaxy with a new management deal. It will be with sports and film company Doyen Global, which transformed David Beckham from a soccer player to a global high premium brand. It is eying an entry to the music market, and figures that Payne would be a strong entry point.

According to UK reports Doyen Global founder Simon Oliveira plans to take a Posh & Beck approach with Payne and his model girlfriend Cheryl Fernandez-Versini. But this is not confirmed yet.

BMG sings songs with Labrinth

BMG Music Publishing picked up singer, songwriter, producer and multi-instrumentalist Labrinth, four months after his publishing deal with Sony/ATV expired. As a solo artist, Labrinth has since 2010 frisbeed ten songs into the UK Top 10, the best known being the #1 smash with Emeli Sande, Beneath Your Beautiful. His 2012 debut LP, Electronic Earth, reached.#2 and spent 42 weeks on the UK charts. He has also written and produced for Rihanna, Emeli Sande, Kygo, The Weeknd, Plan B and Mike Posne, and collaborated a number of times with Tinie Tempah.

Orchard series blooms back to Perth

Bar Pop’s live music series Live at The Orchard (LATO) returns in November and December at the Perth Cultural Centre. The ten shows are on the venue’s rooftop, offering an ‘under the stars’ experience. LATO has enlisted Tame Impala’s sound engineer Adam Round and business partner Jay Brandner to develop a PA system that will deliver world class sound experience to the patrons whilst minimising any impact on surrounding businesses and residents. The first show features Regurgitator and Perth band Sugar Army.

Dyson extends VW team up

Blues-rock singer Mia Dyson has taken a step forward with her cover of Iggy Pop’s The Passenger which she initially cut for a Volkswagen Australia TVC. Dyson says that the track got such a strong consumer response that she’s released it as a single through MGM. “We were inundated with requests. This is a song that I’ve always loved and to pay tribute to an artist like Iggy Pop is a real privilege,” says Dyson, who has just started working on her sixth album.

Mud in your eye

US company Jampol Artist Management has partnered with the estate of influential blues guitarist and songwriter Muddy Waters to co-manage his estate. Waters died in 1983 at the age of 70. In the 1960s it was he who inspired a generation of young British R&B players; one of his songs Rollin’ Stone inspired Mick and his lads with their name. Jamol plans to take Waters music to new sync deals. It also reps names as The Doors, Janis Joplin, Otis Redding, Jim Morrison, Rick James and Kurt Cobain.