New Signings & Team-Ups: Dec 8

Jaddan Comerford, Matt Emsell, to launch new label

Australian artist managers Jaddan Comerford (the CEO of Unified also manages Vance Joy, The Amity Affliction, The Kite String Tangle, Northlane and Nina Las Vegas) and Matt Emsell (5 Seconds of Summer and Matt Corby) are teaming with Atlantic Records to launch 1825 Records next year. The aim is to break more Australian acts in the US.

Melbourne-born Comerford who now lives in New York, told TMN more details would be released closer to the launch but confirmed staff has been hired and acts signed.

“Matt and I have been friends for around five years. Although he’s English, and now (based) in LA, he lived in Sydney for a long time where connected and shared our passion for signing Australian artists and taking them overseas.”

Comerford, along with YouTube’s Lead Marketing Manager Jake O’Leary, are the only two Australians in the Top 15 Shortlist of the inaugural Young Executive MBW (Music Business Worldwide) global Award.

Nuclear Blast take in Mantar

Nuclear Blast will release Northern German infernal extreme metal duo Mantar’s next album Ode To The Flame in the first quarter of 2016. Head of A&R and Label Manager Andy Siry described Mantar as “the band we’ve been waiting for. Their sheer brutality and passion for honest and deep darkness just blew us away from the get-go.” Mantar formed two years ago, and didn’t think they’d become big enough to make it past their debut album Death By Burning from last year.

CeeLo Green enters JV with Sony Music

CeeLo Green entered into a label joint venture with Sony Music Entertainment. Green’s Mothership Entertainment, fully funded by Sony, will focus on discovering, signing and developing R&B/soul artists for Sony. The deal also allows. Green to open recording studios in Atlanta and Las Vegas, where he will work directly with the new artists that he signs.

Personal Best signing kicks in

Personal Best’s recent signing of Sydney electronic duo The Goods has seen R&B/ house track Strong Man featuring Lo Five released as lead-off single. A full-length album follows in March. Boris Bangaltar (Jarrol Renaud) and Rosario D’Awesome (Rosario Ferraro) are both well known in their own right, having toured or recorded with Omar, Touch Sensitive, Daniel Merriweather, Dereb The Ambassador, George Maple and Porsches.

Hanson expanding MMM hops

US brother band Hanson plan to expand their line of pale ale Mmmhops, named after their 1997 hit MMMBop. Taylor, Isaac and Zac Hanson worked with Mustang Brewing Company in Oklahoma City to launch it last year in 16 American states and won a gold medal from the Beverage Tasting Institute. Now they plan more brands, chuckling over how they won a brewing award before they got their Grammy.

New sponsor saves Tropfest

After cancelling out at the last minute due to financial distress, the Tropfest short film festival will be back on February 14 after securing a new sponsor in CGU Insurance. The event was to have been held this month in Sydney before the financial spam hit the fan. Major sponsors Destination NSW and Screen NSW, Qantas, Nikon, Centennial Parklands and media partners SBS 2, Screen Australia and Nova 96.9 have returned for the new date. SBS 2 will broadcast the event from 9pm on the night.

Wiggles and Australian Unity in three-year deal

The Wiggles and national healthcare, financial services and retirement living organisation Australian Unity struck a three year deal. The mutual attraction was that The Wiggles’ have the growing family demographic which Australian Unity is targeting. Its Head of Brand Laura Jennings said, “At Australian Unity we really want to have a positive influence on Australian families and we are convinced there is no better place to begin a relationship with a young family than via The Wiggles as part of our ambition to enable millions to enjoy wellbeing.”

FUGA enters global digital pact with Domino

Digital music distribution and services company FUGA Domino Recording Company to its roster. It will look after the label’s global digital delivery of catalogue and future releases from the likes of Arctic Monkeys, Hot Chip, Wild Beasts, Jon Hopkins, Villagers and Anna Calvi. Connected to over 260 digital service providers worldwide, FUGA looks after over 1.8 million tracks, with up to 2.5 million track deliveries per month.

Samsung goes 360-degree online concert

To launch the first ever 360-degree wireless speaker, the R7 360, Samsung created an online concert experience with Swedish popstars Icona Pop. 360 fans “sat” around the circular stage watching on smartphones, tablets or computers as they performed their new single F.U. They were filmed from every angle, highlighting what the speaker could do. For Icona Pop it was a different way to launch a single as the video will be posted online.

PBS project wins second award

Melbourne community radio station PBS 106.7FM’s inaugural Collaborative Radio Project won the Media category of the Victorian Government and Victorian Multicultural Commission’s Victorian Multicultural Awards.

The project, developed with Multicultural Arts Victoria to deliver audio documentaries with emerging, refugee and asylum seeker communities in Melbourne. A few weeks ago it won Excellence in Training at the CBAA community radio awards. With support from MAV and Creative Victoria, it was presented by Maddy Mac of Homebrew and Jess Fairfax of All Our Stories.

ABC channel live streaming

ABC’s primary channel becomes available as a live stream via the iView app. It means users can watch its major shows whenever they like and on whatever device. Plans are for iView to be expanded to its other channels.

Visa gives Moshtix gift vouchers a discount

As ticketing agency Moshtix ramps up its campaign for punters to give gift vouchers to live events as Christmas presents, a deal with Visa Checkout. Those who use the card get 20% off for a limited time this month. “Who doesn’t want to see some live entertainment over the summer?” reckons Moshtix CEO Harley Evans.

FreQ Nasty spreads Future Bass

On his current Australian and Asian dates, FreQ Nasty’s Future Bass vibration experience includes the addition of the SubPac. It’s a new tactile audio speaker technology that allows deaf people to ‘hear’ his DJ sets. His sets include a ‘Silent Disco for Deaf and Hard of Hearing’ area on the dancefloor which will utilise SubPac’s technology, allowing deaf and hard of hearing people to experience a visceral and vibrational dimension of the music during FreQ sets. FreQ is a partner in SubPac.

Labels, brands, to showcase at Vibes On A Summer’s Day

The rebooted Vibes On A Summer’s Day boutique festival at Sydney’s Bondi Pavilion (January 24) has added a Curator Series to the bill. It provides a platform for stylists, labels and producers to showcase their latest acts and sounds.

Sweat It Out will bring Yolanda Be Cool and Juan Du Sol of RUFUS, along with rising stars. Katalyst Sound System will showcase artists that founder Ashley Anderson has worked with in recent years, as Leeroy Brown, Natalie Slade, Mister Clean and Inner West Reggae Disco Machine. Funkdafied will showcase on the balcony at Vibes with JC, Eddie Mac and DJ Hudge.

Virgin Mobile joins Presto deal

A team up between Virgin Mobile and Presto video streaming will see the carrier offer 2GB of extra data per month and a free one-month Presto subscription until May 31 for new customers and those on existing plans over $59 and SIM-only customers on plans $39 and over. The new team-up is underlined with a TVC in which Entourage cast member Kevin Dillon “auditions” for the Virgin Mobile ad.

MONA to advice on new Hobart redevelopment

Art Gallery and festival promoter David Walsh’s innovative MONA team have been appointed by the Macquarie Point Development Corporation to provide conceptual artwork ideas for the public spaces of the $1 billion 9.3ha site project in Hobart. The Dark Mofo festival attracted 76,000 in June.

Ararat Arts Projects moves a further step

The Victorian state government appointed Williams Boag Architect to design work on the $5.2 million arts precinct in Ararat in regional Victoria. It is expected to draw more performers and exhibitions and place the town as a tourist gateway to the Grampians.