New Signings & Team-Ups: October 4
INERTIA MUSIC INKS MEZKO…
Inertia Music inked Sydney electro-indie duo MEZKO, re-releasing their 2015 single ’Steady On’ before their debut EP Polychronic (co-produced with Anthony Garvin) drops on October 27.
Multi-instrumentalists Laura Bailey & Kat Harley have generated airplay on triple j and community radio for previous singles ’Trust’ and ’Everyone’.
The new single is about being on the edge of a depressed phase, and focuses on “the moment when you’re out of it and trying to hold on to the exit.”
“You’re steady because you’re back,” say the duo. “These phases are super important to appreciate the positive moments and to accept that it happens; this is not the last time –see you again dark side.”
…AND UK PIANIST TOM ROGERSON
Inertia will release English pianist Tom Rogerson’s debut album Finding Shore, a collaboration with Brian Eno, in early December. The deal is through the Dead Oceans label.
The pair originally hailed from n the Suffolk town of Woodbridge, and struck up a conversation outside the toilets at a gig.
By 17, Rogerson had been taught by classical composer Harrison Birtwistle and worked as a lounge pianist in a dilapidated hotel before a stint in New York playing jazz, recording with Reid Anderson of The Bad Plus, and had a successful career with post-rock group Three Trapped Tigers
MICROSOFT PARTNERS WITH SPOTIFY, KILLS OFF GROOVE MUSIC
Microsoft is about to close its music store and streaming service, and from December 31, will move its Groove Music Pass customers to Spotify. The app will still be available for playing back and managing music that’s stored locally.
It said in a blog this week, “We know that access to the best streaming experience, the largest catalogue of music, and a variety of subscriptions are on the top of your list.
“Now you can move your curated playlists and collection from Groove directly into Spotify. Groove Music Pass users eligible under Spotify’s terms will also be able to receive 60 free days of Spotify Premium.”
The move comes as no surprise as Groove Music, which rebranded from Xbox Music in 2015, offered nothing that the major streaming services did.
Microsoft insists that the transfer will be seamless, and that most of its playlists and songs will make the shift.
The two companies had been working on apps for Windows 10 and Xbox One. Windows 10 users will still be able to access local MP3 files and those stored in OneDrive or other cloud services.
For full details of what the new partnership means, go to the website.
BECAUSE ACQUIRES BETA BAND, KING BISCUIT, CATALOGUES
The Because Group has acquired the back catalogues of UK groups The Beta Band and King Biscuit as part of Warner Music Group’s Parlophone divestment process.
Because Music UK won Independent Label of the Year at the 2017 AIM Awards and the Music Business Worldwide A&R Awards 2016.
It’s roster includes Christine and the Queens, Metronomy, Major Lazer, Justice, Django Django and Charlotte Gainsbourg
KOOKS TAP KOBALT FOR RECORD DEAL
On the eve of their return to Australia, The Kooks finalised a multi-faceted worldwide label services deal with Kobalt.
This includes digital and physical distribution, marketing and sync licensing.
Paul Hitchman, President of Kobalt Music Recordings, said: “The Kooks are at the height of their powers right now and are going from strength to strength in both their live and recorded music careers.”
PALACE OF THE KING SET FOR EUROPE
With their third album Get Right With Your Maker just completed and return dates in Europe set for April 2018, Melbourne rock band Palace Of The King struck a world deal with Golden Robot Records.
Guitarist Tim Henwood, who formed the band in 2012, says, “We’ve spent most of 2016/17 on the road and hit the studio whenever we were off the road.
“We’re pumped about the new album and can’t wait to get it out there and get back on that road!”
NZ TEEN BAND GETS BERLIN MANAGEMENT
New Zealand teen thrash metal act Alien Weaponry are set to achieve their long term goal of playing the European festival circuit next year (once they finish their exams) and have struck a three-year management contract with Berlin-based music agency Das Maschine to represent them in Europe and other parts of the world.
GOLDEN SYRUP UNVEILS ALBUM PLANS
Melbourne-based Golden Syrup, aka emerging visual, sound and performance artist Sara Retallick, has unveiled plans for a self-titled album and video for ’Take Care’.
From the regional Victorian town of Yorta Yorta and debuting at Tasmania’s cutting edge Dark Mofo festival, she’s sharpened her audio visual live dates.
She’s been recording with engineer Nick Huggins (Little Lake) and mastering by Mikey Young (Total Control, Eddy Current Suppression Ring). For its 19th release, Nice Music is issuing her album on November 3 as its first vinyl record.
TUVABAND JOIN CAROLINE AUSTRALIA
Caroline Australia’s latest addition is Oslo-based duo Tuvaband, through Brilliance Records.
Formed by Norwegian singer songwriter Tuva Hellum Marschhäuser and British musician Simon Would in 2014, new single ’Trees’ is a taster to their debut EP Mess out next month.
Their three earlier singles generated 10 million streams on Spotify.
RAW HEADS INDIGENOUS FILM MAKER TO ABC
Indigenous film makers Leah Purcell and Wayne Blair’s national millennial RAW initiative has decided on 21-year old Sydney student Enoch Mailangi to have his concept developed into a web series and pitched to the ABC.
Mailangi, descendent of Bwgcolman, was chosen by a panel of film industry professionals after being one of three finalists in a week-long writer’s workshop held at AFTRS with scriptwriter Greg Waters (RIOT).
His concept is a comedy called All My Friends Are Racists.
The two other finalists, Cindy Hill of the Wadja people from Woorabinda and Caden Pearson of Bagarrmugu from Hopvale in Cape York, will stay on with Mailangi to be part of the Writers Room
HYDROFUNK CELEBRATES 20 YEARS
Australian longest running hip hop label Hydrofunk Records celebrates its 20 years with a series of shows Brisbane, Byron Bay, Melbourne and Sydney in November.
Acts include their first signing Resin Dogs, their latest project Indigenoise and their first Japanese signing Uhnellys.
This year, Hydrofunk released new releases, the Benjamin Walsh Remix Experiment album and the Indigenoise debut single Wildfire.
KIIS AND SAMSUNG HIT RIGHT NOTES
Australian Radio Network’s KIIS 101.1 and Samsung Electronics Australia worked together on the roll out of the Galaxy Note8.
On September 26, they transformed Melbourne’s Federation Square with the opening of the KIIS 101.1 Cube which will until early November be an interactive space to encourage customers to get to know the device.
The cube, made with creative agency The Royals, allows users to play for their share in over $100,000 worth of prizing and Samsung product through a custom designed interface.
LANKUM GET AUSSIE RELEASE VIA REMOTE CONTROL
Much talked about Irish band Lankum will release their new album Between The Earth And Sky in Australia at the end of October through a deal struck with Rough Trade in the UK.
The Dublin four-piece combine distinctive vocal harmonies with arrangements of uilleann pipes, concertina, accordion, fiddle and guitar. Their repertoire spans humorous Dublin music-hall ditties and street-songs, classic ballads from the Traveller tradition, traditional Irish and American dance tunes, and their own original material.
SHOWCASING SINGAPORE CREATIVES
The Singapore Tourism Board has appointed Our Friends Electric to deliver its Singapore: Inside Out festival in Sydney.
Between November 3-5, the festival will showcase the island state’s music, as well as visual & performing arts, film, photography, multi-media, design, architecture and food & beverage within the Chippendale Creative Precinct.