New signings and team-ups w/e April 4
Unified hires McLarens
Melbourne independent label Unified has signed on artist managers Aidan and Rhett McLaren and hip hop artist Remi. The McLaren brothers run the two-night boutique music festival The Hills Are Alive in Melbourne and manage Remi. Last year 23-year-old Remi Kolawole took triple j’s Unearthed Artist Of The Year award.
Sony appoints Play MPE
Sony Music Entertainment Australia appointed Play MPE as its supplier of digital distribution services. Play MPE also delivers digital song files for Universal Music Australia, EMI Australia and Warner Music Australia, as well as an array of independents.
Dan Sultan first community radio ambassador
Dan Sultan has been appointed the first Community Radio Amrap Ambassador by the Community Broadcasting Association of Australia. The program will recognise Australian artists consistently supported by community radio through the Australian Music Radio Airplay Project (Amrap) which distributes new Australian music to more than 2,000 program makers and music coordinators across 300 community stations. Sultan’s new single The Same Man has had orders from 100 stations through Amrap’s music distribution service ‘AirIt’.
Owen Campbell lands US deal
Canberra singer-songwriter Owen Campbell landed a deal with US based Reckless Grace, a one-stop shop with artist management, record label and publishing divisions. The one-time Australia Got Talent finalist releases his Mark Opitz-produced debut album The Pilgrim in the US in June. Campbell is touring Australia to promote his second single Remember To Breathe.
Australian iHeartRadio charts integrate
The Australian Radio Network is formally integrating its digital music service iHeartRadio with its stations. It will present the iHeartRadio Thumbs Up chart, based on listeners’ favourite songs, on Sydney-based urban station The Edge 96.ONE. It will play the Top 9 at 9 (9am), 3 at 3 (3pm), 4 at 4 (4pm), 5 at 5 (5pm), and 9 at 9 (9pm). “The use of up-to-the-minute data given by iHeartRadio users is an amazing way to immediately integrate their tastes on The Edge,” ARN’s COO and Head of iHeartRadio Geraint Davies told TMN.
Joelistics, Little Dreamer, join Blank Tape management
Blank Tape Music added MC producer and multi-instrumentalist Joelistics of hip hop group TZU, and Melbourne band Little Dreamers, to management.
Dot Dash / Remote Control adds Velociraptor
Dot Dash / Remote Control has added Brisbane 10-piece Velociraptor to its roster, releasing its new single Ramona. The act includes two members of DZ Deathrays.
HOWLS find their niche
HOWLS, the collaboration between beatmakers Taku and Kit Pop, is now booked through Niche Entertainment.
Feed Her To The Sharks land global deal
Melbourne “modern, melodic, metalcore” act Feed Her To The Sharks signed a global deal with Chicago-based punk label Victory. The band says, “Victory is already home to many of our idols, and to say we are part of this is truly an honour.”
Dew Process gets wet
Dew Process signed Brooklyn trio Wet in the wake of four shows at SxSW. The act met as students in New York in 2006. Their US breakthrough single Dreams is on full rotation on triple j and has 300,000 plays online.