Artist News Brands & Merch Business News Deals Gigs & Festivals Industry People Labels & Publishers One Liners Releases

One Liners: Wu-Tang Clan, Flo Milli, Laura Mvula, more

By Andy Malt | Published on Thursday 4 March 2021

DEALS

Partisan Records has teamed up with Chris Robbins and Tom Wironen of management firm Friendly Announcer and Brontë Jane of Third Side Music to launch new label Section1. “Our intention with Section1 is to operate in an art-first way that sounds, looks, and feels deliberate in nature”, say the founders. “We can’t think of a more exciting artist to launch with than our first signing, Hildegard”. Ah yes, I forgot to say, the new label’s first signing is Hildegard. More on whom in a moment.

Warner Chappell has signed producer Mag to a worldwide publishing agreement. “Mag is an unbelievable talent and exactly the type of producer who we’re looking to add into the mix”, says the publisher’s President Of US A&R, Ryan Press. “His work with Bad Bunny broke down cultural barriers and has opened so many new doors for him. We already have big things planned to help raise his profile even more and can’t wait to get started”.

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APPOINTMENTS

Warner’s label services division ADA Worldwide has appointed Cat Kreidich as Executive Vice President. “Cat will be instrumental in elevating our work for partners and projects across the globe, working closely with label management and our international teams”, says Eliah Seton, Warner’s President Of Independent Music & Creator Services. “With her strong relationships in the independent space, she’ll also play a big role in attracting new business both in the US and internationally. On behalf of everyone at ADA, we are THRILLED to welcome Cat to our leadership team”.

The good old Hipgnosis Songs Fund has announced Richard Rowe as Executive Vice President, joining from rival Round Hill Music. “Richard is one of the most important and successful executives in the music industry”, says CEO Merck Mercuriadis. “Over his career he has made some incredible deals, including the famous partnership with Michael Jackson bringing The Beatles copyrights to Sony/ATV, and some of Round Hill Music’s most important catalogues in Carlin Music, Eddie Holland and six songs by The Beatles via the Gil catalogue”.

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LABELS & PUBLISHERS

Universal Music Group’s total revenues for 2020 were up 4.7% on 2019 (at a constant currency rate) to 7.4 billion euros, owner Vivendi revealed yesterday. Recorded music revenues were up 6.7% thanks to the streaming boom, with all things streaming up 16.2%. What pandemic, hey?! Let’s have a party! A share sale party! In Amsterdam! Good times.

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BRANDS & MERCH

Wu-Tang Clan are up to their old tricks again. They have announced a plan to release a new coffee table book, but will only make 36 copies available. That’s probably for the best, as the “400lbs of steel and bronze” that encase each copy is going to set you back a lot in postage costs. Anyway, there’s more info here.

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Flo Milli has released new single ‘Back Pack (Flora The Explorer)’.

Laura Mvula has released new single ‘Safe Passage’. The song, she says, “is a poem about the vehicle that takes us all from the space where we feel like we’re drowning, and we’re trapped, to the promised land, which actually exists”.

Girl In Red has announced that she will release her debut album, ‘If I Could Make It Go Quiet’, on 30 Apr. “‘If I Could Make It Go Quiet’ is an attempt to learn what it’s like to be human”, she says. “‘If I Could Make It Go Quiet’ is me simply trying to understand what the fuck is going on”. Here’s her Finneas produced new single, ‘Serotonin’.

Van Morrison has announced that he will release a new double album, titled ‘Latest Record Project: Volume 1’, on 7 May. “I’m getting away from the perceived same songs, same albums all the time”, he says. “‘This guy’s done 500 songs, maybe more, so hello? Why do you keep promoting the same ten?’ I’m trying to get out of the box”. One of the songs is called ‘Why Are You On Facebook?’ But right now, you can listen to the title track, ‘Latest Record Project’, here.

Helena Deland and producer Ouri have launched new project Hildegard and signed to new label Section1 (getting a sense of déjà vu here?). Here’s their first track together, ‘Jour 2’.

Scandal have released new single ‘Eternal’. The band are also due to play a rescheduled show at the Islington Academy in London on 23 Oct.

Baby Strange have released the video for recent single ‘Club Sabbath’. Their new EP, ‘Land Of Nothing’, is out on 30 Apr, and they have rescheduled UK tour dates set for the end of the year.

Brodka has released new single ‘Game Change’, a song about gender roles in society and inspired by “the current situation of women in Poland”, where reproductive rights are being rolled back by lawmakers.

Nami Sato has announced the release of her debut album ‘World Sketch Monologue’ on 26 Mar. From it, this is new single ‘Blue Drizzling’.

Newly signed to City Slang, Pom Pom Squad have released new single ‘Lux’.

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GIGS & TOURS

Following the release of his new mixtape, ‘Made In The Pyrex’, Digga D has announced his first ever UK shows for October this year. He’s set to play Bournemouth, Leicester, Sheffield and London. Tickets are on sale now.

Check out our weekly Spotify playlist of new music featured in the CMU Daily – updated every Friday.