DEALS
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BMG has acquired the recordings catalogue of producer Martin Solveig. “In the process of selecting a partner to host and preserve my recordings, it was imperative for me to associate myself with a company that understands the intrinsic value of this music and is just as passionate about its future potential as I was in creating it”, he says. “BMG has demonstrated exceptional motivation and a genuine desire to perpetuate the exploitation of the tracks that are dear to me”. Solveig’s first album in over a decade ‘Back To Life’ is out today.
APPOINTMENTS
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Digital marketing agency Creed Media has appointed Christian Birch-Jensen as Chief Strategy Officer. “Creed consists of an amazing team that grew up with the formats and the audience that have, and will continue to, disrupt media globally”, he says. “Over the years, Creed has led the market in helping clients reach their goals in an ever evolving media environment and I am THRILLED to be joining them in this next part of the journey”.
LABELS & PUBLISHERS
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Universal’s Virgin Music Group is integrating the operations of its two distribution and label services companies, Virgin Music and Ingrooves. VMG co-CEO JT Myers says the restructure is part of efforts to build “a company that combines the industry's leading technology, brand identity and executive expertise with unparalleled global scale in order to help our partners in the independent community to achieve their goals”. A number of new appointments have been made as part of the rejig, including bosses for five regional divisions, and some new globally focused roles, including Jay Blomquist as CTO, Joy Larocca as CFO and Jeremy Kramer as EVP Of Global Marketing. In the UK, Vanessa Bosåen will continue to lead as President while Jim Chancellor will run Fiction Records as a distributed label of Virgin Music Group.
EDUCATION & EVENTS
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The UK’s Music Managers Forum has announced that it will hold an Agents & Managers conference on 8 Nov at Rich Mix in London. “Every day, managers and agents operate in close collaboration, working hand in glove to build the live career of their clients”, says CEO Annabella Coldrick. “In such a fast-paced sector, it’s still a rarity that we get to sit down as a group and communicate. I hope this event becomes the first of many and look forward to a productive day of discussions”. View the full programme and book tickets here.
RELEASES
🏙️
What would happen if Sam Smith and Charli XCX got together and recorded a track? Until now, it’s been impossible to say. But as of today, ‘In The City’ is out in the world, so the question is finally answered. “Charli is a force and getting creative with her is so much fun”, says Smith. “This track is about freedom and those unforgettable nights of abandon. I loved every minute we spent together making it”. Yeah, but did she say she’s throwing toilet water in the opening line?
❤️🔥
Paris Hilton’s music career is back on. She’s teamed up with Steve Aoki for new track ‘Lighter’. “My debut collaboration with friend and legendary DJ Steve Aoki reflects years of supporting one another, and this song is the perfect representation of all the epic times we’ve had”, she says. The track will appear on Aoki’s new album ‘Hiroquest: Double Helix’, which is out on 17 Nov, but Hilton has also said that she will release a new album next year.
⛓️
2 Chainz and Lil Wayne have announced that they will release collaborative album ‘Welcome To GolleGrove’ on 17 Nov. From it, this is ‘Presha’.
🧥
Wale has released new single ‘Max Julien’, his first track put out under a new deal with Def Jam.
🔥
Beabadoobee and Laufey have teamed up for new single ‘A Night To Remember’. “We wrote ‘A Night To Remember’ and decided we wanted to write something that sounds grand but a bit more sexy lyrically and have fun with that theme”, says Beabadoobee.
🌀
Ghetts has released new single ‘Laps’, featuring Moonchild Sanelly. His new album ‘On Purpose, With Purpose’ is out on 5 Jan.
🍼
Nadine Shah has announced that she will release her fifth album ‘Filthy Underneath’ on 23 Feb. Out now is new single 'Topless Mother’. "It’s a song about a counsellor I worked with that I couldn’t get along with”, she says. “I’m pretty certain the feeling was mutual. And I’m also pretty certain she’d find this funny. Some people just don’t click and some arseholes like me write songs about it”.
👽
Scaler (formerly Scalping) have released new Daniel Avery produced single ‘New Symbols’. "With ‘New Symbols’ we wanted to act quickly on our instincts and create something a bit more rough and ready”, say the band. “We started with a sturdy, winding groove before adding the blasts of alien vocals and industrial noise”.
👣
Jim Perkins has released two tracks from upcoming new album ‘Imprints’. They are ‘Whispers (Imprint)’ and ‘Whispers (Hybrid)’. The album features four instrumental piano pieces and reworks of each, presenting a solo piano version, a version performed on strings, and then a hybrid of the two. ‘Imprints’ is out on 1 Dec.
GIGS & TOURS
🇬🇧
Becky Hill has announced a UK arena tour in October 2024, which will wind up at Wembley Arena in London on 24 Oct. Tickets go on general sale on next Friday.