DEALS
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Primary Wave has entered into a new partnership with Times Music in India. The deal will see the former invest in the latter â the music business of Indian media firm The Times Group â and provide resources to assist it in growing its reach globally. âMusic is synonymous with India and Times Music has built an incredible catalogue with amazing global potentialâ, says Times Music COO Mandar Thakur. âOur partnership with Primary Wave will enable us to further accelerate our catalogue acquisition, acquire new music and reach worldwide audiencesâ.
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Music distributor Believe has agreed a deal with Rinse FM to provide distribution and other services to its Rinse and Bad Music record labels. âWeâre very excited to sign this deal with Believeâ, says Marva Kreel, Label Manager at Rinse. âOur label at Rinse is ready to move into our next chapter and we feel that Believe is perfectly aligned with our ambitions and valuesâ.
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Sen Morimoto has signed a new record deal with City Slang. The company will co-release his upcoming third album with Sooper Records. The first single from that album, âIf The Answer Isnât Loveâ, is out now.
APPOINTMENTS
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Booking agency Runway has hired agent Zac Peters. He joins from DMF Music. âWeâre really excited to have Zac join Runway and were THRILLED that he was open to a conversation with us, having been so well regarded during his time at DMFâ, says Runway founder Matt Hanner. After bigging up his new recruitâs experience working with both new and established artists, Hanner adds: âBeyond that, Zacâs a family man and, as a company that has been built around individuals with their own family commitments, weâre determined to champion an equitable work-life balance that our industry so often doesnât allowâ.
RELEASES
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Yusuf/Cat Stevens has released new song âKing Of A Landâ, calling on King Charles III to use his reign to improve the world. âOne of the privileges of being an artist is to express what seems unimaginable, and then hang it up there for people to ponder; we can say things that others canâtâ, he says. âSure, I know full well music canât necessarily solve the worldâs problems, but it can help to direct the narrative. There are a few aspirations in my song, âKing Of A Landâ, that I hope resonate with His Majestyâ.
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Thundercat has released new track âNo More Liesâ, a collaboration with Tame Impala. âIâve wanted to work with Kevin [Parker] since the very first Tame Impala albumâ, says Thundercat. âI feel that I knew that us working together would be special. Iâve been excited about this song for a long timeâ.
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Jon Hopkins has released two meditation versions of tracks from his âMusic For Psychedelic Therapyâ album. Hopkins says that while the LP âwas not written to be a meditation album ⊠it turns out a lot of people like to use it for meditationâ, so he created simplified versions of the tracks âTayos Caves, Ecuadorâ and âAscending, Dawn Skyâ, removing âall the field recordings, so that no specific imagery is brought to mindâ.
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Cowboy Junkies have released new single âHard To Build. Easy To Breakâ. âThese days there seems to be this pull towards destructionâ, says the bandâs Michael Timmins of the inspiration for the song. âIâm more interested in the effort it takes to create something or the experience of seeing something evolve. On the flip-side of that is how easy it is to utterly smash and destroy whatever is at handâ. The bandâs new album âSuch Ferocious Beautyâ is out on 2 Jun.
GIGS & TOURS
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McFly have announced UK tour dates in October and November, including a performance at Londonâs Alexandra Palace on 27 Oct. Tickets go on general sale on 5 May.
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Johnny Marr has announced UK tour dates in July and August this year, kicking off at the Picturedrome in Holmfirth on 17 Jul. Tickets go on general sale on Friday.
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Finch have announced two UK shows to mark the 20th anniversary of their debut album âWhat It Is To Burnâ. They will hit Manchesterâs New Century on 7 Nov and the Kentish Town Forum in London on 8 Nov. Tickets go on general sale on Friday.
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Hardcore supergroup Better Lovers â featuring former members of The Dillinger Escape Plan and Every Time I Die â have announced four UK shows in October, two of which will be in London at the New Cross Inn and The Dome. The other shows will be in Brighton and Leeds. Tickets are on sale now.