Australian booking agent Alastair Green has departed from his position as the head of electronic music at Artist Voice in order to launch his new artists agency, MAKER.

Providing a range of services such as artist management, artist bookings, venue bookings, events and tour management, promotions and consulting, MAKER will “spend as much time as possible connecting with our family of artists to build, foster and develop new opportunities and maximise the potential of each artist we represent,” says Green.

To that end, MAKER already has an artist roster that includes Spinning Top Music’s enviable family of bands: Tame Impala, Pond, and Felicity Groom, as well as emerging Aussie stars Anna Lunoe, Wave Racer, Chela, Cosmo’s Midnight, Indian Summer, Motez, Nina Las Vegas, Tyler Touché, Emoh Instead, and his side-project with Flume, What So Not.

“Alastair Green has been one of the most influential people in my career. He is an amazing human and an amazing colleague,” says Chris ‘Emoh’ Emerson of the MAKER figurehead, who has also earned high praise from Astral People’s Tom Huggett (“[he’s] one of the he most reliable and passionate agents in the entire industry.”) and Sweat It Out’s Jamie Raeburn (“very much the papa bear in the [Sweat It Out] family”).

Joining Alastair Green at MAKER will be fellow Artist Voice associate, Jon Debeere, who has toured a range of international artist such as Bloc Party, DJ Funk, The 2 Bears, Branchez, Sweater Beats, and many more. The new agency is also looking to expand its team with a publicist, administrative assistant, and office manager who are interested in MAKER’s mantra of “supporting its artists with a strong and passionate team.”

Interested applicants can head to the official MAKER Agency website for details and to view the full artist roster.

This Week’s New Tracks On Triple J


Adds:
East – Old Age [triplejunearthed.com]
Jack White – Lazaretto [Third Man Records/Sony]
Jamie xx – Girl [Young Turks/Remote Control]
Lunatics On Pogosticks – Less Than Sober [triplejunearthed.com]
Mac DeMarco – Passing Out Pieces [Spunk]
Phonat – Never [Onelove]
Remi – Tyson [House Of Beige]
Total Control – Flesh War [Independent/Iron Lung]

Spots:
Benjamin Booker – Violent Shiver [Rough Trade/Remote Control]
Lancelot – Ain’t Nothin’ Goin’ On But The Rent {Ft. Ngaiire} [October]
The Owls – Ocean [triplejunearthed.com]
Yumi Zouma – The Braw [Cascine]

Industry News


Groovin The Moo 2014 Oakbank Sold Out
Following on from announcing the full Groovin The Moo 2014 set times, the regional touring music festival has sold out its opening date at Oakbank, in South Australia, just days before its kick-off this Friday 25th April. Stephen Haplin of Cattleyard Promotions remarked: “The uptake from the South Australians has been overwhelming and we thank the Oakbank community and music loving public for their support! We are looking forward to introducing ourselves to all 10,000 of you this Friday on our first venture into your neck of the woods!” The first-ever appearance for Groovin The Moo in SA, the Oakbank news now makes half of the 2014 edition sold out – joining Maitland and Bendigo in exhausting their ticket allocations. Tickets for the remaining three legs in Canberra, Townsville, and Bunbury are availalbe for $99.90 (+ b/f) online at www.gtm.net.au or www.moshtix.com.au.

FBi Radio General Manger Steps Down As New Digital Station Launched
After more than 10 years with the Sydney-based community radio station, FBi Radio General Manager Dan Zilber has announced he is leaving the station after he launches new digital radio station, FBi Click. The new digital project will focus on electronic and dance music and launch in June 2014. “We’ve pulled together some of the best Sydney crews, we’re putting them at the helm and I’m excited to see the results,” says Mr Zilber. FBi Radio President, Cass Wilkinson hailed Zilber as “a true visionary and it’s for this reason that we’re thrilled that we’ve been able to set his sights on FBi’s future one more time.” (via FBi Radio)

Bluesfest 2014 Draws Biggest Crowds Yet, 25th Anniversary Book Released
This past Easter long weekend saw Byron Bay’s iconic Bluesfest celebrating its 25th Anniversary with a massive Silver Jubilee lineup of over 90+ artists across five days of music. According to Bluesfest’s wizened promoter Peter Noble, the 2014 edition has broken the festival’s record 100,000 attendance mark. “This is our equal biggest festival or the biggest yet,” Noble tells The Music Network; “we will work through all the numbers and make an announcement in the coming days.”

The festival is also marking its 25th Anniversary milestone with the release of a commemorative Bluesfest photographic book. The coffee table-styled hard cover tome will dig through the festival’s archives for a collection of stunning imagery across 180 pages including quotes from the long list of artist that have played the event over its quarter century. Copies are available for $30 (+ $14.95 p/h) online at www.bluesfest.com.au

Sound Summit Taking Hiatus For 2014
The organisers of the annual Sydney music industry conference, Sound Summit, have decided to take a hiatus for this year “with the aim to develop a more robust platform for the festival’s long term sustainability,” reads a statement from MusicNSW. “The ongoing financial viability of the festival has been a major factor in this decision, with Sound Summit currently seeking out a range of funding and partnership options within a revised business plan.”

Having relocated to Sydney from its original Newcastle home last year, Sound Summit will instead be holding “satellite events throughout the year” as Co-Director Liza Harvey will undertake an independent survey of Sound Summit associates for an “in-depth review and evaluation.” (via Sound Summit)

Prince Announces New Music Deal With Warner Bros
Prince has signed a new agreement with his former major label associates Warner Bros. Records that will see the ownership of the master recordings of much of his classic material going back to the 55-year-old musician “through an exclusive global licensing partnership that covers every album released from 1978 into the nineties.” For fans, this will mean the release of the wealth of rare, previously unheard material stocked in Prince’s massive music archives, touted to begin with the upcoming 30th Anniversary of Prince’s iconic 1984 album and film, Purple Rain. Including a digitally re-mastered, deluxe version of the album with other projects to follow. Prince is also working on a brand-new studio album as part of the Warner Bros deal, including his new single ‘The Breakdown’, which has received the music video treatment with Robert DeNiro as the star (watch/listen here). (via Billboard)

Artist Signings


DZ Deathrays Sign Deal With Infectious
Fresh from announcing their Australian Tour in support of album #2Black Rat, DZ Deathrays have inked an international label deal with UK’s Infectious Music. The British-based label will release Black Rat on Monday 18th August, following its Australian release via I OH YOU on Friday 2nd May. The Brisbane duo join other Aussie acts already on Infectious, including The Temper Trap, Vance Joy, and Cloud Control. DZ Deathrays are also set for a UK tour with Blood Red Shoes over the next three weeks before returning for their Australian tour. (via Mushroom)

Buchanan Join 123 Agency Roster
123 Agency has added Aussie indie rock four-piece Buchanan to their growing artist roster. Following the release of their critically acclaimed 2013 debut LP, Human Spring, Buchanan recently relocated to the UK and looking towards a September 2014 release for their debut album. The band are already at work on their follow-up LP and in anticipation of the European release of Human Spring, Buchanan will release a new track every three weeks, starting with new single ‘Temperamentally’ (watch/listen here).

Legs Electric Sign With Wanted Management
Perth rock band Legs Electric is the first Australian signing for Wanted Management, the brainchild of Gregg Bell, who moved to Perth in 2012 after spending 21 years in the LA music industry working for the likes of Hollywood Records, Warner-Discovery, Sire, and Restless. The four female rockers of Legs Electric have opened for the Bell-Rays, Tumbleweed, Kadavar and Blues Pills on tour, and will release their debut EP on 17th May with a headline show at the Rosemount in WA before heading to the East Coast for their first shows in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Adelaide.

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