Kevin Saunderson’s Hair Salon Exit Strategy
Kevin Saunderson in the 80s (click for more)
Detroit techno founder Kevin Saunderson, hinted that he’s considering retiring from full time DJing when he’s 55, this week, revealing that he’s already started building a thriving hair care empire.
“Outside of music I’m kind of an entrepreneur, I like doing other things,” the 47 year old grandfather and father of four kids told the Independent.
“I have a chain of hair salons,” he revealed, “there are about 23 stores in America and that’s growing.”
James Bullock (Elite Music Management, UK) The Key Questions
Skrufff Editor-in-chief Jonty Skrufff is also the international representative for the Sochi Winter Music Conference, which takes place next weekend in Russia (February 9-12)
Elite Music Management; click for more
James Bullock (Elite Music Management, UK) The Key Questions
Starting his nightlife career as a club promoter in Liverpool, James Bullock joined Elite Music Management almost seven years ago and today handles bookings for the likes of Luke Solomon, Derrick Carter, Max Cooper and X Press 2.
Ralph Simon (Mobilium International) The Key Questions
Skrufff chief Jonty Skrufff is also the international representative for the Sochi Winter Music Conference, which takes place next weekend in Russia (February 9-12)
Ralph Simon (click for more)
Ralph Simon (Mobilium International) The Key Questions
Leading mobile entertainment strategist Ralph Simon advises stars including Madonna, U2 and Lady Gaga on their mobile strategies, reflecting his status as one of the world’s top experts in mobile technology and the music business.
At Sochi he’ll be delivering a keynote presentation demonstrating the possibilities for mobiles, apps and new media platforms with a specific focus on the Russian market and connecting internationally and the opportunities that exist.
Todd Burns (Resident Advisor): The Key Questions
Skrufff chief Jonty Skrufff is also the international representative for the Sochi Winter Music Conference, which takes place next weekend in Russia (February 9-12)
Todd Burns, Editor-in-Chief Resident Advisor (click for more)
Todd Burns (ResidentAdvisor.Net): The Key Questions
Todd Burns is editor-in-chief of electronic dance music portal Resident Advisor (RA), overseeing all editorial output created by its team of over 100 active international contributors. He visits SMWC to speak on the Media Matters panel (Beyond Web 2.0- the future for dance music media).
I’m DJing at Moscow’s Arma 17 tonight (January 27)
I’m DJing again in Moscow tonight, making my debut at Arma 17. Click HERE to listen to my latest DJ mix (or on the Mixcloud players on the right for recent Germany Calling radio shows).
Pacha Chief Spurns Simon Cowell’s Superstar DJ Search
Leading Ibiza club promoter Danny Whittle was ‘sick in his own mouth’ when he heard of TV impresario Simon Cowell’s plans for a ‘superstar DJ’ X Factor style talent show, he revealed this week, and vowed that Pacha will have nothing to do with the concept.
“How likely is it Pacha would get involved? We wouldn’t, it has nothing we would want,” said Danny.
“What impact will the show have on club culture generally? None at all,” he predicted,“Certainly not the side of club culture that actually matters.”
Handling Pacha’s bookings since the late 90s, Danny helped David Guetta and more recently the likes of Swedish House Mafia and Luciano become bona fide international stars off the back on weekly residencies at Pacha though predicted established DJs will have little to fear from Cowell’s contestants.
“They will just create some shit DJ who will probably make a fortune playing in shit clubs,” he suggested.
Danny Whittle on Ibiza-voice (2004 interview): WHAT IS IT DANNY WHITTLE DOES EXACTLY? - Brand Director? Musical Director? Content Director?”) click for more
Details of the show emerged via a press release Simon Cowell released in which he promised it will ‘capture the incredible rise of the DJ phenomena’ and discover ‘the world’s greatest DJs’
“DJs are the new rock stars,” the multi-millionaire TV presenter declared, “It feels like the right time to make this show“.
Skrufff Top 5:Adam Beyer, Mario Ochoa, Ohm Hourani & Danny Fares, D-Formation & Tini Garcia
Ohm Hourani & Dany Fares, Imperial My Ass: click to listen
Skrufff Top 5:
- Adam Beyer, Rain, Radio Slave Berlin Summer Remix, Truesoul Records
- Mario Ochoa, Chronos, Great Stuff
- Ohm Hourani & Dany Fares, Imperial My Ass, Casbour Records
- Da Fresh, Lucky Number, Freshin’
- D-Formation & Tini Garcia, Cuban Petit, Beatfreak Recordings
Tiga (FPU): Ocean Drive (video)
Seems lika long time ago now, but still sounds good…..
Hybrid’s Bargain Bin Breakthrough
Hybrid Symphony; click to listen
Distinctive Records founder turned synching specialist Richard Ford chatted to Skrufff this week about some of the strategies behind his success and said ‘constantly thinking about where you want to go’ and going out as much as possible are key factors.
“I’ve met people in the most unlikely places, and had amazing deals come together without even realising it, but it’s always come from being out there, not sat in an office all day,” said Richard.
“One example was being randomly played a demo on a cassette at Midem which had a catchy chorus melody. We bought it for pennies on the spot, asked Phunk Investigation to remix it and 6 months later it had become a National top ten UK hit. About 6 months after that George Michael rang up and asked to sample it for his forthcoming single – the track was ‘Flawless’ by The Ones.”
Richard Ford
The Londoner helped popularise the likes of Way Out West, ILS and Hybrid in the late 90s, selling over 300,000 of Hybrid’s albums and landing them four Hollywood soundtrack commissions including one with Bladerunner director Ridley Scott. However, he was candid about the key role fate played.
“When we originally put out ‘Symphony’ by Hybrid we pressed 500 copies, gave them to our distributor and got 440 back,” said Richard.
“A few months later Lee Burridge was in a record shop looking through the bargain bin and came across it. He played it at a gig just before Sasha came on who asked to borrow the record. He then started to play it at peak time in his set, the record became their biggest hit, sold over 100,000 copies worldwide and was licensed countless times,” he said.
DJ shadow's Endtroducing
The mysterious mechanics of the music business were further exposed by trip hop pioneer DJ Shadow this week, who in a fascinating interview with GQ Magazine recalled turning down an Apple sponsorship offer in 1996, earning zero royalties from heavy BBC use of his music and not much more from touring.
“In 2003 I had just done a worldwide tour that grossed over a million dollars. I personally netted $2,000 [laughs]. There’s something not right there,” said Shadow/
That’s the reality that a lot of people don’t see. It’s distasteful to talk money stuff but I was sitting there going ‘F*** I need to make some money.” (GQ Magazine:
DJ Shadow’s new album The Less You Know The Better is out. Richard Ford appears at Russia’s Sochi Winter Music Conference in February where he’ll be presenting on Synching (alongside Sony Playstation supervisor Duncan Smith and Pitch & Sync’s Alex Lavery).
Jonty Skrufff: http://listn.to/JontySkrufff
Investment Banks run by ‘Corporate Psychos’
Trainee Investment banker J Dahmer: click for more
Leading City of London financial expert Brian Basham blamed the banking crisis on amoral psychopathic bosses, this week, quoting extensively from Clive R Boddy’s new paper ‘The Corporate Psychopaths: Theory of the Global Financial Crisis’.
Writing in the Independent, the senior financial PR and financial journalist recalled discussing with a ‘senior UK investment banker the most successful banking types we know and what makes them tick’, telling him top traders tended to ‘conform to the characteristics displayed by social psychopaths.’
“To my surprise, my friend agrees,” he said.
“He then makes an astonishing confession: “At one major investment bank for which I worked, we used psychometric testing to recruit social psychopaths because their characteristics exactly suited them to senior corporate finance roles”,” he revealed. (Independent; http://ind.pn/s42ZB8 )
