DEALS
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Warner Music allied 10K Projects has agreed a new partnership with Moneybagg Yo and his Loaf Boyz Ventures record label. “Moneybagg Yo is one of the most exciting forces in hip hop”, says 10K Projects CEO Elliot Grainge. “We are so happy to welcome him and his team into the 10K family as we work together to identify and develop the next generation of artists”.
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BMG has launched a strategic partnership with Tencent-owned video games company Riot Games and extended an existing publishing administration deal. “Riot stands alone in the gaming industry, with a growing entertainment ecosystem around their world-class games, powered by hundreds of millions of music-loving gamers all around the world”, says BMG’s Thomas Scherer. “BMG is proud to be their chosen partner!”
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Gun have signed a new record deal with Cooking Vinyl ahead of new music in 2024. "We're THRILLED to join Cooking Vinyl, a label we deeply respect for its exceptional roster”, says drummer Paul McManus. “It's an honour to be part of this family, and we're confident our new album 'Hombres' will resonate with fans. Looking forward to a fruitful journey together".
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Heriot have signed a new record deal with Century Media. “The label is a monumental force within the metal world and we are honoured to now become part of such an incredible legacy”, say the band. “We cannot wait to see what the future holds”. Their first release on the label is new single ‘Soul Chasm’.
APPOINTMENTS
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Universal Music has appointed Gary Chan to the dual role of Managing Director of Universal Music Hong Kong and Senior Vice President of Universal Music Greater China. “I’m deeply honoured to be entrusted with this role”, he says. “Hong Kong, with its rich cultural tapestry and innovative spirit, remains a creative hub in the entertainment industry”.
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Venue operator ASM Global has made three appointments in its Nordics division. Tobias Ekman joins as General Manager of four venues in the Stockholm Globe City complex, Michael Yngvesson becomes GM at Friends Arena in Stockholm, and David Laturnushas been named Food And Beverage Director for the Nordics “I’m delighted to welcome three such highly experienced and widely-respected industry leaders to the ASM Global team as we enter a period of business growth in the Nordic region”, says SVP Operations Europe Marie Lindqvist. “This is an important market for us, and since expanding further into Finland just this year, it’s an exciting time with a series of major projects in the pipeline”.
RELEASES
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Shygirl has released new single ‘Thicc’. “Originally a song we’d made around the same time as some of the album tracks but I decided to hold this one back, I’ve enjoyed teasing this one at festivals and shows while still in demo mode for over a year already with the idea of somehow infusing the energy of the crowd into this final version of the song”, she says. “’Thicc’ is fun and carefree and definitely a tease - all the classic traits of club shy infused into one track”.
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A posthumous Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry album titled ‘King Perry’ is set for release on 2 Feb. Out now is lead single ‘100lbs Of Summer’ featuring Greentea Peng. Other guests on the album include Shaun Ryder, Tricky and Fifi Rong.
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Sprints have released new single ‘Shadow Of A Doubt’. Their debut album ‘Letter To Self’ is out on 5 Jan. "’Shadow Of A Doubt’ is our most vulnerable moment to date”, says vocalist Karla Chubb. “It very bluntly deals with the experience of trauma, depression and the aftermath. It was written quite selfishly - to take the weight of some of those feelings off myself by placing them on a page in an attempt to feel like I was healing, or ridding myself of them. An entirely cathartic process”.
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William Doyle has announced that he will release new album ‘Springs Eternal’ on 16 Feb 2024. Out now is new single ‘Relentless Melt’.
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Lime Garden have released new single ‘I Want To Be You’. The band’s Chloe Howard says: “‘I Want To Be You’ was inspired by a very specific memory I have as a fourteen year old at my first gig looking at the band playing and thinking, ‘Do I want to be you or be with you, or do I want both?’ This feeling has continued to raise its head on many occasions in my life, and it’s become quite an obsessive process at times. Growing up with social media and the constant ability to follow your idols, with access into ‘their world’, has fuelled this in an unhealthy way”. Their debut album ‘One More Thing’ is out on 16 Feb.
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Jaakko Eino Kalevi has released new single ‘Heaven & Hell’. His new album ‘Chaos Magic’ is out this week. He also plays Two Palms in London on 22 Nov.
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Kneecap have released new single ‘Better Way To Live’ featuring Fontaines DC’s Grian Chatten. "'A Better Way To Live' is all about finding that little spark of joy in the monotony, in the day-to-day things that you barely bat an eye at”, say the trio. “In between the moments of that repetitive lift of the pint, or spark of a cigarette, there is an opportunity for bliss. Underneath that constant noise, there is a silence that can breathe new life and inspiration breaking through the mundane”.