EDM.com proudly publishes 4 installments of annual year-end protection: Industry Leaders, Performances & DJ Sets, Music Producers and Songs.
More usually than not, end-of-year protection printed by the music business’s huge pool of retailers is proscribed to its artists and performers.
In order to honor the extraordinary work of the business’s unsung individuals and types, we have acknowledged a gaggle of leaders whose contributions helped form the way forward for digital music in 2022.
Event Organizer
Brownies & Lemonade
Brownies & Lemonade/Twitter
In the aftermath of the pandemic, music festivals, occasion organizers and promoters had been wanting to make up for misplaced time. While the return of stay occasions has been a blessing for each artists and followers alike, Brownies & Lemonade weren’t merely eager on returning to the established order.
In reality, the beloved occasions model was arguably in one of the best place to stay on the cutting-edge—by curating area of interest, creator-driven experiences. Aside from working with artists to have fun their greatest profession moments, Brownies & Lemonade more and more started scaling to new heights, from taking Class of 2022 star ISOxo on a multi-stop U.S. tour to launching a branded pop-up in Fiji.
And what different occasions firm can say they threw raves in an eerie laundromat with Alison Wonderland, an elevator with San Holo, an deserted zoo with Whethan and a prepare yard with Moore Kismet, all in the identical yr?
Honorable Mentions: FNGRS CRSSD | Excision Presents | Third Eye Hospitality
Music Startup
End Overdose
End Overdose
End Overdose is main the cost for opioid overdose consciousness and exhausting discount at EDM occasions.
Founded in the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, the non-profit group has additionally labored with Boiler Room, Subculture Party, iHeartRaves, Team Takedown and extra to arrange profit concert events and on-line fundraisers, all whereas providing fentanyl take a look at strips and free anti-overdose kits and coaching on-line.
End Overdose introduced in October a monumental partnership with Insomniac to distribute free anti-overdose kits, fentanyl take a look at strips and academic sources at the entire promoter’s music festivals for the indefinite future. With deadly ranges of fentanyl present in practically half of road drugs, Insomniac founder Pasquale Rotella wrote in a press launch that this initiative will “assist unfold consciousness and training on what you are able to do to doubtlessly save somebody’s life.”
Honorable Mentions: Accessible Festivals | Heardle | Sound.xyz
Music Executive
Dominique Casimir
Dominique Casimir has been integral to BMG’s enlargement since its founding in 2008, the yr the Berlin-based government joined the group. This yr, Casimir grew to become the corporate’s Chief Content Officer because the seeds she’s helped plant for years proceed to reap.
Today Casimir oversees BMG’s publishing and recorded music operations in 17 territories worldwide, an space which successfully represented practically half of the corporate’s revenues in 2021. The first half of 2022 remained one other spectacular interval of progress for BMG, however they curiously achieved a 25% uplift in income regardless of no new hits. The firm, which owns the rights to music from Fatboy Slim, Jean-Michel Jarre, Carl Cox, Pink Floyd and extra, did it by focusing exterior the charts—pondering boldly and globally.
Amid the uncertainty of the pandemic, Casimir led the trouble to accumulate Undercover, an area German promoter, resulting in BMG’s foray into stay occasions the place they’ve since emerged as a aggressive pressure. She additionally recognized the chance to increase BMG’s end-to-end companies to Latin America. The firm launched operations in México, the place they continue to be laser-focused on constructing an area repertoire of artists with the power to maximise the complete scope of what the music business has to supply them, together with model offers, merchandising, sync licensing and way more.
Honorable Mentions: Ronny Ho | Nick Middleton | Ronn Nicolli
Visual Artist
Fvckrender
Fvckrender
Thanks to his signature digital artwork model, a latticework of uncooked emotion and kooky, crystalline imagery, Fvckrender has cemented himself as one of the crucial famend creators of the Web3 epoch.
The Vancouver-based visible artist made his foray into the NFT group final yr along with his FVCKRENDERVERSE mission—and his dominance was solely simply starting. A coveted collaborator, Fvckrender has labored alongside Lil Nas X, LeBron James, Steve Aoki, Christian Dior, Puma, OVO and Supreme, amongst many others. Earlier in 2022, he bought 47 NFTs to The Weeknd, who scooped up the visionary’s work for a cool 25 ETH, valued at over $70,000.
This yr, Fvckrender launched his personal metaverse idea, LVCIDIA, an influential “exploratory artwork expertise” that champions rising artists within the NFT house. He additionally revealed plans to launch a skatepark funded totally by NFTs.
Fvckrender’s formidable work in 2022 paints an image of somebody who’s decided to set off a paradigm shift within the public’s adoption of NFTs. Leading a wave of hungry artists into a brand new period of the creator economic system, he embodies the spirit of a modernist vanguard.
Honorable Mentions: Michael Titze | Mollie Tarlow | Safe Haven
Record Label
Defected Records
Scroll to Continue
EDM.com’s Best of 2022: Industry Leaders
In order to honor the extraordinary work of the business’s unsung individuals and types, we have acknowledged a gaggle of leaders whose contributions helped form the way forward for digital music in 2022.
When music business veteran Wez Saunders acquired Defected Records this yr, he had massive plans for the U.Okay. label, one of the crucial revered tastemakers within the dance music scene. The imprint’s iconic founder, Simon Dunmore, stepped down from his function as CEO again in August earlier than passing the torch to Saunders—and his influence was fast.
Defected Records rapidly established a transformative 30% minimal royalty fee for any recording artist or producer throughout the label’s ecosystem, with the objective to assist them “construct longer lasting, extra impactful and extra worthwhile careers.” Defected’s imaginative and prescient for artists has the potential to be adopted by many others on a world scale, in the end serving as a harbinger influencing the mechanics of how labels compensate producers and songwriters.
The proof is within the pudding—Jamie Jones, Claptone, John Summit, Vintage Culture and lots of extra dance music superstars signed data to Defected this yr. Now, a return to Croatia awaits in 2023 because the label gears up for its beloved home music competition within the land of a thousand islands.
Honorable Mentions: Ninja Tune | Night Bass | House Hats Collective
YouTube Channel
DEF TV
DEF/Facebook
Owned and led by girls, Atlanta-based media collective DEF makes use of their YouTube channel to showcase the sights and sounds of the digital underground.
Focusing on storytelling and digital music that always flies below the radar, DEF TV brings collectively artists and followers who need to break the mould of the normal present and absorb genuine, intimate live performance experiences. In 2022, the channel grew into one of many bass music group’s crown jewels, due to its “you needed to be there” DJ units from the likes of The Glitch Mob, Deadcrow, UZ, Khiva and lots of extra.
DEF’s function is crystal clear, rooted in a mission to “elevate business requirements by offering clear, secure and acutely aware areas for followers to assemble and create unforgettable nights.” Rest assured, there’s many extra to come back.
Honorable Mentions: Baphometrix | Boiler Room | Cercle
Audio Engineer
Andrea Roberts
Andrea Roberts
What a yr it was for Andrea Roberts, an audio engineer, mixer and keyboardist based mostly in Los Angeles. You might not have heard of Roberts till this very second, however her identify is one you will not neglect.
After graduating with a level in piano efficiency in 2010, she lower her in tooth in Argentina, the place she produced music and studied audio engineering for six years. She in the end landed at North Hollywood’s illustrious NRG Recording Studios, the place she labored as an assistant engineer on Chloe x Halle’s Ungodly Hour LP and Beyoncé’s chart-topping soundtrack album, The Lion King: The Gift, amongst different high-profile initiatives.
But this yr gave rise to a possibility the likes of which Roberts could not have even dreamt up. She discovered herself engineering each single observe from Queen Bey’s record-breaking dance album, Renaissance, a deeply impactful file that reimagined the rave with its disco and home music influences.
Next up for Roberts? Probably a Grammy Award.
Honorable Mentions: Eelco Bakker | Luca Pretolesi | Tom Norris
Artist Management Firm
Three Six Zero
Three Six Zero
2022 noticed Three Six Zero twist the knife into its fame as a world label and administration powerhouse.
Founded by Mark Gillespie again in 2007, the corporate has lengthy been an influence participant, however it grew exponentially this yr. Back in May, Three Six Zero acquired New York-based expertise firm Frontline Entertainment earlier than buying a 50% stake in U.Okay. administration agency Palm Artists, the house of dance music superstars Gorgon City and Sonny Fodera.
Three Six Zero additionally acquired a stake in Forward Motion Artists (Jamie Jones, Lee Foss, AMÉMÉ and extra) whereas persevering with to domesticate the careers of its many high-profile purchasers, together with Calvin Harris, BURNS, Disciples, FKA twigs, Jaden Smith and WILLOW. Additionally, the corporate’s label arm, Three Six Zero Recordings, launched music by home music luminaries Dom Dolla, Shermanology, Eats Everything and extra after inking a three way partnership with Sony Music.
Honorable Mentions: Palm Tree MGMT | Blood Company | Prodigy Artists
Music Publicity Firm
Infamous PR
Mallory Turner
With the present growth cycle in techno and home music, Los Angeles-based PR agency Infamous has been working extra time in 2022 to share what’s new and breaking from each established business legends and relative newcomers alike.
After the full-fledged return of stay occasions in 2022, Infamous performed an integral function in serving to a slew of main digital music occasions to reconnect with their fanbases and forge a brand new chapter after one of many hardest eras within the historical past of the stay music business. Los Angeles’ HARD Summer, Chicago’s Arc, Palm Springs’ Splash House and Fiji’s Your Paradise are just some of the music festivals to put their belief in Infamous.
On the observe’s twentieth anniversary, Infamous reminded us of the greatness of DJ Minx’s “A Walk In The Park,” which Resident Advisor prompt might include “the best minimal home loop of all time.” The firm additionally led the cost to convey Fire Hell And Holy Water, the third album from EDM.com Class of 2021 inductees Giolì & Assia, to mainstream consciousness.
Comprising a workforce of attentive and diligent representatives, Infamous PR embodies the easiest on this planet of music public relations. Their spectacular roster of purchasers ranges from established digital artists to acclaimed occasions manufacturers. In 2022 they oversaw the press efforts for the American debut of European competition Primavera Sound, navigated new artistic frontiers as they helped have fun Desert Hearts’ 10-year anniversary and superior new music from the likes of GRiZ, Claude VonStroke and Zeds Dead.
Honorable Mentions: The Media Nanny | Falcon Publicity | JSloane Creative