www.musicweek.com DANCE SPECIALUKF
‘WE CALL THIS GENERATION BASS’
One of biggest successes in the world of ‘bass culture’, AEI Media, on dubstep, media coverage and ‘paying artists what they deserve’
INTERVIEW BY TIM INGHAM
U
KF boasts millions of YouTube fans, enviable US album successes and sell-out live shows – yet remains a bit of a secret
outside the bass culture scene. The company, owned by AEI Media and
operating out of London, was set up by Luke Hood (inset) aged just 16. He now runs one of the defining brands in the dubstep and drum&bass realm. UKF has gone on to enjoy No.1
albums on the iTunes dance charts in the UK, US, Canada, Austria, Belgium, Denmark and more – whilst its Bass Culture shows regularly draw over 10,000 people to major venues including Alexandra Palace. But it’s the group’s A&R that deserves the
loudest plaudits; helping discover and promote artists who go on to conquer the charts and become bone fide pop stars for the 21st century. Here, we grill AEI commercial director Karl
Nielson on what makes the company unique, the rise of electronic music – and why it’s about time the UK mainstream learnt from the US when it comes to respecting its bass superstars…
What is it about dance music in 2012 that is turning on a younger generation that other parts of the industry are struggling, quite frankly, to get to spend money on music? The bass energy, the spirit and the visceral noise combined with some awesome new producers such as Flux Pavilion, Gemini, Netsky and Rollz, is part of the difference. We’d like to feel that AEI Media and its brands DnB Arena, Get Darker and UKF have played some part in giving these artists the attention that they deserve. There is a huge distinction between dance and
the music of bass culture which we represent, and which has almost been a latent revolution and it’s certainly a sound inspiring a new generation of producers and fans. We call it Generation Bass. It’s only going to get
bigger and what’s really fantastic about it is that it is British. It is our hip-hop moment. UKF’s astonishing growth and popularity now -
with more than 2.5 million subscribers and 2 million views a day - must mean we are providing the fans with the music they truly wish to hear.
Do you feel that the true popularity of dance music isn’t being properly represented in the mainstream?
UKF, Get Darker and DnB Arena have long been extolling the virtues of talents such as DJ Fresh, Benga and Pendulum; it was great to see Fresh having two No.1s and to also see Chase & Status getting nominated for a Brit award – an act which we at AEI have assisted in helping promote, market and distribute their first album More Than A Lot. Yet putting Chase & Status in a category with Coldplay voted by listeners of Radio 2 is not helpful. How can Fresh not be nominated for something – even a best dance single? It’s absurd. Witness how the US industry has embraced Skrillex and recognised his achievements – awarding him a deserved Grammy. They understand that this bass movement is significant and they want in. We’d love to see categories in the Brits that reward and celebrate the massive contribution that these producers are making within the UK music scene and beyond, playing to huge audiences. Witness
our own bass culture event - with over 11,000 punters packed in to Alexander Palace. We are mostly an independent scene yet the
‘indie’ sector seems to be wedded to the idea that it has got to have a guitar attached. But look at labels like Inspected, Never Say Die and Circus to see the true indie spirit being displayed.
Do you think young dance music pioneers are more business savvy than in previous generations? That’s always been the way – dance has always lived outside the mainstream and it attracts maverick talent. DnB Arena is testament to this as it was started by James Cotterill and Del Dias over 16 years ago in Sheffield to champion the scene, and has now grown into AEI Media, which sees us working with other young pioneers such as Luke Hood who was just over 16 when he created UKF. Luke is now at the helm of a great brand and he is only 19. New producers such as Gemini has his own label, Inspected, which he releases on – it’s having the confidence in your ability that sets them apart. Look no further than XL and Richard Russell; an inspiration to us all.
UKF has thrived in non-traditional areas, and keeps on breaking new artists. What sets you apart? It’s down to Luke’s uncompromising quality control, the same standards you’d have at Radio 1 added to the passion and unquenched thirst to continually seek out and champion the very best. I think this is clearly reflected in our UKF compilations with the UKF Dubstep 2010 released in November 2010 which has never left the US iTunes top 10 Dance since its release.
We saw the recent announcement of a publishing
25.05.12 MusicWeek 17
ABOVE Production princes in waiting: ‘Awesome’ new producers Gemini (top), Flux Pavilion, Netsky and Rollz
arm to the company. Why was that a logical step – and where can it take you in future? We love paying artists the money they deserve. So if they have earned it from one of our compilations then someone should be collecting that for them as well. Beyond that, we felt we could offer a home for
talent of this nature that would not seek to compromise their art and would positively embrace where they are at and what they wish to achieve. We also felt we could create an environment
where talent will be nurtured and be able to continue to develop at their own pace. We are a fast-growing yet very stable business that’s been around for 16 years with the same management team. It means that talent will be looked after by the same team that signed them for as long as they wish to. Our partners in the US, Verse Music Group,
have an incredible songwriting pedigree penning hits for Madonna, Prince, Janet Jackson, Avril Lavigne, etc. We can now offer our talent a songwriting home that specialises in bass and can draw upon the world’s finest talent and give them opportunities to collaborate with the very best, which is what they deserve.
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