How well do you know the independent music sector? IMPALA’s discovery series took us on a journey of the independent sector across the whole of Europe. Each month we had a look at a different aspect of the sector from IMPALA’s milestones, national associations, venues, labels, managers, and much more.
This discovery series was launched as part of IMPALA20 year-long celebrations for our 20th anniversary. Find out more on the dedicated blog right here and discover other #IMPALA20 highlights.
20ThingsToKnow#12
20 FESTIVALS
These events are usually marked in every music fan’s calendar months ahead and are gathering thousands of music fans each year. They are also key events to look at for every single booking agent.
We look here at 20 European festivals known for putting numerous independent acts in the spotlight.
1. ARCTANGENT (United Kingdom)
ArcTanGent Festival (also known as ATG) is a three-day British rock festival held annually at Fernhill Farm in Somerset (England) since 2013. It is the most popular British summer festival for math rock, post rock, progressive metal and experimental music in general.
2. BEST KEPT SECRET (Netherlands)
The Best Kept Secret festival is a three-day music festival held inside the Safari Park Beekse Bergen within the village of Hilvarenbeek in the south of the Netherlands, since 2013. The festival has a line-up in which big names are alternated with new discoveries from indie, folk, hip-hop, rock, electronics or a mixture of styles. The festival’s centre piece is a lake at the back of Beekse Bergen safari park.
3. CONGES ANNULES (Luxembourg)
Hosted by local music venue Rotondes, the Congés Annulés festival is a whole month of concerts, showcases, DJ sets, screenings, events and “all-around fun” taking place in Luxembourg. Music invades every corner of the site: rock, electro, indie, pop, etc.
https://www.rotondes.lu/fr/programmation/temps-forts/conges-annules
4. COLOURS of OSTRAVA (Czech Republic)
Colours of Ostrava, or simply Colours, is a multi-genre festival, the biggest international music festival in the Czech Republic and one of the biggest music events in Central Europe. It takes place in a unique location in an old industrial site of former ironworks and steelworks in Dolní Vítkovice in the city of Ostrava.
5. DOUR FESTIVAL (Belgium)
Dour Festival is an annual festival in the municipality of Dour in Belgium (near the French border). Since its creation in 1988, the festival has grown to an attendance of about 225,000 participants in 2015 (over 5 days). The first year, only five bands were programmed. The festival format now consists of 5 days, 9 stages and more than 280 bands and DJs. The festival’s acts come from a wide range of genres, such as electro, rock, drum and bass, reggae, house, punk, hardcore, metal and techno.
6. ELECTRIC CASTLE (Romania)
Electric Castle is an annual music festival held on the Transylvanian domain of the Banffy Castle near Cluj-Napoca in Romania, and combines music, technology and alternative arts. It features many genres of music including rock, indie, hip hop, electronic, techno, and drum and bass as well as art installations. Its first edition took place in 2013. In 2020, the festival has received the award for the Best Medium Sized Festival at the European Festival Awards.
7. EXIT (Serbia)
Exit is a summer music festival which is held at the Petrovaradin fortress in Novi Sad (Serbia. Founded in 2000, it has twice won the Best Major Festival award at the European Festivals Awards. It gathers more than 200,000 music fans over four days of concerts.
8. FUTURFESTIVAL (Italy)
The FuturFestival or, for sponsorship reasons, Kappa FuturFestival is an electronic music festival that has been held, since 2009, in Turin, Italy. The FuturFestival was born to commemorate the centenary of Futurism at the Lingotto Fiere and was first hosted in collaboration with the city council of Turin. It has grown into the biggest electronic music festival in Italy.
9. LE GUESS WHO (Netherlands)
Le Guess Who? is a Dutch music festival featuring different music genres: from avant-garde, jazz, hip-hop, electronic, noise rock, indie rock, world music and others. The festival, founded by Bob van Heur and Johan Gijsen, has been hosted in the city of Utrecht since 2007. It takes place on various venues such as theatres, club venues, churches, galleries and warehouses across the city.
10. ELECTRIC PICNIC (Ireland)
Electric Picnic is an annual arts and music festival which has been staged since 2004 at Stradbally Hall, County Laois in Ireland. The Picnic has been described as “Ireland’s version of Glastonbury”. It differs from other festivals in Ireland in that the music choice is more eclectic than the other mainstream events and there is more emphasis on quality festival services (such as food and sleeping arrangements), a generally more positive and relaxed atmosphere and numerous eco-friendly initiatives.
11. EUROCKEENNES (France)
The Eurockéennes de Belfort (in English: Eurockeans of Belfort) are one of France’s largest rock music festivals. Les Eurockéennes, a play on words involving rock (rock music) and européennes (Europeans), is a festival based in a nature reserve beside the lac Malsaucy near Belfort in Eastern France. It attracts close to 135,000 festival goers.
12. MAD COOL FESTIVAL (Spain)
Mad Cool is a music festival held annually in Madrid, Spain. It has been taking place since 2016 and mainly features pop, rock and indie performers.
The first two editions of the festival took place in the Caia Magica. The festival then moved to an open-air space in Valdebebas. It is gathering 240,000 participants over three days.
13. MS DOCKVILLE (Germany)
Dockville is a music and art festival taking place in Hamburg, Germany, on Europe’s biggest river island. It took place for the first time in 2007. Many parts of the festival area are located directly in front of the river Elbe in a territory which is not protected against floods. The festival is best known for its combination of music and visual arts.
14. PALEO FESTIVAL (Switzerland)
The Paléo Festival de Nyon, usually just called Paléo, is an annual rock festival held in Nyon in Switzerland. It started in a small way in 1976 as the Nyon Folk Festival. The first edition took place in the village hall of Nyon. From 1977 to 1989, the festival moved to Colovray, nearby Lake Geneva before moving to its current location in 1990 at the Plaine de l’Asse. It has since grown to become one of the major open-air music festivals in mainland Europe and the biggest in Switzerland.
The festival lasts six days at the end of July, and the final main stage concert is preceded by a great firework display with music.
15. PRIMAVERA SOUND (Spain and Portugal)
Primavera Sound is a music festival that takes place in Barcelona, Spain. The first edition took place in 2001 in Poble Espanyol, and moved to the Parc del Forum, a much larger site on the seafront, in 2005. The nature of the festival (urban and an integrated part of the city) and the wide range of bands represented have made Primavera Sound a meeting point for artists and spectators from all generations. In 2012 the festival expanded to Porto, in Portugal under the name NOS Primavera Sound. A spin-off of the festival titled “Primavera a la Ciutat” takes place in selected places in Barcelona from plazas to churches and offers free concerts a couple days prior to the festival’s inauguration. A third counterpart of the festival, named Primavera Sound Los Angeles is scheduled to take place in Los Angeles as of 2022.
16. ROSKILDE (Denmark)
The Roskilde Festival is a Danish festival held annually south of Roskilde in Denmark. It is one of the largest music festivals in Europe and the largest in the Nordic countries. It was created in 1971 by two high school students and a promoter. In 1972, the festival was taken over by the Roskilde Foundation, which has since run the festival as a non-profit organisation for development and support of music, culture and humanism. In 2014, the Roskilde Foundation provided festival participants with the opportunity to nominate and vote upon which organisations should receive funds raised by the festival.
17. SIDEWAYS (Finland)
Sideways is a boutique music and arts festival based in the Helsinki area. It welcomes nearly 80 live acts every year, as well as side activities such as an “animal karaoke”, art exhibitions or 80’s arcade games competitions. Sideways is located at Nordis in the Töölö district in Helsinki – including Eläintarha park areas and Helsinki Ice Hall’s surroundings. Its main stages are located outdoors, and there are also three stages inside the Ice Hall.
18. SZIGET (Hungary)
The Sziget Festival (Sziget meaning island in Hungarian) is one of the largest music festivals in Europe. It is held every August in Budapest, Hungary, on the “Old Buda Island”, an island on the Danube, welcoming more than 1,000 acts every year. The week-long festival has grown from a relatively low-profile student event in 1993 to become one of the prominent European rock festivals with about half of all visitors coming from outside Hungary, especially from Western Europe.
19. TRAMLINES (United Kingdom)
The Tramlines Festival is an annual music festival held in Sheffield, England. The festival was originally free to attend, but now requires tickets. The line-up consists of national and local artists. The festival is curated and organised by a panel comprising local venue owners, promoters and volunteers. The name of the festival is inspired by the city’s tram network. Tramlines held its first festival in 2009, which attracted 35,000 fans and was seen as a huge success, and 2010’s event doubled that figure.
20. ZAXIDFEST (Ukraine)
Zaxidfest, previously known as Zaxid, is an annual international music and art festival held in the middle of August near Lviv in Ukraine. The festival was founded in 2009 as a festival of Ukrainian rock and ethno music. It has since lost any attachment to a specific music genre and expanded its line-up to include foreign acts. Each year, the public is invited to complete an online survey to propose and/or vote for artists to play the festival. The festival is also known to include secret artists in its line-up, whose identity is only becoming known once they hit the stage.
20ThingsToKnow#11
20 WOMEN AND NON-BINARY PERSONS MAKING THEIR MARK ON IMPALA’S WORK
From all over Europe, meet those making a difference to the independent sector with their work on a daily basis. Below is a selection of 20 women and non-binary persons who have made a key contribution to IMPALA’s work in particular during our 20th anniversary year, in all sorts of ways. Of course, there are many others, and this list doesn’t include those already featured in another 20ThingsToKnow lists. Below is our selection in alphabetical order.
1. SAMMY ANDREWS
Sammy Andrews has a long history at the forefront of the new music landscape with a background of being a concert promoter, artist manager and independent record label founder. She was one our IMPALA Campus trainers. She is founder and CEO of Deviate Digital, which made her the ideal choice to introduce participants to the world of Digital Marketing. Before setting up Deviate Digital, Sammy was head of digital departments at XIX and Cooking Vinyl Records and also joined the board at Entertainment Intelligence.
2. VICK BAIN
Vick Bain is IMPALA’s equity, diversity and inclusion trainer, along with Arit Eminue (see below). She is a campaigner and PhD researcher, as well as a qualified Equality, Diversity & Inclusion consultant, offering a range of diversity services for organisations in the creative sector. Don’t miss Vick’s 20MinutesWith podcast episode here, with Arit Eminue. Vick has 25 years of experience of working in music. She was inducted in the BBC Radio 4 Music Industry Powerlist and Women in Music Hall of Fame. She published influential research of the UK music sector called Counting the Music Industry and has established a not for profit promoting female musicians The F-List Directory of UK Female Musicians.
3. LINDA COOGAN BYRNE
Linda Coogan Byrne is a Gender Diversity & Equality Activist and CEO of Good Seed PR & Marketing. A professional musician by education, she eased her way into the music industry, enjoying the work behind the scenes and promoting gender equality along the way. Linda is also the person behind the inspiring Why Not Her campaign. Find out more about their work and life in this podcast episode. Have a look at the most recent Gender disparity data report by Why Not Her here.
4. GEE DAVY
Gee is on the IMPALA board as Chief Operating Officer of British association of independent record labels AIM, having moved across to the organisation in 2017 following several years in the industry, including with independent music businesses Cooking Vinyl, Essential Music and FatCat Records. She is also the chair of IMPALA’s live streaming working group and an active member of other key IMPALA working groups. Gee started out in technology, gaining a master’s degree in engineering and working briefly in the telecoms sector before following her passion into the music industry then studying music law as a mature student. Gee is passionate about facilitating the independent music industry’s continued innovation and success, and supporting its evolution in the digital age.
She was as an IMPALA podcast guest on live streaming.
https://www.aim.org.uk/
5. GILL DOOLEY
Gill is on the board of IMPALA as the CEO of the newly founded AIM Ireland. She continues to manage rising Irish pop artist Aimée. Beginning her professional career with EMI in 2003, Gill then went on to spend a number of years working with Irish independent distributor RMG Chart. She later joined Universal in Dublin, rising up the ranks to the role of Director of Digital & Business Development. Gill then embarked on a career as an independent music consultant – working with audio tech teams on commercial plans and fund raising – whilst also working as an independent artist manager.
https://www.aimireland.ie/
6. SONIA DURAN
Sonia Durán is on the board of IMPALA as the general manager of the Independent Phonographic Union (UFI) in Spain. In 2015 she created a project named “Indie Lovers”, a music website dedicated to independent music and festivals with its own radio program at Scanner FM. She has also worked in companies such La Cupula Music and Mas i Mas before joining UFI in 2019. She studied Modern Music and Jazz at the Liceo Conservatory of Barcelona. She also earned a higher degree in Sound Technology and then graduated in Marketing and Digital Communication by the Polytechnic University of Catalonia. Have a listen to Sonia’s podcast episode here.
7. ARIT EMINUE
Arit is the founder and Director of DiVA Apprenticeships and is also IMPALA’s Equity, Diversity and Inclusion trainer, along with Vick Bain (see above). She works with employers in the development of apprenticeship programmes that support workforce diversity, business growth, skills development and talent retention. Through DiVA, Arit has helped hundreds of individuals to launch their careers in some of the world’s best entertainment brands, and coached and trained people from graduate to senior executive. She describes herself as a fairy jobmother and makes a huge difference to all the companies and organisations she works with, helping them to achieve change. Don’t miss Arit’s 20MinutesWith podcast episode here, with Vick Bain.
8. JANE GOLDING
Jane Golding is IMPALA’s competition and regulatory lawyer for nearly 20 years and has been involved in many of the key legal challenges led by the association. She is also an expert on Brexit, check out her podcast here. This year alone, Jane has been working on competition cases like Sony/AWAL and others. She has worked in the area of European law for over 20 years, at the European Commission, and in private practice in Italy, Germany, as well as in Brussels, before moving to Berlin in 2009.
9. REMI HARRIS
Remi is a finance expert and a great choice as one of our teachers in the IMPALA Campus project discussing the complex issue of access to finance in the music sector. She is the author of “Easy Money? the Definitive UK Guide to Funding Music Projects” and also an IMPALA podcast guest. Remi has a wide experience including roles at AIM, the British association of independent record labels and at UK Music. She has helped lots of clients successfully raise finance and is also a mentor working with young organisations and artists and helping them make their mark.
10. EVA RAMAN REINHOLD
Eva Karman Reinhold is the co-chair of IMPALA’s Diversity and Inclusion Task Force. Chair of SOM, Sweden’s national association of independents, representing over 300 companies, Eva is a music lawyer (Master of Law, LLM.) who founded Karman Innovative Consulting and Smilodon (music publisher and record label) in 2004. She began her career in the music industry at STIM, and then worked for many years at 10 years independent companies Gazell and MNW. Being a former music student, she has picked up writing and performing again as the creative leader in her band MahRoot. Listen to Eva’s 20MinutesWith podcast episode here.
11. JULIANA KORANTENG
Juliana is the curator and host of IMPALA’s
20MinutesWith podcast series, one of the emblems of IMPALA’s 20th anniversary projects, inviting different guests every month during the year. She runs JayKay Media Inc, a London-based boutique media-content agency offering journalism, publishing, podcast curation, documentary production, media consultancy, content marketing and photography-design. Juliana is also content consultant at Reed MIDEM’s Esports BAR, MIPTV, MIPCOM and Midem events and a regular contributor to Boutique Edition’s MIPTV, MIDEM, MIPCOM and Cannes Lions news magazines.
12. HELENE LARROUTUROU
Hélène is the project manager of MEWEM (Mentoring Programme for Women Entrepreneurs in the Music Industry), for which Helen Smith (IMPALA’s Executive Chair) is godmother. Hélène runs the Miaou Records label, launched in France in 2015. She is also the coordinator of FELIN, the French association of independent record labels, where she is in charge, among many other aspects, of communication. Listen to the two podcast episodes featuring MEWEM here and here.
13. ANCA LUPES
Anca is an IMPALA board member as Executive Director of INDIERO, the Romanian independent labels and publishers’ association. She is one the most experienced professionals in the Romanian music business, having been involved in most aspects of the industry: media, concert organisation, record companies, music publishing, management and booking agencies. In 2009, she became the first Romanian music business professional to graduate from the Master in Music Business Programme from Berklee College of Music. In 2016 she founded the first Romanian music business conference – Mastering The Music Business. Make sure to have a listen to Anca’s podcast here.
14. JUSTYNA MASALSKA
Justyna plays a key role in the Polish music sector and within IMPALA’s network as the project and marketing manager of Polish association of independent record labels ANPM. She is the project manager of Right Music in Warsaw, where she represents international music catalogues from Europe and the United States in terms of royalties’ collection, music supervision & licensing. Justyna was also featured on our podcast, have a listen here.
https://anpm.pl/
15. FAY MILTON
Fay is one of the few people to get to meet one of the EC vice presidents with IMPALA. She is drummer for the English rock band Savages and the co-founder of Music Declares Emergency, the UK-organisation working with the UK music industry to improve sustainable practices. IMPALA decided to give its Outstanding Contribution Award to Music Declares Emergency in 2019, in recognition of the importance of this initiative and to echo the call on decision makers to act. The award was followed by several meetings with EU officials, Executive Vice President Timmermans and Commissioner Gabriel. Fay is a guest on our #20MinutesWith podcast with Maddy Read Clarke (see below), have a listen to their episode here.
16. MY UGLY CLEMENTINE
My Ugly Clementine is the latest winner of IMPALA’s Album of the year award with their debut album, Vitamin C, released on Austrian record label Ink Music. This supergroup from Vienna is described as “a four-piece, non-male rock band telling stories about self-confidence, empowerment, self-love, respect and equal rights”. This gave us the opportunity to flag gender issues in our statement as well as IMPALA’s podcast episode. The band also has their own podcast, Peptalk, that celebrates diversity in the music industry.
17. STEF PASCUAL
Stef Pascual is Strategy Director at Deviate Digital. Stef was one of our IMPALA Campus trainers, introducing the participants to the world of Digital Marketing. She’s one half of the independent label Silent Cult. Stef started in the music sector, working with state51, then Sony Red / The Orchard. She has lectured at the Academy of Contemporary Music and at Berklee College (Master of Arts in Global Entertainment and Music Business), and often speaks at music industry conferences and events.
18. MADDY READ CLARKE
Maddy is the co-owner of Famous Times Studio in East London and co-founder of Music Declares Emergency, as well as their Campaign Director. As mentioned above, MDE is a key voice on sustainability issues which IMPALA supports. MDE acts as a focus for the collective voice of UK music to call for systemic changes from government to protect all life on Earth and achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2030. Maddy was a key member of our team that met European Vice President Timmermans and was also our podcast guest, along with Fay Militon, see above. Have a listen to their episode on Music Declares Emergency here.
19. CARINA SAVA
Carina Sava was one of our IMPALA Campus trainers, delivering sessions on Brand Partnerships. She is a music business professional with more than 12 years of experience in artist management, booking, brand partnership, music marketing and communications. Carina is the Co-founder and Vice President of RAW Music Association and the Conference Programme Manager of Mastering the Music Business Conference. Carina is also the Founder and Chair of Women in Music Romania and Founding Member of Romanian Music Managers Forum. At the end of 2020 she launched her own company, Watermelon Agency and is also involved in the work of MEWEM Romania.
20. ALISON TICKELL
Alison is the founder and CEO of Julie’s Bicycle. She is also adviser to IMPALA’s sustainability task force. Alison established Julie’s Bicycle in 2007 as a non-profit company helping the music industry reduce its environmental impacts and develop new thinking in tune with global environmental challenges. JB has since extended its remit to the full performing and visual arts communities, heritage and wider creative and cultural policy communities. JB is acknowledged as a leading organization bridging sustainability with the arts and culture. Don’t miss the #20MinutesWith podcast with Alison here.
20ThingsToKnow#10
20 EUROPEAN MUSIC TRADE FAIRS AND CONFERENCES
These events are the places where the industry meets, where deals are finalised, where new talent is first showcased and where long-standing business relationships are built. We look here at 20 European showcase festivals and conferences, with whom IMPALA has had the pleasure to collaborate over the years.
1. BuSH (Budapest, Hungary)
BuSH, short for Budapest Showcase Hub, is one of the leading music events for Central and Eastern Europe. It aims to represent the best that the Eastern European music industry has to offer and to be the ultimate showcase event for the best regional bands. BuSH’s goal is to foster a regional market and build a strong image for the rest of the world to see. Its hashtag: #newkidsfromthebloc.
2. by:Larm (Oslo, Norway)
by:Larm is a music festival based in Oslo. It was first held in 1998 and, for the first ten years of its existence, moved between different Norwegian cities, before settling permanently in the capital in 2008. by:Larm was formed as a way for the Nordic music business to get together for both conferences and a concert programme, consisting of new music from the Nordic countries, often on the verge of success. Since it started in 1998, the festival has gradually increased in prominence and size. As of 2019, it gathers 5000 festival guests alongside 3000 delegates from the Nordic and international music industry, making it the most important meeting place for the Nordic music business.
3. c/o pop (Cologne, Germany)
c/o pop (short for Cologne On Pop) is a music festival that has been taking place in Cologne since 2004. It replaced the now disappeared Popkomm event once it moved to Berlin. c/o pop is both a festival and a music convention. Its latest edition attracted more than 30,000 visitors and 1,200 industry representatives.
4.ESNS (Groningen, Netherlands)
ESNS – short for Eurosonic Noorderslag – is an annual four-day music showcase festival and conference taking place in Groningen, in the very North of the Netherlands. The first three days of the festival (Eurosonic) feature artists from all over Europe, while the last day of the festival (Noorderslag) features only Dutch artists. The conference part of the event is held during all four days. ESNS is the leading professional music event in Benelux and is also home to a set of award ceremonies, including the Music Moves Europe Talent Awards.
5. Fifty Lab (Brussels, Belgium)
Launched in Brussels in 2019 by two Belgian companies (Five Oh and Kurated By), Fifty Lab is a brand-new showcase festival with the particularity of delegating the curation of its line-up to other festivals. Various European festivals are invited to select one artist to play at one of the five venues welcoming the festival (Ancienne Belgique, Beursschouwburg, Viage, Bonnefooi and l’Archiduc).
6. Indirekt (Belgrade, Serbia and Umag, Croatia)
Indirekt is an independent music and art festival taking place both in Umag (Croatia) in June and Belgrade (Serbia) in October. The latest edition in Belgrade in 2019 featured more than 20 artists as well as a music conference attracting representatives from more than 10 European countries. The founder of the festival, Dejan Bošković, also widely recognized for his activities with Ammonite Records and RUNDA, unfortunately passed away to covid earlier this year. Indirekt Festival will continue and carry Dejan’s legacy, with a new team on board.
7. Linecheck (Milan, Italy)
Linecheck is both a “music meeting space” and a festival, taking place in Milan in November as part of Milano Music Week; a full week of concerts, meetings, performances and conferences rocking the beautiful city in the North of Italy.
8. M4Music (Zurich / Lausanne, Switzerland)
M4music is a music festival that has been organised since 1998. It takes place in two Swiss cities: Zurich and Lausanne, showcasing both local and international artists. The event also runs the Demotape Clinic, a competition focusing on young and emerging Swiss artists and accommodates a significant conference which is the go-to place for the Swiss music sector.
9. MaMA (Paris, France)
With more than 5,300 music professionals in attendance, the MaMA festival and convention is one of the largest French music industry events. MaMA hosts a conference programme both at Elysée-Montmartre and at Le Trianon featuring over 140 panels, keynote speeches and workshops, while the festival accommodates 120 shows across 12 emblematic venues of the French capital.
10. MENT (Ljubljana, Slovenia)
Ment Ljubljana or MENT is an international showcase festival taking place every year since 2015 in Ljubljana. It replaced the former Slovenian Music Week. It is part of INES, the EC-funded Innovative Network of European Showcases. On top of its focus on local, ex-Yugoslavia and Eastern European artists, MENT hosts a conference, which attracts close to 500 international delegates. MENT is the recipient of two EFA (European Festival Awards) for Best Small and Best Club Festival (2017 and 2019).
11. MIDEM (Cannes, France)
MIDEM (an acronym in French for Marché International du Disque et de l’Edition Musicale, meaning International Record and Music Publishing Market) is organised every year in Cannes, in the South of France. The event has been taking place every year since 1967 and attracts representatives from the music sector from all over the globe. IMPALA has been partnering with MIDEM since its inception in 2000.
12. MMB (Bucharest, Romania)
MMB, short for Mastering the Music Business is the leading Romanian music conference and showcase festival. It was founded by now IMPALA board member Indiero’s Anca Lupes in 2017 and has been growing fast since its launch. It was also one of the very first European conferences making a post-pandemic come-back to in-person meetings in early September 2021.
13. Musiikki & Media (Tampere, Finland)
Musiikki & Media (or Music & Media in English) is the biggest Finnish professional music conference. It takes place every year in October in the city of Tampere, in the North of Finland, attracting more than 1,000 representatives from the sector, from Finland and beyond. The event takes place over two days and culminates in the Industry Awards night, celebrating the Finnish music industry. Concerts also take place all over the city under the “Lost in Music” banner.
14. PIN (Skopje, North Macedonia)
PIN is the first and only international music conference and showcase festival in North Macedonia. Since its first edition in 2012, the conference is organised by the Association of culture and arts “TAKSIRAT”, as part of the renowned Taksirat Festival (a member of European associations Yourope and ETEP). The conference’s goal is to enrich the local music sector by bringing the diversity of best practices, up-to-date knowledge and people who will be part of the sector’s development in Macedonia and the Balkans region.
15. Primavera Sound (Barcelona, Spain)
Primavera Sound is one of the biggest European music festivals and has always offered a significant part of its line-up to indie acts, since its first edition in 2001. It takes place in Barcelona in June, on a site used for the 1992 Olympic games. Before 2005, the event was taking place in Montjuic. For more than 10 years, the festival has been coupled with Primavera Pro, a music conference attracting more than 3,000 music executives from all over Europe.
16. Reeperbahn (Hamburg, Germany)
Reeperbahn Festival and Conference is one of the biggest club festivals in Europe. It has been taking place in the infamous Reeperbahn neighbourhood of Hamburg since 2006, first as a festival, then, from 2009 onwards, as a conference and platform for music professionals. Taking place in late September, it will be in full swing at the time of publication of this list.
17. SPOT (Aarhus, Denmark)
SPOT is an annual music festival taking place in the city of Aarhus. It showcases up-and-coming Danish and Scandinavian artists, with close to 200 acts from various music genres playing the event. It attracts close to 8,000 music fans, as well as 1,500 music professionals from Demark and abroad.
18. The Great Escape (Brighton, United Kingdom)
The Great Escape Festival is a three-day music festival held in May in Brighton and Hove, in the South of England. The festival was founded in 2006 and roughly hosts 300 bands across 30 venues throughout the city. There is also a music industry convention section to the event, which is attended by over 3000 delegates. In addition to the main festival, there is also The Alternative Escape, a further strand of ‘unofficial’ shows.
19. Waves (Vienna, Austria)
The Waves Vienna – Music Festival and Conference is a yearly international showcase festival taking place in Vienna, Austria. Its line-up is mainly focused on alternative and independent music. The festival takes place in a series of music venues across the city. Its conference side has been growing steadily over the past few years, attracting more and more music business executives from all over Europe.
20. Westway Lab (Guimaraes)
With 8 successful editions under its belt, Westway LAB Festival is a collaborative platform, a kind of living laboratory of experimentation and stimulus to creativity whose goal is to bring together, in the old Portuguese capital of Guimaraes, innovative and purist artists for two weeks. These residencies culminate in a festival, coupled with talks and a pro conference.
20ThingsToKnow#9
20 YOUNG MUSIC EXECUTIVES
Their backgrounds and experiences cover all angles of the music industry and they have already made a significant mark on the music sector either in their country or at European level. We look here at 20 young European independent music executives, curated by our national associations.
1. ANA RITA FEIJAO – Mermaids & Albatrosses / AMAEI
A classically trained musician, Ana Rita Vida Larga Feijão completed a degree in Public Relations and Business Communication in Lisbon. After an internship at AMAEI, the independent music trade association in Portugal, she was hired as project coordinator for WHY Portugal, the Portuguese music cluster and export office, where she worked for two years. She continues to work on AMAEI and WHY Portugal projects, and, recently opened her own label, Mermaids & Albatrosses, and embarked in the adventure of creating the first Portuguese digital distributor: Level:UP, affiliated with MERLIN – the global digital rights licensing body for the independent sector. Ana Rita is also a board member of IMPALA, representing AMAEI.
2. ANIKA JANKOWSKI – Oh, my music!
Anika is the CEO of Dresden- Oh, my music! She has a master degree in music management and experienced the music business from various angles. On her day-to-day business, she is the CEO of Oh, my music! publishing. In that position, she is in charge of the scouting, answering all questions concerning the German rights collecting society GEMA, administration work and accounting. She is also a local promoter for concerts in the Dresden area.
3. BAS VAN LEEUWEN – CHILLHOP Music
Bas is the founder and CEO of Rotterdam-based record label Chillhop Music. The label works with artists who primarily make relaxing beats and music to help you, well, chill. Since its inception in 2013, Chillhop Music has amassed more than 3 million YouTube subscribers, hypnotizing wired college students and sound tracking dinner party conversations with its 24/7 live stream of the most chill hip-hop imaginable.
4. BENJAMIN PUNZENBERGER – Etage Noir Recordings
Benjamin Puzenberger runs Etage Noir Recordings, a Vienna-based electro-house label that was originally founded in 2003 by musician and producer Parov Stelar (considered by many as the pioneer of electro-swing).
5. CLARISSE ARNOULD – Yotanka/YTK
Clarisse began her career in the music industry at the age of 21, with artist management. After a stint at ND Musique where she discovered the production and publishing company of Noir Désir, she set up a company on this independent model for the Lo’Jo group and thus managed the management, phonographic production and publishing of this internationally renowned group. In 2011, she took over the Yotanka Records label with a partner and became its manager. The label grew quickly, building an eclectic catalogue including artists such as Kid Francescoli, Puts Marie, Octave Noire, Namdose, BRNS and Muthoni Drummer Queen. In 2017, in parallel with her activities within the YTK label, she decided to support a new artist in management: Thylacine, for which she also manages her independent production company.
6. DAVID KOP – Mike Roft
David Kop is a music producer and the founder in 2015 of Brno-based record label Mike Roft, whose purpose is “to leave the comfort zone”.
7. FILIP MARIA – Hahaha Production
Filip is the general manager and co-owner of Hahaha Production, an entity including a recording studio, a music production company as well as an independent label. It was established in 2006 by one of the most successful Romanian artists: Smiley. The label produces music for most of the top Romanian artists and for many international artists. With Filip Maria as General Manager, HaHaHa Production organised the biggest and most important music camp in Eastern Europe, bringing together giants of the music industry who produced and wrote songs for artist like Ariana Grande, Dua Lipa, Katy Perry or Kendrick Lamar.
8. GEORGES PEROT – HEMI Music Hub
Involved for two decades in different fields and positions of the music ecosystem (founder of MESO events, co-Founder of Kosmos Radio 93.6, e-Terra Records and Van Dog Events), Georges has produced dozens of special events (TV shows, music awards, Olympic Games) and has participated in numerous European Music Projects (SYMANSIS, NIMPE, EURICCA, European Live Music Association). He is the national coordinator of the “MUSIC DAY” organizers network (600 concerts per edition over 55 cities in 2019), the partner of JUMP- European Music Market Accelerator (Creative Europe), the Head of Athens Music Week and the President of the European Music Day Association. Since 2019, he is also the Project Coordinator of HEMI – the Hub for the Exchange of Music Innovation (Creative Europe).
9. HISHAM JACOB MAROUN – W.A.S. Entertainment
Hisham is one of the co-founders and the publishing and label manager of W.A.S. Entertainment, a Copenhagen-based company based on a sense of community and inclusion. W.A.S. hands the microphone to minorities and help them tell their stories, showing that these deserve to be heard. The company’s core values resonate through the artists it signs.
10. KOSTIAS PACE – Jazz Station
After studying cinema in Paris and Lyon, Kostias joined the Jazz Station – one of Brussels’ most renowned jazz concert venues – in 2012, becoming its director in 2015. The venue is also used for artist residencies and as a rehearsal space. Kostias was instrumental in the launch of the Jazz Station E-live sessions, a new tool to promote jazz music in the digital world.
11. LINA UGRINOVSKA – Banana & Salt Agency
Lina experienced her great breakthrough while working as an agent in Georg Leitner Production in Austria, delivering a brand new international roster into the agency. After spending 10 years with Password Production in Skopje, where she was in charge of international bookings, she recently launched her own agency: Banana & Salt. At the age of 26, she was selected as one of “The 10 New Bosses of 2016” by ILMC London and IQ Magazine. The initiative on Mental Health Care in the Music Industry is a topic she started developing and working on, in different forms such as mentoring sessions, panel discussions and other ways of promoting it, starting in 2018 on several international conferences.
12. LUIS FERNANDEZ SANZ – Sonido Muchacho
Luis Fernandez is the A&R and label manager of Sonido Muchacho, an independent record and publishing company founded in Madrid in 2014. The company is involved in the development, promotion and management of artists. Over the past few years, it has released albums by Carolina Durante, La Plata, Sen Senra, Cariño, Pablo Und Destruktion, The Parrots, Women, Kokoshca and Juventud Juché among others.
13. MAHSA KHOSHNOOD – Studio Barnhus
Mahsa Khoshnood is the label manager for the Stockholm-based record company and the DJ collective Studio Barnhus. Her job at Studio Barnhus includes everything from project management, coordination of releases, interacting with artists, distributors, mixers, mastering engineers and graphic designers, with whom she drafts and negotiates all contracts. In addition to working at the record company and studying law, she also DJs.
14. MAOR SHUSHAN
Maor Shushan is a rising star in the Israeli music scene. He has worked with many successful Israeli artists, including Ishay Ribo (on all four of his albums). He has since produced several talented artists and developed a unique sound which encompasses all of his productions: an acoustic, well-rounded and yet warm sound that helped in catapulting quite a few of his productions to mainstream success.
15. MARKO NEMEC – Dostava zvuka
Marko is the founder and owner of Zagreb-based record label Dostava Zvuka. The company has its own recording studio and is also a concert promoter, organising among other events the Ferragosto Jam in Croatia.
16. MARTIN LINNANKOSKI – VILD Music
Martin is both a musician and the founder and CEO of Helsinki-based record label and management company VILD Music, a venture that has been in existence since 2013. He also runs VILD Factory, a boutique 360 sound & music agency, offering high-quality audio solutions for film, video games and other media projects. In addition, the company manages a portfolio of 200+ voice-over talents.
17. MICHAL WOJCIK – Tak Brzmi Miasto
Michal is one of the founders of Cracow Music Scene, an organisation integrating and promoting Cracow-based artists and venues, fans. Over the course of 7 years, it has organised concerts, international exchanges, workshops and meetings, and has released various albums and videos. It even ran a university programme. Michal also runs « Tak Brzmi Miasto », a conference and showcase festival for the young music industry executives, and the Tak Brzmi Miasto Incubator, an incubator project held in five Polish cities. Michal is also a lead singer/guitarist for the band Cinemon.
18. NICOLE MC KENZIE – MIC Records
With a strong executive background in jazz, Nicole McKenzie is the founder and director of London-based MIC – Music Inspires Change Records, a venture established in 2017. Nicole is also the co-founder of Atles Music and is a board member of AIM, the British association of independent record labels.
19. NIKOLETTA BANKI – GrapefruitMoon Records
Nikoletta spent five years as A&R manager with MZK Publishing for 5 years, where she gained a comprehensive knowledge of music publishing, copyright administration, sound recording publishing, online distribution and application writing. In 2019, she created her own record label: GrapefruitMoon Records, which is characterised by its openness and its musical diversity. She is also managing 3 bands (Nunki Bay Starship, Odd ID, The Pontiac) and also works as a music tender writer. She recently released a book on music management.
20. YANIK STEBLER – NoHook
Yanik is the founder of NoHook, a Zurich-based record label and published but also a management and booking company established in 2009.
20ThingsToKnow#8
20 YOUNG AND UPCOMING ARTISTS
More than just the new kids on the block, these artists are quickly becoming the new household names of the European independent music scene. We look at 20 young and upcoming European independent artists, curated by our national associations.
1. ALMA
ALMA (complete name: Alma-Sofia Miettinen) is a Finnish singer and songwriter. Beginning her career in 2013, she placed fifth in the seventh season of the Finnish version of TV series Idol. Her breakthrough came in 2015 when she was featured on the single “Muuta ku mä” by Sini Sabotage. Her 2017 single “Chasing Highs” repeated this success, and also reached the top twenty in Germany and the United Kingdom. Now firmly established on the European music scene, she has collaborated frequently with English singer Charli XCX, Swedish singer Tove Lo and English DJ Digital Farm Animals, among many others.
2. ARLO PARKS
Anaïs Oluwatoyin Estelle Marinho, known professionally as Arlo Parks, is a British singer-songwriter and poet. Her debut studio album, “Collapsed in Sunbeams”, was released earlier this year to critical acclaim and peaked at number three in the UK albums chart. It earned her three nominations at the 2021 Brit awards (album of the year, best new artist and best artist) where she won the award for Best Breakthrough Artist. Parks is openly bisexual and is based in London.
3. BAR TZABARY
2020 saw the emergence of Bar Tzabary as a leading young artist. His single “Johnny” became a viral phenomenon with over 13 million Youtube views and was one of the most played songs by Israeli radio stations in 2020. His upcoming album is one of the most anticipated albums of recent years in the country and abroad.
4. BLACK SEA DAHU
Black Sea Dahu (true name: Janine Cathrein) is a Swiss urban folk singer-songwriter. Her backing band consists of friends and family, such as her sister Vera and brother Simon. They are based in Zurich. “Black Sea” is an excerpt from the lyrics to BSD song “White Creatures” while the “Dahu” is a mythological creature that appears in folk tales in France.
5. BRIMHEIM
Behind Brimheim is the Copenhagen-based musician and songwriter, Helena Heinesen Rebensdorff. Her stage name is an homage to her Faroese roots, translating to ‘home of the breaking waves’. Like the illegitimate love child of PJ Harvey and Caroline Polachek, Brimheim possesses an emotional darkness and a sense of mystique. Brimheim released her debut EP ‘Myself Misspelled’ in the fall of 2020 and has since received an abundance of praise from Danish media. The Association of Danish Music Critics has nominated Brimheim for the “Hope of the Year” award.
6. CATT
German artist CATT grew up in rural North Germany, with the wish to escape the narrowness of country life. Her debut album “Why, Why” was released in November 2020, inspired by the place she loved the most since she was young: the forest. It followed up on her self-released song “Moon” in 2018, which proved a strong first signal of her colourful piano-playing and her voice floating above warm vocal and brass arrangements.
7. CONFETI DE ODIO
Madrid-based Spanish artist Confeti de Odio (true name: Lucas de Laiglesia) loves to make jokes about his own miseries and the society that surrounds him. Well connected to the contemporary cosmology of Spanish indie –linked to Axolotes Mexicanos, Carolina Durante and Alicia te quiero–, he recovers the native tradition of power pop riffs and hyper-personal lyrics that help to get through the bad times collectively.
8. DENISE CHAILA
Born in Zambia, Denise Chaila moved to Ireland when she was 3, with her doctor father being offered a position in a Dublin hospital. She then moved to Limerick, where she started performing on stage in 2012. After featuring on the Rusangano Family album in 2016, she released her debut EP, Dual Citizenship, in 2019. Her music was introduced by BBC Radio 6 Music and her debut album, Go Bravely, was released last year. Denise was one of the artists featured in the Other Voices performances during the covid-19 pandemic, recording her show at the National Gallery of Ireland.
9. DIODATO
Born in Aosta, Antonio Diodato, known simply as Diodato, is an Italian singer-songwriter. His first works were produced in Sweden with Swedish DJs Sebastian Ingrosso and Steve Angello. Back in Italy, he graduated from Roma Tre University in cinema, television and new media. He won the 70th edition of the Sanremo Music Festival with the song “Fai rumore” and was scheduled to represent Italy at the Eurovision song contest 2020 in Rotterdam, before the event got cancelled because of the Covid-19 pandemic.
10. J.R. AUGUST
A former IMPALA European album of the year award nominee, J.R. August (real name: Nikola Vranić) is a Croatian singer-songwriter and producer from Zabok, winner of the Porin Award. Prior to his solo career, he played keyboards in the Varaždin band Voodoo Lizards. After J.R. August released the song “Man with the Magnificent Mind”, the British band Coldplay presented J.R. Augusta on its website as a promising young musician. After four solo EP releases, he signed an exclusive contract with Croatia Records, under which he released his debut album “Dangerous Waters”. The album was declared the best domestic album of 2019 by several Croatian music critics.
11. LORDOFON
Lordofon is a rap/hip hop Polish band, better known for songs “Pszczoły” and “Lato”. The first album, “Kolo”, was released in 2020 and proved a huge popular success in their home country.
12. MARINHO
Filipa Marinho has spent a number of years playing in bands in and around her native Lisbon. But it wasn’t until embarking on her own solo project that she found her true voice. Written and constructed over a number of years, the songs which went on to become her debut long player take on a very personal and somewhat autobiographical sphere. Released in October 2019 to a wave of critical acclaim, “~” should have been the starting point to breaking out of the Portuguese underground indie folk scene and into pastures new. However, the Covid-19 pandemic stalled that somewhat. Marinho’s work has been recognised by the people behind Eurosonic Noorderslag, and her set at this year’s online event was one of the festival’s most eagerly anticipated shows.
13. MAVI PHOENIX
Mavi Phoenix (born Marlene Nader) is an Austrian rapper born in 1985 in Linz. His first three EPs grabbed multiple nominations at the Amadeus Austrian Music Awards, winning the FM4 Award in 2019. The artist did his transgender coming out in late 2019, through the single Bullet In My Heart, now being called Marlon Nader
14. MESKEREM MEES
She has the soul of Nina Simone, the panache of Joni Mitchell and a voice as clear as spring water. Ghent-based singer-songwriter Meskerem Mees, still only 21, appeared on the radar mid-2020 with her debut single “Joe” which proved an instant hit in Belgium and beyond. In October 2020, she reaches another milestone in her budding career, when she adds her name to the legendary list of ‘Humo’s Rock Rally’ winners, marking her breakthrough to the general public.
Meskerem Mees on Spotify
15. SLIFT
SLIFT is a psych rock band from Toulouse, France. With two albums under their belt, the band quickly grew to fame following the release of UMMON (Vicious Circle, 2020). Their live session recorded for KEXP during the Les Transmusicales de Rennes (France) quickly attracted 1M+ viewers, opening multiple live opportunities for the band.
16. SLOWGOLD
Slowgold (true name: Amanda Daniela Scholtbach Werne) is a Swedish musician and songwriter. Sometimes the name Slowgold refers to the band, which then also includes bassist Johannes Mattsson and drummer Erik Berntsson. Slowgold has released six studio albums, including the debut album Slowgold from 2012. The latest albums have been met with overwhelmingly positive criticism from the Swedish press. In 2019, Slowgold won a Grammy in the category of song / singer-songwriter of the year with the album Mörkare.
17. SNELLE
Snelle (true name: Lars Bos) is a Dutch rapper and singer. His very first single, Scars, went platinum in 2019, pocketing a FunX Music Award in the process. A few months later, his single Reünie went on to top the Dutch charts. Snelle is also part of The Streamers collective since March 2021, giving free livestream concerts during the corona pandemic. A Netflix documentary, Snelle – Zonder Jas Naar Buiten (Going Out Without A Coat) debuted in April 2021.
Snelle on Spotify
18. SOFIAN MEDJMEDJ
With a strong background in media and TV in his home country of the Czech Republic and multiple cameos as an actor, multi-tasking artist Sofian Medjmedj released its debut album “Ty Se Divas” in 2019 on Wise Music to broad critical acclaim.
19. VALERIA STOICA
Valeria is an indie-pop artist born in the Republic of Moldova. Inspired by nature, simplicity and beauty, with the guitar in her hands since she was 8 years old, Valeria has set only one goal: to bring emotion closer to our heart. Her first official single – “Remember”- took the Romanian indie-pop listeners by storm and went on to become an International success. She recently released her first album – I Don’t Like Roses – which was nominated for the IMPALA European Independent Album of the Year. The album was licensed in territories such as the UK, Ireland, Scandinavia and Italy, where “Empty Air” charted on the Italian Billboard.
20. WOODSTOCK BARBIE
Budapest-based Woodstock Barbie infuses vintage blues rock with scratchy stoner and silky soul. Their debut EP “Never Gonna Fall in Line” came out in October 2019 and they immediately ended up sharing the stage with Dopethrone (CAN). Spending all weekends together in the rehearsal room is like a therapy session for them, and they constantly working on new songs. During the covid lockdown they came out with “Live at Pinewood”. The band also won the Hungarian Fülesbagoly talent competition’s for ‘Best Female Singer’ and ‘Best Musician’ awards.
20ThingsToKnow#7
20 KEY INDEPENDENT MUSIC EXECUTIVES
Their backgrounds and experiences cover all angles of the music industry and they have all had a lasting impact on the music sector either in their country or at European level. Here, our national associations have curated a list of 20 key European independent music executives.
1. Laurence DESARZENS (Swiss Music Export – Switzerland)
Laurence has been active in the Swiss music scene for more than 30 years. The first manager of The Young Gods, one of the most successful Swiss acts ever), she was the in-house promoter at Rote Fabrik in Zurich, at Moods in Zurich then at the Kaserne in Basel. Laurence is heavily involved with new technologies (she started live streaming shows in 2000!) and has always tried to pioneer their introduction in the music sector. Since 2016, she is the director of the Haute école de musique de Lausanne (HEMU). She is the current president of the Swiss Music Export office.
2. Kenny GATES ([PIAS] Group – Belgium)
Kenny is the co-founder of [PIAS], one of the world’s leading independent music companies. Kenny met his future business partner, IMPALA board member Michel Lambot, in 1981. They teamed up to launch a music import company which became “Play It Again Sam”. The company quickly became a hugely successful record company and distributor offering a wide range of services to third party labels, including promotion and marketing. Over the intervening 35 years, [PIAS] has remained proudly independent and has grown to become an international music company offering distribution, label services, music publishing, live music nights and much more, with offices in 8 countries and hundreds of employees.
3. Inma GRASS (Altafonte – Spain)
Born in Alicante, Inma has developed her career in different fields (promotion, marketing, A&R, international development) within multinationals such as BMG, Virgin and EMI, and other indie companies such as Boa and Fol Música. She is recognized as an expert in ” World Music ” and especially latin music through her involvement with Latin American artists such as Celia Cruz, Juan Luis Guerra and Gilberto Gil. Inma is one of the founding partners of digital distribution company Altafonte, a position that has seen her listed as one of the 500 most influential women in Spain. In addition to this extensive career, Inma was also president of the association of Spanish independent labels (UFI) and founder of the association MIM (Women in Music Business).
4. Yvette GRIFFITH (Jazz Re:Freshed – United Kingdom)
Yvette is the executive director of the music arts organization Jazz Re:Freshed. In her time, Jazz Re:Freshed has pocketed various awards including Best Jazz Venue in the UK Parliamentary Jazz Awards and Best Live experience in Jazz FM awards. Yvette’s career has spanned theatre, music, film and the management of major corporate event companies and teams. Yvette also successfully ran the UK Jazz export project which has exponentially raised the profile of UK Jazz Internationally and, in turn, back in the UK with increased performance opportunities for artists. In addition to this, Yvette has extensive experience leading teams at Young Vic Theatre, Royal Court Theatre, Hampstead Theatre, Almeida Theatre, Theatre Royal Stratford East and she worked with a whole host of individuals and small companies to support, shape and drive their business and artistic aims forward.
5. Birgit HEUZEROTH (Beggars Group – Germany)
Birgit Heuzeroth is the general manager of Beggars Group Germany, based in Hamburg. Beggars Group is one of the largest independent label groups, and is the home of 4AD, Matador, Rough Trade, XL Recordings and Young Turks. In her role, Birgit plans and oversees campaigns in Germany and Austria for a range of artists including Adele, The xx, Queens of the Stone Age and Kamasi Washington. Prior to joining Beggars Group, she worked as a promotion manager and music journalist.
6. Teemu LAITINEN (PME Records – Finland)
Teemu’s route to the music industry has been anything but traditional. He holds a master’s degree in engineering from the Helsinki University of Technology. After graduating, he ended up as a management consultant for five years. His first contact with the music industry came in 2013, when Teemu was offered a stake and a seat on PME’s board of directors. The current shareholders – who are also some of his childhood friends – needed help with matters related to the company’s strategy and financing. Teemu jumped into the bread of the music company as CEO in 2017, quickly strengthening PME Records’ status as market leader in Finland.
7. Céline LEPAGE (FELIN – France)
Céline is the general delegate of FELIN (Fédération des Labels et Distributeurs Indépendants), a French national association gathering more than 500 independent labels and producers and showcasing their essential role for musical diversity.
Céline is also involved in the work of Paris-based record label Born Bad Europe and worked with other influential French independent record labels such as Tricatel and Cracki Records in the past.
8. Laura LITTAUER (Sundance – Denmark)
Laura has been the co-owner and director of Scandinavian music company Sundance since 2008. The company is active on both recording and publishing. Laura is also a board member of IFPI Denmark and sits on the board of the music companies’ management organisation MPO. She was elected on the Gramex’s Board of Directors in 2016, representing music producers.
9. Relja MILANKOVIĆ (Bassivity – Serbia)
Relja is a Serbian artist and music producer. He is the co-founder of the first and largest hip hop label in the Balkan region: Bassivity Music. He is also CEO of the later formed Bassivity Digital and Bassivity Music record label, co-founder and CEO of Loudpack Zone radio, CEO of the marketing agency Soulflower and owner of the and first hype streetwear shop in the region: Minus1 store. Relja worked as head of A&R for the Warner Music licensee in Serbia and he also runs the Bassivity Studio 7 in Belgrade.
10. Catalin MURARU (Roton – Romania)
Catalin was one of the first A&Rs in the Romanian music industry. He also co-founded Roton, more than 25 years ago and played a vital role in Roton’s transition from a small distribution company to one of the biggest labels in Romania. Catalin’s work was instrumental in the national and international success of artists such as Inna, Akcent, Simplu, Morandi, Antonia, Fly Project, Manuel Riva, Mihail and Corina among others.
11. Michal NOVÁK (RedHead music – Czech Republic)
Michal Novák, aka Majkláč is a musician, renowned for his crossover band The.Switch. In 2004 he launched Bandzone.cz, the largest Czechoslovak database of bands and performers. A partner of the smsticket.cz project since 2012 and always pro-active, Michal launched RedHead Music in 2015. The company actively seeks out and supports new musical talents, providing them with various services such as management quality rehearsal rooms, transport, etc. Michal also runs a music academy and is one of the most established talent scouts in the region.
12. Noemí PLANAS (WIN – International)
Noemí is in charge of network development at WIN, the Worldwide Independent Network. She was a board member of IMPALA for eight years and a founder member of the Spanish Independent Phonographic Union (UFI), where she was the executive manager until 2019. Previously she worked on a record label (Acuarela Discos), coordinated several editions of a music festival, did booking and tour management, and founded her own music publishing company.
13. Péter PODLOVICS (XLNT Records – Hungary)
Peter has more than 25 years of experience in the music sector, including booking, and artists’ management. He also promoted more than 100 acts as diverse as Deep Purple, Los Lobos and Barbara Hendricks. His company, XLNT, is active both as a record label focusing on quality songwriters and as a booking agency.
14. Patrick SEBAG (Israel)
Patrick is a leading music director and producer, who has worked with some of the biggest names in Israeli music. In recent years, he has been focusing on his own music, and has been releasing songs which he wrote and produced, with vocals by some of the country’s leading artists. His combination of electronic and acoustic elements, with a strong sense of melody has led to him producing some of the best-selling albums in Israel in recent years.
15. Jonas SJÖSTRÖM (Playground Music Scandinavia – Sweden)
Jonas is the Swedish owner and CEO of Playground Music Scandinavia AB, the largest independent music group in Scandinavia and Finland. Previously he was Managing Director of MNW Records Group, CEO of HNH (Naxos International) Hong Kong and external consultant for German record label Edel. Jonas was one of the founders of IMPALA. He has served on the IMPALA board since 2000 and was IMPALA’s President from 2014 to 2017. He has been Chairman of SOM (the Swedish Independent Record Producers Association) for 25 years until 2011. Jonas is also the chairman of SLR, the Swedish Label Rights Association and a Board Member of IFPI Sweden.
16. Rui TORRINHA (Centro Cultural Vila Flor – Portugal)
Rui is the artistic director of Centro Cultural Vila Flor (CCVF) in Guimarães. He also directs EU projects and international networks, the coproduction scheme and the artistic residencies plan taking place at Centro de Criação de Candoso (CCC). He is the festival director of GUIdance, Westway Lab (a partner of the IMPALA Campus project) and the Circus Arts Weekend, covering different arts such as contemporary dance, music, theatre and contemporary circus plus CCVF’s intense regular programming throughout the entire year. He was part of the programming team at Guimarães 2012, European Capital of Culture and one of the co-founders of AMAEI, the Portuguese association of independent record labels.
17. Francesca TRAININI (peermusic – Italy)
Francesca spent the formative years of her career in London, where she worked for Virgin Publishing, coming into contact with incredible music, great writers and artists, innovative management styles and ideas in music business. Francesca set up and ran independent label and publisher Oyez of which she continues to be a senior partner and, since 2014, is managing director of Peermusic Italy and Peer Southern Productions.
Francesca is vice president of independent label association PMI Italia and vice president of Italian MPA FEM. She is also the chair of the IMPALA board, is a member of the WIN Board and a founding member of the Independent Music Publishers Forum.
18. Hannes TSCHÜRTZ (Ink Music – Austria)
Hannes is the CEO of music agency INK Music, home of this year’s IMPALA European independent album of the year winner My Ugly Clementine. A former journalist, Hannes also teaches music business at the University of Applied Sciences in Kufstein (Austria), holds lectures at several other institutes, runs music business seminars since 2006 and is a well-booked speaker for several music business events (Eurosonic, Spot on Denmark, etc.). He is a former member of the board of VTMÖ – the Austrian Independent Labels Association and one of the founding members of Austrian Music Ambassador Network. He is also currently serving as member of the Austrian Music Export’s advisory board.
19. Nadine VAN BODEGRAVEN (Armada Music – Netherlands)
Nadine began her career at TV company EndeMol Netherlands and as a music and entertainment lawyer for one of the leading Dutch IP law firms. She then joined Amsterdam-based record label Armada Music to serve as its Head of Legal & Business Affairs. In 2014, Nadine became General Manager of the company and has since been one of the most globally renowned Dutch record label executives.
20. Marek WŁODARCZYK (Independent Digital – Poland)
Marek is the co-founder of Independent Digital, the leading digital distribution, digital marketing and digital rights’ management services in Poland. You may recognise his voice from various movies and adverts in which he was active in voiceover or dubbing. It is also this activity that led him to meet Andrzej Dabrowksi, his partner in Independent Digital. Based in Warsaw, the company has been growing steadily since its launch and nowadays represents the interests of hundreds of Polish independent artists. Independent Digital was also one of the driving forces behind ANPM, the Polish association of independent records labels, established in 2019.
20ThingsToKnow#6
20 YOUNG EUROPEAN INDEPENDENT LABELS
Meet the new kids on the block in the independent world – young record labels that were launched over the last few years and are already making a name for themselves, having gatecrashed the music market with some very promising releases. Here, our national associations have curated a list of 20 young European record labels that you may not be familiar with….yet! Here you can listen to a playlist of the most streamed song of each artist.
1. BLAUBLAU
BLAUBLAU – BlauBlau Records is a Switzerland based label, artist collective and booking bureau. It focuses on exigent underground pop music of any style. Working in true DIY spirit, it presents itself as “Bold records for bold people, reckless concerts for the reckless”.
A few artists to watch out for: Stefanie Stauffacher, Trash Mantra, Dave Eleanor
2. BUDABEATS
BUDABEATS – Budabeats Records is Hungarian independent record label founded by DJ Gandharva and his long time DJ and record collector partner, Von Yodi. The label started as a netlabel releasing downtempo, electronic, hip-hop and funk releases by the likes of Dokkerman & The Turkeying Fellaz, Umoja or Suhov. In 2015, it started focusing on releasing music on vinyl, and in the last couple of years the label put out several singles and albums on a wide musical spectrum ranging from afrobeat, through fusion electronics to obscure jazz.
A few artists to watch out for: Kobza Vajk , Chillum Trio, Ink Jet
3. CYPRES RECORDS
CYPRES RECORDS – Cypres Records is a Belgian record label based in Brussels. It started by releasing contemporary music and jazz, before expanding into ancient music, classical music and more and has established itself as one of the go-to sources of quality music in Belgium and beyond.
A few artists to watch out for: Simone de Bonefont, Ensemble Musiques Nouvelles
4. GLITCH RECORDS
GLITCH RECORDS – Glitch is an independent music label and concert agency based in Belgrade, Serbia. Focusing on indie rock, Glitch soon made its mark on the regional scene thanks to its first releases.
A few artists to watch out for: Superpaun, Nataleé, Weird Fishes
5. GMI
GMI – Based in Tbilissi, Georgia, GMI is not only a record label but also the leading music publisher in the country, managing more than 5000 recordings and compositions by 100+ artists. GMI is the first IMPALA member from Georgia.
A few artists to watch out for: Nato Gelashvili, Nana Belkania, Killages
6. HYPSTERIA RECORDS
HYPSTERIA RECORDS – Hypsteria is a Polish record label established in 2019 by a group of music and fashion enthusiasts. It produces various styles of music, focusing on underground Polish alternative and hip-hop music. Hypsteria manages the careers of young and talented artists and advises them on how to follow their career path. It introduces itself as “an artistic association open to everyone who has an artistic soul, thinks in an unorthodox way and wants to realise himself/herself“.
A few artists to watch out for: Karolina Stanislawczyk, Fonciak, Kobestone
7. I LOVE YOU RECORDS
I LOVE YOU RECORDS – I Love You Records is an independent record label based in Riga, Latvia. The label works with singers-songwriters, indie folk, indie pop and experimental rock artists from Baltic countries and Scandinavia. I Love You began in December 2003 as a small bar and venue in Old Town Riga. Over the years Bar I Love You has hosted live performances of dozens of artists and bands from the Baltics and other European countries.
A few artists to watch out for: Ewert and the Two Dragons, Super Besse, Zidruns
8. InFiné
InFiné – InFiné is a French record label directed by Alexandre Cazac and Yannick Matray. Coming from electronic music, the label usually goes off the beaten path, from classical music to ambient, through club and pop music. The label’s approach is transversal and multidisciplinary. InFiné intends to promote meetings between styles and generations, but also between disciplines. It uses electronic music as a vehicle for promoting uncharted musical territories where heritage and avant-garde are mixed.
A few artists to watch out for: Almeeva, Léonie Pernet, Toh Imago
9. JANSEN RECORDS
JANSEN RECORDS – Created in Oslo by Erik Jansen, Jansen Records (formerly known as Jansen Plateproduksjon) produces rock, pop, psych, garage artists and singer-songwriters from the local scene. Jansen Records showcases local talent, working with Death by Unga Bunga, Electric Eye, Atlanter, Hanne Kolstø, Kråkesølv, Daniel Kvammen, Bror Forsgren, Undergrünnen, Band of Gold, Los Plantronics and many more.
A few artists to watch out for: Death By Unga Bunga, Louien, Razika
10. MANSIONS & MILLIONS
MANSIONS & MILLIONS – Mansions and Millions is an independent pop record label and PR agency based in Berlin-Neuköln which works with artists such as DENA, Better Person and more…
A winner of VUT’s VIA award, it is, in its own words, “a label that you will like!”
A few artists to watch out for: Luis Ake, Helen Fry, Jack Chosef
11. MISH MASH MUSIC
MISH MASH MUSIC – Mish Mash Music is a young Independent label from Tel Aviv. The label has its own recording studio and mainly produce albums for young indie pop and indie rock artists.
A few artists to watch out for: Koevary, Ronnie Perry
12. MONT VENTOUX
MONT VENTOUX – Mont Ventoux is a record label, publishing house, management & booking agency and book publishers established in Madrid in early 2017. In its own words, it focuses on talent, women’s talent and people who wants to share their art and own truth.
A few artists to watch out for: Yana Zafiro, Alondra Bentley, Casetes
13. OH LEE MUSIC
OH LEE MUSIC – Oh Lee Music emerged as an artist collective in 2016 with a simple purpose: to provide a label for DIY records. Since then, it has been also pushing forward the independent music scene with concerts, networking events, workshops and talks. The label’s headquarter is divided between Norwich (UK) and Porto (Portugal). The label focuses on one ethos – working towards the artists and with its customers in mind.
An artist to watch out for: We Bless This Mess
14. POLARFACE MUSIC GROUP
POLARFACE MUSIC GROUP – Established in 2016. Polarface Records is an independent record label sprouting from Manchester and London, Polarface operates across a wide range of genres and releases music that we love, that promotes positivity in all aspects. Its motto? “As a family, we shall be creating events for acts we love and believe in”.
15. RAMA LAMA RECORDS
RAMA LAMA RECORDS – Rama Lama Records is a Stockholm-based label founded in 2016. It was launched within the aquarium company of one of the two founders’ father. Aftet two initial successful releases and a couple of sold out parties, the label moved into its own office leaving the basement it shared with countless guppies and goldfishes. Since then, it has continued to release music. The label is also behind the independent label festival and market Fools Gold, read more here.
A few artists to watch out for: Kindsight, Lilla Parasit, Kluster B
16. SEEK MUSIC
SEEK MUSIC – Seek Music is a Romanian trap/hip hop label, responsible for giving a voice to the younger generation. The trap genre exploded in Romania mainly with the help of Seek Music’s Satra B.E.N.Z. and since then, growing young talents and transforming them into national superstars is the label’s main goal. Being the biggest urban label from Romania, Seek Music became a national household name for the hip-hop fans across the country. Under Seek Music’s guidance, artists of the likes of BRUJA, Amuly and NOSFE are making a big mark in the hip-hop culture, demonstrating with every release that they are here to stay.
17. SILVERTREE RECORDS
SILVERTREE RECORDS – Silvertree Records is an Austrian record label founded in 2019 in Vienna by Anne Eck. It is an #allfemale record label, aiming to strengthen the visibility and equality of female artists to the outside world. Its work includes all administrative label activities, consulting, brand building and positioning of the artists, worldwide sales as well as PT and marketing in order to support it artist in their own artistic careers.
A few artists to watch out for: Anne Eck, Maddy Rose, Pia Bernardi
18. SOLITI
SOLITI – Soliti was created in 2011 by Nick Triani. The Helsinki-based one-man music company proactively releases experimental music, indie, shoegaze, electronica, singer songwriter, psych, drone and slacker.
A few artists to watch out for: Astrid Swan, Stina Koistinen
19. W.A.S. Entertainment
W.A.S. Entertainment – W.A.S. Music is a Danish record label describing itself as built on tolerance, a sense of community and inclusion. It aims to hand the microphone to minorities and help them tell their stories. The label’s core values resonate through the artists signed with it.
A few artists to watch out for: Black Twig, Ko:Mi, Pink Chameleons
20. WISE MUSIC
WISE MUSIC – WISE Music is a Czech management, PR and booking agency, as well as a record label. The company, with already 15 releases under its belt, was established by Tomas Lacina and Ondrek Kuchar.
A few artists to watch out for: Sofian Medjmedj, CANN, Deafheart
20ThingsToKnow#5
ICONIC EUROPEAN INDEPENDENT ARTISTS
Curated by IMPALA’s national association members from across Europe, we look at 20 European independent artists who have made a historic mark on the independent music scene in their own country and beyond. Here you can listen to a playlist of the most streamed song of each artist.
1. ADELE
Adele (complete name Adele Laurie Blue Adkins MBE) is an English singer and songwriter. After graduating from the BRIT 2006, Adele signed a record deal with XL Recordings. Her debut album was released in 2008 and proved a huge success, seeing her, among others pocket two Grammy awards. Her second album – and 2012 IMPALA European independent album of the year award, 21, proved even more successful and is currently the best-selling independent album of the 21st century, selling more than 31 million copies. Her ongoing success, her countless awards and participation in some original soundtracks such as James Bond – Skyfall has made her one of the most visible artists worldwide, leading to total sales of 120+ million albums.
Recommended album: 21 (XL Recordings)
2. ANDREA BOCELLI
Andrea Bocelli, born in 1958, is an Italian opera tenor and multi-instrumentalist. He was diagnosed with congenital glaucoma at the age of 5 months and became completely blind aged 12. After performing evenings in piano bars and competing in local singing contests, Bocelli signed his first recording contract with Sugar Music. He rose to fame in 1994, winning the preliminary round of the San Remo music festival. Since 1982, Bocelli has recorded 15 solo studio albums of both pop and classical music, three greatest hits albums, and nine complete operas, selling over 75 million records worldwide. He has had success as a crossover performer, bringing classical music to the top of international pop charts. His 2019 album Si debuted at number one in both the European and U.S. album charts. His song Con Te Partiro is one of the best-selling singles of all time.
Recommended album: Si (Sugar Music)
3. ANE BRUN
Ane Brun (true name: Ane Brunvoll is a Norwegian songwriter, guitarist, and vocalist of Sami origin. Since 2003, she has recorded ten albums, eight of which are studio albums of original material (including a collection of duets), an acoustic album, and a covers’ album. She has been living in Sweden since 2001, where she writes, records, and runs her own label: Balloon Ranger Recordings. She has been nominated twice for IMPALA’s European independent album of the year award.
Recommended album: After the Great Storm/How Beauty Holds the Hand of Sorrow (Balloon Ranger Recordings)
4. DANNY VERA
Danny Vera (true name Danny Polfliet) is a Dutch singer-songwriter and musician. He started his first band Till Dawn in 1999, winning the “Zeeuwse Belofte” award. He released his first solo album For the Light in Your Eyes in 2003. His song “Roller Coaster” from his seventh album Pressure Makes Diamonds Part II went on to rank first in the annual Dutch Top 2000.
Recommended album: The New Now (Excelsior Recordings)
5. DAVE LINDHOLM
Ralf-Henrik – “Dave” – Lindholm a Finnish singer-songwriter who has made a career under his own name and also participated in various bands. He has written songs and recorded in both Finnish and English. Lindholm’s first recordings were made with his band Ferris that released its only record in 1971. Lindholm wanted to record as a solo artist. His record label persuaded him to use the name “Isokynä” (“big pen”) and to sing in Finnish or Swedish instead of English. He recorded two albums in Finnish in 1972 and 1973. His second LP, Sirkus, is considered to be one of the most important Finnish rock albums. Lindholm has kept on recording and performing his music throughout the years and his works are highly respected by Finnish popular music critics and rock/pop music lovers.
Recommended album: Sissi (Rockadillo Records)
6. EINSTÜRZENDE NEUBAUTEN
Einstürzende Neubauten (literally meaning “Collapsing New Buildings” – with Neubauten a general term referring to buildings constructed in Germany after 1945) is a German experimental music group formed in Berlin in the early 80s. One of their trademarks is the use of custom-built instruments and noises. Subsequent recordings found the group’s sound growing somewhat more conventional, yet still containing many unorthodox elements. The band’s name attracted unexpected attention when on 21 May 1980, the roof of the Berlin Congress Hall collapsed, killing one person and injuring many. The band is considered a household name of European industrial music and its logo is among the most recognisable ones in the music sector.
Recommended album: Tabula Rasa (Mute)
7. FRONT 242
Front 242 is a Belgian electronic music band that came into prominence during the early ‘80s, pioneering a style now widely recognised as electro body music. They are considered a major influence on electronic and industrial music and were name among the “Top 500 Best Producers in Rock History” by Billboard. The band is renowned for its live performances and its aggressive stage presence and has seen its music featured in various films and commercials.
Recommended album: Tyranny for You (Red Rhino / PIAS Recordings)
8. ISHAY RIBO
Ishay Ribo is one of the bestselling Israeli artists of the last decade. He was born to an orthodox Jewish family in France, studied in Yeshiva and enlisted in the Israeli army – and began releasing his music soon after his release from the army. Ribo, whose 4th studio album was released in 2020, despite him being only 30 years old has been consistently selling out venues and became one of the top selling and top radio artists in Israel.
Recommended album: Shetach Afor (PIL Ltd)
9. KENY ARKANA
Keny Arkana is an Argentine-French rapper, also active in alter-globalisation and civil disobedience movements, initiating the “La rage du people / La rabia del pueblo” movement in 2004 in Marseille. Arkana began writing songs at the age of 12, and began rapping publicly about two years later, quickly becoming known for her realistic approach as a lyricist. She released her first solo EP in 2004 and her debut album in 2006, with a lead single, La rage, detailing the 2005 civil unrest in France. She also launched a series of local social fora through the association Appel aux sans voix (“Call to the voiceless”).
Recommended album: Entre ciment et belle étoile (Because Music)
10. KIKO VENENO
Kiko Veneno is a Spanish artist. He grew up in Cadiz before settling down in Seville. He got his nickname, Kiko, while studying at university. Heavily influenced by artists such as Frank Zappa and Bob Dylan, he formed the group Veneno in 1975. Their first album, Veneno, although not a great hit at the time, is now considered a classic Spanish album. Success came in the early nineties, with a couple of albums, including Échate un cantecito, released by Ariola. He left the major in 2005 and has been releasing his music through his own label since then. His album Sombrero Roto has been nominated for IMPALA’s European Independent Album of the Year Award in 2019.
Recommended album: Sombrero Roto (Elemusica)
11. KRUDER & DORFMEISTER
Kruder & Dorfmeister is an Austrian duo named after its members: Peter Kruder and Richard Dorfmeister. They are known for their trip hop / downtempo remixes of pop, hip hop and drum and bass tracks. Their first EP, G-Stoned, was released in 1993 to critical acclaim, especially in the United Kingdom. The band has released multiple albums, singles and remixes through its own G-Stone Recordings label – pocketing a handful of IMPALA sales awards in the process – and their K&D Sessions Live show became hugely successful, leading to a world tour.
Recommended album: DJ Kicks EP (!K7 Recordings)
12. LAIBACH
Laibach is a Slovenian avant-garde music band associated with the industrial and martial genres. Its name is the German historical name for Ljubljana. Formed in Trbovlje (by then still in Yugoslavia), Laibach represents the musical wing of the Neue Slowenische Kunst (NSK) collective. From its beginnings, the band was subject to controversies and bans due to their elaborate use of iconography with ambiguously references to totalitarianism, nationalism and militarism, a concept they have preserved throughout their career. Early Laibach albums were pure industrial music with heavy rhythms and roaring vocals, but they also recorded several cover versions of popular songs, often turning light melodies into sinister-sounding gothic tunes. Laibach has also recorded film soundtracks, theatre music, produced works of visual art, and its band members have embarked on a number of side projects.
Recommended album: Opus Dei (Mute)
13. LOCOMOTIV GT (LGT)
Locomotiv GT (often abbreviated LGT, and sometimes using the nickname Loksi) was a Hungarian rock band formed in the early 70s. Starting out as a prog rock band, they later experimented with many other styles including jazz and funk. During their heyday, they were one of Hungary’s most popular rock bands. The band broke up in 2016 after the death of its singer/bassist Tamas Somlo.
Recommended album: Locomotiv GT (Supraphon)
14. SAVAGE ROSE
Savage Rose is a Danish band formed in 1967 by Thomas Koppel, Anders Koppel, Alex Riel and Jens Rugsted. Building its reputation on acoustic music, the group returned to electric instrumentation in the 90s. The band’s debut album, The Savage Rose, was chosen as part of the Danish culture canon in 2006. The band celebrated its 50(!) years of career with a new album and an extensive tour.
Recommended album: Homeless (Target)
15. SILVANA IMAM
Silvana Imam is a Swedish rapper born in Lithuania, known for her political songs about racism, homophobia and the rise of far right. In 2012, she was nominated for Newcomer of the Year at Kingsizegalan, and in May 2013, she released her debut album called Rekviem. In May 2014, she released the EP När du ser mig • Se dig, and, after that went on her Jag ser dig tour in Sweden during the summer of 2014. Imam has described herself in her lyrics as the Vincent Van Gogh and the Quentin Tarantino of rap. She has collected numerous awards in Sweden.
Recommended album: Rekviem (Playground Music Scandinavia)
16. TEDE
TEDE, true name Jacek Graniecki, also known as DJ Buhh is a Polish rapper. He has been operating under various nicknames, including Tas De Fleia, TDF, Tedzik, Tedunio and Chory Pastor. He began his career in the band 1 kHz (Ein Killa Hertz). He founded his own record label – Wielkie Joł (Great Yo) in 2002 and is considered one of the most established rap artists in Poland.
Recommended album: Skrrrt (Wielkie Jol)
17. THE GIFT
The Gift is a Portuguese alternative rock and synthpop band, originating from Alcobaça. In 2005, they became the very first Portuguese act to enter the Billboard charts, with their hit single “Driving You Slow”. Nowadays, manly thanks to their applauded song writing skills, they are one of the most established Portuguese acts and have toured extensively across Europe.
Recommended album: Primavera (La Folie Records)
18. THE YOUNG GODS
The Young Gods are a Swiss post-industrial band from Geneva, formed in 1985. They were nominated for last year’s IMPALA Album of the Year award. For most of its history, the band maintained a trio format with a singer, a sampler player and a drummer, albeit with multiple line-up changes. The band’s music is largely based on sampling and sound manipulation, such as distorted guitar riffs and string sections. Their approach to music has been recognised as an influence by artists such as David Bowie and Mike Patton.
Recommended album: Data Mirage Tangram (Two Gentlemen)
19. TOMAS KLUS
Tomáš Klus is a Czech musician and songwriter from the Moravian-Silesian region of the Czech Republic. Klus was born in the industrial town of Trinec, where he spent most of his childhood. He moved to Prague aged 15 to pursue a sporting career and was a member of the gold medal winning team in modern pentathlon in the 2002 European championship, turning his interest to music straight after. He released his debut album in 2008 and in 2011 released a song called “Pánu bohu do oken” (“Into God’s windows”) a song critical of Czech politics and the behaviour of Czech politicians. it was certified Gold in its first week on sale. Racek spent 23 non-consecutive weeks at number one. It was the best-selling album of 2011 in the Czech Republic and later certified diamond.
Recommended album: Tomas Klus + Janacek Philarmonic Orchestra – Klusymfonie (Supraphon)
20. VAMA (formerly VAMA VECHE)
Vama Veche is a Romanian rock band formed in 1996. Its name means “the old customs” in Romanian and is also the name of a small Romanian village. Their first album Nu am chef azi proved an instant hit in Romania. The band split in 2006 following a dispute between its members on the payment of rights. The band, led by its original singer, returned later under the name VAMA, singing in English.
Recommended album: Nu am chef azi (Tempo Music)
20ThingsToKnow#4
ICONIC EUROPEAN INDEPENDENT LABELS (20+)
They are household names of the independent music world and have released some of the most important European independent records in history. Here, we look at 20 iconic European independent record labels that have been in existence for more than 20 years.
1. COBALT MUSIC HELLADISC (Greece)
Established in 1962 and headquartered in Athens, COBALT MUSIC is Greece’ leading independent record label. representing an impressive portfolio of Greek artists. The company also explore other music genres through its imprint as FAMILY THE LABE.COBALT MUSIC is also active as a publisher, managing a very large repertoire of works of household names of Greek music such Manos Hatzidakis or Lefteris Papadopoulos. A perfect mix between respectable tradition and enthusiasm for young and emergent artists.
A few artists to watch out for: STELIOS KAZANTZIDIS, GEORGE MAZONAKIS, SAKIS ROUVA
2. CRUNCHY FROG (Denmark)
Established in 1994 in Copenhagen by the four members of the band THAU, Crunchy Frog borrows its name from a Monthy Python sketch involving a pair of policemen who question the head of a confectioners about his new assortment, which include a “Crunchy Frog”. The record label focuses on “alternative music” and aims at leaving full creative control to its artists. Nowadays, it is also involved in publishing (Crunchy Tunes) and promotion (Bobkat Agency) while also partnering in two Copenhagen-based bars: the Whammy Bar and the Mudhoney.
A few artists to watch out for: POWERSOLO, THEE ATTACKS, THE RAVEONETTES
3. DANCING BEAR (Croatia)
Based in Zagreb and founded in 1990, Dancing Bear Records is one of the leading Croatian record labels and is also the Warner Chapell representative in the country. Taking its name from a 60s hit by U.S. act The Mamas and the Papas, it is also active in publishing and runs two records stores in Zagreb and Osijek.
A few artists to watch out for: former IMPALA album of the year nominee BAMBI MOLESTERS, THE STRANGE, MAGNETIC
4. ECM – EDITION OF CONTEMPORARY MUSIC (Germany)
ECM is a record label best known for its jazz releases. It was founded in 1969 in Munich and its motto is “the Most Beautiful Sound Next to Silence”, taken from a 1971 review of ECM releases in a Canadian jazz magazine. Having built a strong reputation for daring and innovative releases, its album covers were profiled in two books: Sleeves of Desire and Windfall Light, both published by Lars Müller. ECM is the recipient of numerous industry awards (MIDEM, JazzWeek, etc) and has also developed a very strong relationship with the film industry, many of its releases being used or created for movies.
A few artists to watch out for: KEITH JARRETT, JAN GARBAREK, STEVE REICH, PAT METHENY
5. EXCELSIOR RECORDINGS (Netherlands)
Excelsior was founded in 1995 by Ferry Roseboom and Frans Hagenaars under the name “Nothing Sucks Like Electrolux”, releasing a few limited-run 7’ singles. The name Excelsior Recordings was adopted in 1996 and quickly became known for releasing quality alternative rock albums in Benelux.
A few artists to watch out for: ALAMO RACE TRACK, TOMMIGUN, TRIGGERFINGER
6. IRASCIBLE (Switzerland)
Turning 20 this year, Irascible was established in 2001 and quickly developed into a distribution, promotion and publishing company for many international and Swiss labels and artists. It is also active as a PR agency for music festivals and of course as a record label (IRASCIBLE RECORDS) aiming to build up Swiss talents and export them successfully.
A few artists to watch out for: ONE SENTENCE. SUPERVISOR, BLIND BUTCHER, WOLFMAN
7. MAGNEOTON (Hungary)
The Magneoton record label was founded in 1990 and was one of the first privately-owned record labels created during the regime change from communism to free market economy in Hungary. In 1992, Warner Music Group acquired the company, which became Warner Music’s sub-publisher of Hungarian so-called “light music” performers. The company launched the Aquarium Studio in 1999, one of the most modern sound studios in Hungary. In 2004, two directors of Warner Music Hungary, László Pásztor and István Joós, started a new business called mTon, which took over the maintenance of Magneoton’s catalogue and the release of other Hungarian albums. Elephant House Records was launched in 2014 to focus on works by electronic music performers.
A few artists to watch out for: NAPOLEON BOULEVARD, CALIDORA, NEOTON FAMILIA
8. MTJ (Poland)
Agencja Artystyczna MTJ is a Warsaw-based independent label established in 1990 by Tomasz Bujak and Maciej Pluciński. First operating in distribution and as a warehouse store, it properly launched its label operation in 1995 after signing a recording deal with singer Ryszard Rynkowski. MTJ has released more than 1.500 records in its existence, in various music genres, collecting many platinum and gold records in Poland in the process. It also runs diverse imprints focusing on rock and heavy metal (Mega Czad), electronic music (Disco Polo) and children’s music (Male MTJ).
A few artists to watch out for: MAGDA UMER, STAN BORYS, MAGDA FEMME
9. NINJA TUNE (United Kingdom)
Ninja Tune is a London-based independent record label. Their ninja logo is probably one of the most well-known in the industry. It was established in 1990 by Matt Black and artist Jonathan Moore aka Coldcut. The label was created as a means to escape the creative control of major labels and as a way to release underground music. Recognised as one of the most innovative independent record labels worldwide, Ninja Tune is often referenced to as visionary and consistently excellent. Ninja Tune MD Peter Quicke, is also one of the driving forces behind the Music Declares Emergency initiative.
A few artists to watch out for: DJ FOOD, MR. SCRUFF, AMON TOBIN
10. PIAS RECORDINGS (Belgium)
PIAS Recordings was founded in 1983 in Belgium as Play It Again Sam by Kenny Gates and Michel Lambot, focusing first on importing and distributing foreign records in Belgium, before quickly expanding into other territories, with offices in France, Spain, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom among others. Its name is a reference to the Casablanca movie with Humphry Bogart and Ingrid Bergman. Nowadays, [PIAS] has grown into one of Belgium’s largest and most dynamic music companies with a team of 40 people now based at the iconic building of the former socialist newspaper Le Peuple in the heart of Brussels. The [PIAS] office in Brussels serves both as the administrative HQ of the [PIAS] Group and as the home of [PIAS] Belgium, the longest established team in the [PIAS] family of labels.
A few artists to watch out for: FRONT 242, IMPALA album of the year award winner AGNES OBEL, BLANCHE
11. PREISER RECORDS (Austria)
Preiser Records is a Vienna-based company that combines the labels PREISER RECORDS, PREISER Classics and Lebendige Vergangenheit/Legendary Voices, PREISER Jazz and EXTRAPLATTE. Together with its own distribution arm, PREISER is one of the leading independent record companies in Austria. Established in 1952 by Otto Preiser, the label promotes high-quality recordings in the areas of classical music, cabaret and Wienerlied (Viennese song). With several hundred releases, the PREISER catalogue is considered to be one of the most prestigious and authoritative sources of documentation on the leading singers and musicians of the past 100 years.
A few artists to watch out for: ELISABETH KULMAN, SEILER UND SPEER, THE WIENER TSCHUSENKAPELLE
12. RASTILHO RECORDS (Portugal)
Rastilho Records is one of Portugal’s historic record labels. Established in May 1999 by Pedro Vindeirinho and headquartered in Leiria, its first release was “Walls of Shame ” by Intervenzione, a classic Portuguese punk band of Portuguese Punk 90s . With strong DIY ethics. In June 2010, the label launched Rastilho Metal Records, an imprint dedicated exclusively to metal and hardcore releases. Rastilho Records has become known in recent years for their vinyl editions of some of the biggest names in the Portuguese music.
A few artists to watch out for: MARVEL LIMA, BIZARRA LOCOMOTIVA, MATA-RATOS
13. ROCKADILLO RECORDS (Finland)
Rockadillo Records is a Finnish record company driven by IMPALA board member Tapio Korjus. It started its activities in 1971 as a concert agency named Suomi-Pop. The name of the company was changed to Rockadillo three years later, inspired by the song of the same name by Dave Lindholm. The company grew to become one of the most respected indie names in the region.
A few artists to watch out for: DAVE LINDHOLM, NURIA, PIIRPAUKE
14. ROTON (Romania)
ROTON is one of the most successful Romanian indie labels in existence. It celebrated its 25 years of existence in 2019. Roton is home to some of the most acclaimed Romanian artists: INNA, Akcent, Mihail, Sistem etc. and is also the Romanian representative of world-renowned acts such as Armin Van Buuren, Tiesto, Bob Sinclair, Lost Frequencies and Fedde Le Grand among others.
A few artists to watch out for: INNA, SOFIA VICOVEANCA, AKCENT
15. RUNE GRAMMOFON (Norway)
Founded in 1998 by Rune Kristofferson, Rune Grammofon specializes in experimental electronic music, jazz and improvised music released by Norwegian artists. The label is home to the widely respected improvisational group SUPERSILENT and also releases the solo works of the band’s members.
A few artists to watch out for: SHINING, ALOG, SKYPHONE
16. STARTRACKS (Sweden)
Startracks, run by Fredrik Holmgren, has been in existence for a bit more than 20 years. Already active in the 80s with a fanzine and a DIY mail order selling punk rock records, Fredrik went on to become active in all aspects of the business, from his collaboration with Chickenbrain Records to working in record stores or becoming involved in artists management. Loyal to its DIY ethics, the label keeps working quietly on regular underground releases.
A few artists to watch out for: KRISTOFER ASTRÖM, REFUSED, LEIAH
17. SUBTERFUGE RECORDS (Spain)
Madrid-based Subterfuge Records was founded in 1989 by Carlos Galan. Its name comes from the fanzine Subterfuge, a reference in underground culture from the very first issue. With Devil Came to Me by the band Dover, Subterfuge has released the best-selling album in the history of independent music in Spain, pocketing no less than 6 platinum records.
A few artists to watch out for: MCENROE, ARIZONA BABY, AUTUMN COMETS
18. SUGAR MUSIC (Italy)
Based in Milan, Sugar Music is a family owned, independent record label and publisher. The company was established in 1932 by Ladislao Sugar and soon made a name for itself as the foremost independent record company in Italy. It is also one of the most prominent Italian music publishers. The company serves as a creative hub run by Filippo Sugar, representing the third Sugar family generation. Filippo is the only child of Piero Sugar and Caterina Caselli, a key figure in talent scouting and record production in Italy. The label’s catalogue includes over 80,000 titles from household names such as Ennio Morricone, Nino Rota, Umberto Tozzi, Lucio Battisti and Paolo Conte. The company recently clinched a double number one in the charts, both in Europe and in the U.S. with a release by Andrea Bocelli.
A few artists to watch out for: NEGRAMARO, IMPALA album of the year nominee ANDREA BOCELLI, MALIKA AYANE
19. SUPRAPHON (Czech Republic)
Based in Prague, Supraphon is one of the oldest European record labels. It is mainly oriented towards classical music, with an emphasis on Czech and Slovak composers. The Supraphon name, originally used for a renowned electric record player, was first registered as a trademark in 1932! In the post-war years, SUPRAPHON became the label for Czechoslovakian albums produced for export, playing a significant role in building the fame of Czech classical music worldwide.
In Czechoslovakia, it was one of the three major state-owned labels, the other two being Panton and Opus. Nowadays, Panton is a division of Supraphon.
A few key releases nicely highlighted on the Supraphon website.
20. WAGRAM MUSIC (France)
WAGRAM MUSIC is French independent record label established in 1996. It is based in Paris, with offices in Berlin and Los Angeles, and is part of WAGRAM STORIES, a global independent company involved in film and series production, book publishing, live music and communication. The label is divided in 6 six imprints, each with a different music colour: Cinq7, 3ème Bureau, Chapter Two Records, WLab, LaBréa and Belem.
A few artists to watch out for: former IMPALA album of the year nominee ORELSAN, IMPALA platinum award recipient CORNEILLE, DOMINIQUE A
20ThingsToKnow#3
ICONIC EUROPEAN CONCERT VENUES
Touring is vital for independent artists, both in terms of visibility and income. And the live music experience will definitely be more important than ever for music fans once music venues are finally allowed to re-open their doors post-covid. Here, we look at 20 iconic European music venues.
1. A38 (Budapest, Hungary)
The A38 (or A38 ship) is an entertainment and cultural venue on the Danube river, opened in 2003. It is based on a repurposed decommissioned Ukrainian stone-carrier ship, now permanently anchored at the bottom of the Petofi Bridge. On top of the concert hall (capacity: 400), it also hosts a bar, a restaurant and an exhibition hall.
2. AKC METELKOVA MESTO (Ljubljana, Slovenia)
Metelkova City is an autonomous social and cultural centre located in downtown Ljubljana. With a rich historic heritage and very unique aesthetic, it is considered as one of the most important venues dedicated to youth and independent culture in Slovenia. Located in old army barracks, it hosts a series of clubs including Channel Zero, Gala Hala, Klub Gormka and Menza pri Koritu. It is also one of the venues used by MENT, the leading festival and music conference in the region.
3. ANCIENNE BELGIQUE (Brussels, Belgium)
Known under this name since the 1930’s, the Ancienne Belgique (French for « Old Belgium”) is located in the historic heart of Brussels, within walking distance of the IMPALA office. It has a solid reputation for incredible acoustics and consists of two concert halls with three set-ups: the main hall (capacity: 2,000), the AB Box (which is a revisited cosy set-up of the main hall, with a capacity of 800) and the AB Club (capacity: 250) aimed at young up-and-coming acts.
4. BARBY (Tel-Aviv, Israel)
A well-known venue in the Tel Aviv indie-rock scene, the Barby club is a long- established music venue in the south of the City. The club, with a capacity of 600, hosts concerts almost every night, largely from more established local performers or international artists.
5. BERGHAIN (Berlin, Germany)
The Berghain club opened in 2004. Its name comes from the two city quarters that flank the south and north sides of the buildings: Kreuzberg and Friedrichshain and means “mountain grove” in German. It has become one of the world’s most (in)famous clubs with a solid reputation for its techno nights. With a capacity of 1,500, the venue is established in a former power plant and was formally recognised as a cultural institution in 2016.
6. Centro Cultural Vila Flor (Guimaraes, Portugal)
The Centro Cultural Vila Flor is the main concert venue of Guimaraes, the first historical capital of Portugal. It is made of the restored Vila Flor Palace and its Gardens, and the construction of a new building for the theatre. Inaugurated in September 2005 with a Madredeus concert, the CCVF has a large auditorium with a capacity of about 800 seats and a small auditorium with 200 seats. The new building also houses a restaurant, a café and an exhibition area. It is also the seat of the municipal assembly, as well as the central venue of the Westway Lab festival and conference.
7. COLOURS Music Festival (Ostrava, Czech Republic)
Colours of Ostrava, or simply Colours, is a multi-genre festival, the biggest international music festival in the Czech Republic and one of the biggest music events in Central Europe. Although a festival, it has been chosen by IMPALA’s national association PLatforma as it is such a significant national venue because of its unique location in an old industrial site of former ironworks and steelworks in Dolní Vítkovice in the city of Ostrava, and also because it makes such an important role in the local music sector. Colours features 16 stages including 4 big open-air stages (the main one with a capacity of 15,000), 6 indoor stages, a theatre stage, a workshop stage, a kids’ stage, a cinema and live discussions. It encompasses all major music genres, as well as avant-garde music.
8. EL SOL (Madrid, Spain)
Since 1979, El Sol has thrived and stood the test of time. El Sol is a classic venue founded during Madrid’s “Movida” movement era and has hosted the best pop and rock artists from the national and international scene. Artists like Alaska y los Pegamoides, La Unión, Radio Futura have all performed there. El Sol also hosts book and record launches as well as award ceremonies. It has also been used to record films and music videos.
9. EXPIRAT (Bucharest, Romania)
The Expirat club is functioning in one of Bucharest’s old factory buildings. Established in 2002, Expirat is one of the most successful live venues in Bucharest. With a capacity of 400, Expirat is the place to go see all the established alternative/indie bands play, but also welcomes up-and-coming bands from Romania and abroad.
10. FLEX (Vienna, Austria)
FLEX is a nightclub located between underground station Schottenring and Augartenbrücke in Vienna. Many international indie acts have played in the club, which is rated as one of the best nightclubs in Europe. Its sound system is also widely considered one of the best on the continent. Active since the 90s, the club hosts multi-cultural events from all over the globe, focusing primarily on DJ sets and live acts. Building its reputation on drum and bass, Flex has adopted a seven-day cycle with different musical themes each night of the week.
11. KORJAAMO (Helsinki, Finland)
The Korjaamo culture factory is based in the Taka – Töölö district of Helsinki and is an old tram repair yard that also houses the local tram museum alongside the culture factory itself. Opened in 2004, it uses the former tram halls as various spaces for cultural activities including live shows, restaurants, cinema and art gallery.
12. LOPPEN (Copenhagen, Denmark)
LOPPEN is an alternative not-for-profit concert venue housed in an old army hall in Freetown Christiania in Copenhagen. Opened in 1973 to support the local underground scene, it has welcomed alternative, aggressive, provocative and danceable music since then. The building is also home to a flea market, a restaurant and an art gallery.
13. L’USINE (Genève, Switzerland)
L’Usine is both an alternative and self-managed cultural centre and a structure bringing together 18 collectives and associations. It is established in the former Geneva gold roughing factory, a building located on the banks of the Rhône, made available by the municipality in 1989. The association’s ethics (for life and work) are based on “self-management, pleasure and openness to others”. The venue includes concert halls, nightclubs, art galleries, theatre, cinema and various branches dedicated to development of creative and recreational activities.
14. OLYMPIA (Paris, France)
The Olympia hall is a concert venue located in Paris’ 9th arrondissement, between the Madeline church and the Opéra Garnier. It was opened in 1888 by the co-creators of the Moulin Rouge venue, and built a reputation for hosting opera, ballet and music hall performances. The Olympia was converted into a cinema before WWII before re-opening as a music venue in 1954. It currently has a capacity of 1,996.
15. PARADISO (Amsterdam, Netherlands)
Located in Amsterdam’s city centre, the Paradiso is housed in a converted 19th century church building that dates from the 19th century and that was used until 1965 as the meeting hall for a liberal Dutch religious group. The main concert hall has high ceilings and two balcony rings overlooking the stage area, with three large, illuminated church windows above the stage. In addition to the main concert hall, there are two smaller cafe stages, on the upper floor and in the basement. The venue is known for its eclectic range of programming, which also includes lectures, plays, classical music, and crossover artists.
16. PARCO DELLA MUSICA (Roma, Italy)
The Auditorium Parco Della Musica is a modern multi-functional complex, blending cutting-edge architecture and state of the art acoustics encompassing three enormous concert halls and a 3000-seat open-air arena. Designed by Renzo Piano, the Auditorium is the centre for many spectacular live music concerts such as classical, abstract contemporary, art music, chamber and sacred music while hosting many cultural events in Rome such as the International Film Festival. The Auditorium is also home to one of Italy’s finest orchestras, the Orchestra of Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia.
17. PROGRESJA (Warsaw, Poland)
Progresja opened in 2003 as a small rock club. In the following years, the club moved to bigger venues to become Poland’s biggest music club. Although for many years the club has been mostly associated with rock and metal music, its stage currently hosts shows by mainstream stars, pop singers, electronic and alternative bands or even jazz groups.
18. PUSTERVIK (Gothenburg, Sweden)
Since the early 20th century, Pustervik has been a part of the entertainment and culture scene in Gothenburg. Today, it’s the most prominent club and concert venue in town. In what used to be both a cinema and theatre, there is now a music stage complete with two bars and a balcony, with a capacity of 900 people.
19. ROCKEFELLER MUSIC HALL (Oslo, Norway)
The Rockefeller is located in Torggata in downtown Oslo. The building, known as the “Market Street Bath” used to house a public bathing facility. The music hall was established in 1986 and can host between 1600 and 2000 people depending on the type of concert. The venue consists of a main hall, a large gallery, a smaller upper gallery, a rooftop with bar, and several lounge bars on the sides of the main music hall. Several popular podcasts and radio shows are regularly recorded at the Rockefeller.
20. ROUNDHOUSE (London, United Kingdom)
The Roundhouse is a performing arts and concert venue located in a former railway engine shed in Camden Town. It was originally built in 1847 as a circular building containing a railway turntable but was only used for this purpose for about a decade. After being used as a warehouse for a number of years, the building fell into disuse. It reopened in 1964 as a performing arts venue and was adapted as a theatre. It was closed again in 2004 for re-development and re-opened in 2006, hosting many concerts and various awards ceremonies since then.
20ThingsToKnow#2
EUROPEAN NATIONAL ASSOCIATIONS
A huge part of IMPALA membership, national associations of independent record labels form our backbone. These structures, gathering the independent record labels active in a specific country or territory, work on a daily basis to facilitate the business of their members and monitor national developments likely to impact the music sector. Together within IMPALA, their knowledge and understanding of the music eco-system is second to none, allowing a permanent exchange of knowledge between territories, record labels and music executives all over Europe.
IMPALA turns 20 this year and many national associations go a long way back in time.
The first national associations appeared in Scandinavia as early as the seventies. Swedish association SOM was the European pioneer, being established as early as 1974. Norway followed closely, with FONO being born in 1980. The other Nordic countries followed in 2002 with the set-up of DUP and INDIECO in Finland.
While Israeli association PIL was established as early as 1988, it is the nineties that saw the independents in the bigger European music markets get organised: VUT, the German association of independents was born in 1993 and is still, to this day, the biggest European association in terms of membership size with close to 1,200 members. French association UPFI followed in 1996 and AIM, the Association of Independent Music, was constituted in 1998, gathering the British independents. The three bigger European music markets now had independent representative groups firmly on the map.
Collaborating with a few key independent labels based in territories with no national association at the time, a crazy idea was born making sure that independent record labels could also be properly represented at the European level, where more and more decisions were taken that would have an impact on the music eco-system. IMPALA was established in 2000, with most of the above as founding members.
The noughties would, in the space of a few years, see more associations created, at first mostly in Western European countries: UFI in Spain and VTMÖ in Austria in 2003 or PMI in Italy in 2005. BIMA (in Belgium), STOMP (Netherlands), AMAEI (Portugal) and INDIESUISSE followed suit.
The last decade saw things getting livelier in Central and Eastern Europe. PLATFORMA (Czech republic) was the first association of its kind to be established in the region, with more indie federations recently appearing in Hungary (HAIL), Romania (INDIERO) and Poland (ANPM). The Balkans even went one step further, with RUNDA (established in 2018) becoming the very first trans-national association of independent record labels, covering the seven territories of ex-Yugoslavia as well as Albania.
Last, but certainly not least, French federation FELIN joined IMPALA in 2020, becoming the second French indie alliance to do so after UPFI. It is not uncommon for European countries to have multiple groups of independents active in the same territory, based on historical differences or different realities (music genres, size, etc). Along similar lines, Italian association AUDIOCOOP is also represented within IMPALA by PMI.
In a nutshell: 20 territories, for 22 associations and 27 European countries covered in total.
1. AIM – Association of Independent Music (United Kingdom)
2. AMAEI – Associação de Músicos Artistas e Editoras Independentes (Portugal)
3. ANPM – Alians Niezaleznych Producentow Muzycznych (Poland)
4. BIMA – Belgian Independent Music Association (Belgium)
5. DUP – Danske Uafhaengige Pladeselskaber (Denmark)
6. FONO – Norwegian Association of Independents (Norway)
7. HAIL – Hungarian Association of Independent Labels (Hungary)
8. INDIECO – Finnish Association of Independents (Finland)
9. INDIERO – Romanian Association of independent record labels (Romania)
10. INDIESUISSE – Association of Swiss Independent Music Labels and Producers (Switzerland)
11. PIL – The Israeli Federation of Independent Record Producers (Israel)
12. PLATFORMA – Association Czech of Independents Record Companies (Czech Republic)
13. PMI – Produttori Musicali Indipendenti, also representing AUDIOCOOP (Italy)
14. RUNDA – Regionalna Udruga Nezavisnih Diskografa (Slovenia, Croatia, Serbia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Albania)
15. SOM – Svenska Oberoende Music Producenter (Sweden)
16. STOMP – Stichting Onafhankelijk Muziek Producenten (Netherlands)
17. UFI – Union Fonografica Independiente(Spain)
18. UPFI – Union des producteurs phonographiques français indépendants and FELIN – Fédération Nationale des Labels et Distributeurs Indépendants (France)
19. VTMÖ – Verband unabhängiger Tonträgerunternehmen, Musikverlage und MusikproduzentInnen Österreich (Austria)
20. VUT – Verband Unabhängiger Musikunternehmer (Germany)
20ThingsToKnow#1
WHAT IMPALA HAS ACHIEVED IN 20 MILESTONES
1. In its first year, IMPALA plays a key role in the breakdown of the merger attempt between EMI and Warner – a deal withdrawn because of EU objections (see here) (2001)
2. IMPALA negotiates two landmark agreements with key online players – Napster, when was the world’s second most recognised brand (see here), and iTunes (see here) (2001)
3. IMPALA wins landmark court case on Sony/BMG merger clearance (see here) (2006)
4. World’s first merger remedy package negotiated with WMG to rebalance the market in the face of increasing concentration (2007)
5. IMPALA helps create key international structures for the sector, Merlin, the global digital rights agency for the world’s independent label sector and also WIN, the worldwide network of independent associations (2007 & 2006)
6. Launch of IMPALA’s Independent Album of the Year Award (2011)
7. Biggest ever set of merger remedies secured following IMPALA’s complaint – Universal ordered to divest two thirds of EMI and respect 10 years behavioural undertakings (2012)
8. IMPALA and Merlin announce agreement with Warner Music Group on divestments to strengthen the independent sector, ultimately completing in 2017 (2013)
9. Two thirds of labels signing WIN’s Fair Digital Deals Declaration are European (2014)
10. IMPALA launches a complaint against YouTube, Merlin secures deal after platform threatens to remove independent labels’ videos (2014)
11. Very first loan EU guarantee scheme is launched for the EU’s cultural and creative sectors to support loans to independents and other small actors (2014)
12. Apple’s attempt to discriminate against independents is thwarted by a united stance in Europe and across the world, improving terms for all labels, including the majors (2015)
13. Trade takes on a new dimension with the launch of IMPALA Balkans Focus Group (leading to establishment of RUNDA) and start of IMPALA’s Brexit work to ensure that the independent music companies’ voice is heard in the negotiations (2016 & 2017 and continuing today…)
14. Music Moves Europe programme is launched, first European programme dedicated to music (2018)
15. IMPALA acknowledges the climate emergency and commits to making the independent sector ecologically sustainable and regenerative, as well as using our voice to support Music Declares Emergency in Brussels (2019)
16. Historic vote in the European parliament to adopt a new copyright directive to address the value gap (2019)
17. IMPALA establishes a COVID-19 Task Force and takes on key role in driving the sector’s agenda by adopting a crisis plan, mapping tool and recovery package, helping culture to be recognised as one of Europe’s fourteen priority sectors for recovery (2020)
18. Diversity and Inclusion Charter adopted, first set of commitments dedicated to the European independent sector (2020)
19. IMPALA launches One Step Ahead, digital intelligence facility for the independent sector (2020)
20. EU budget has focus on music for first time and whole culture programme receives top up of half a billion euros for total of 2.2bn (2020)