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Ben Turner
March 18, 2014
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Ben Turner has gone from being a fan of U.K. dance music in the '90s to a major player in the growth of the burgeoning EDM movement worldwide. On top of being one of the co-Founders of IMS Engage – an electronic music convention set at the W Hotel in Hollywood on April 16th -- Turner is also owner of Graphite, an artist/event management company that also specializes in connecting the genre of electronic music to brands. Here, Turner connects the dots in linking the creative and business potential of EDM.
What were you doing before you launched Graphite?
I had been a journalist from a very young age. At 16-17, I was working at the reverential music newspaper Melody Maker. I then launched an electronic-focused publication, Muzik, in 1995. After years of that, I went on to launch a content website called worldpop, and from all that I developed a strong background in content. In 2001, I decided to launch Graphite as a way to try and break down barriers that electronic music faces in media and the industry - using my history and experience through working in magazines, TV shows, award shows and various outlets. It was always my goal to help make this music as big as possible, to break down the walls of the traditional music industry, which was continually telling people like me that this is not 'real music'."
What made you decide to launch a company that combines artist management with music branding?
I launched on my own company because I wanted to be in control of my own destiny, responsible for my own actions, and to not be told I couldn't follow my heart and my dreams. The facts that I started out so young and developed a very broad background in the rock and electronic worlds meant that I had a wealth of contacts and experience to draw from. I also had longstanding relationships in the business of branding. The Muzik Awards in 1996 were, after Pepsi and Ministry of Sound, one of the first branded events thanks to a deal with Ericcson. Due to the links with talent from being an editor of a globally influential music magazine, I could help them engage with these artists; it's something I really enjoyed being in the middle of. It's also a challenge. On one hand, we've got some talent doing the reverse, looking to brand themselves or work with brands on different projects. So we have a very holistic view of what's right and wrong, of what artists will and won't do. There are times when brands either overshoot or under-offer, by asking too much of artists and not being elastic enough with their demands. We are good at helping manage that relationship.
What are the main challenges to achieve success in the music business in a digital world?
Electronic music is reaching incredible heights right now around the world. The genre has spread so deeply into the far corners of the world, places we would never imagine reaching ... and we're still reaching, spreading and incubating in places such as Africa, Asia and India. We're only a certain way through the journey; new generations continue to discover electronic music. This is the technology generation, who would never buy a guitar, but when it comes to electronic music, they understand it and absorb it. It's a great time for electronic music for this generation, but there's still a whole world of culture that doesn't understand the music - the art world, the fashion world, the film world ... they're just beginning to grasp the music and genuinely integrate it. The people I work with believe it's very important to find ways that ensure they appreciate what electronic music is and can be. We have to make them aware that they can't keep putting it in a dance music ghetto.
"Branding" has certainly a buzzword in today's business world. How do you apply it to your artists and the music spectrum?
Essentially, we're engaged with the branding community where we work with all the parties involved in IMS and IMS Engage, which is a high-level gathering of thought leaders and icons of the electronic music space. Even though the attendance is small in numbers compared to an electronic music festival, we've found that major brands really admire the people we bring together. They may be a small group, but they're hugely influential. IMS has created a powerful network. The electronic music industry is the definition of a great industry; the people behind it are very progressive, forward thinking, open to change and always pushing the limits of technology. Brands see the electronic music space and its audience as trailblazers who are taking the music culture forward -- and they want to be associated with that. IMS has drawn strong support from Corona, the W Hotels, Pioneer, Burn and tech brands from Blackberry to Nokia, all of whom see the value of this audience. Up until now, the brands were always around electronic music, but not in a huge way. But now we are seeing the big deals come through - mostly via companies like SFX and Live Nation for obvious reasons.
What prompted you to create the IMS Engage convention?
The IMS partners wanted to be in America. Although the IMS Summit in Ibiza also drew a lot of Americans, we felt it was time to bring the IMS summit to the American landscape, where more people here can participate in the conversation about what's going on. IMS Engage offers something different than what we do in Ibiza. IMS Engage brings people in the electronic music space face to face with people in film, art, technology and finance. We've had great success attracting influencers such as Russell Simmons or Kevin Systrom from Instagram because electronic music is now a lifestyle. IMS Engage shows how electronic music can reach a wide swath of people.
What are the main challenges facing dance music today?
First off, people have to be patient. One of the topics at IMS Engage is that everyone's always wondering when this bubble is going to burst. But all music is cyclical and trends come and go as different generations come up. Electronic music is on a really positive curve at the moment, but there inevitably will be bad times -- probably sooner than later - as a part of the cycle. People can't expect to reach and conquer everything. We've still got major issues within our industry -- a lack of a credible awards show, a general lack of infrastructure - which is why I conceptualized and we're now implementing the Association for Electronic Music, so the genre can speak with one voice on big issues. Many people in the electronic space work in their own silos; we want them to care about a common mission. If we speak in one voice, our position of strength will grow and grow.
Speaking of award shows, what's your take on how dance/EDM is being treated at the Grammys?
AFEM's Kurosh Nasseri, and a long-time electronic music attorney, is one of the highest ranking individuals on the Grammy Board, and he has been a strong voice for electronic music at the Grammys. He has been one of our advocates there, and we're all very hopeful that the Grammys can be a huge open door for the genre going forward. The signs are there that this happening on many different levels.
Should dance music artists/labels do more to attract radio airplay - and if so, how should they go about it?
There are many positive signs of life in American radio for electronic music. The commitment of Clear Channel and iHeartradio's Evolution channel has been a very welcome addition. Their DJs have put the time and commitment in to build that channel and to tap into a huge potential audience. Pete Tong's radio show is now broadcast on terrestrial radio in multiple markets; but we need more huge commitments to help develop electronic music on the radio.
Do you feel EDM DJs and artists should edit their music to fit radio's "single mentality?"
This depends on the artist. Many are not wiling to compromise, which is to be commended, too. If everyone compromised, we'd be in trouble. It's all about a balance. The power of this music will always be based on a strong ecosystem that starts in the underground and grows from there.
What are the best ways for the next generation of dance artists and DJs to become the superstars of tomorrow?
Right now, we're in this incredible moment and time where through social media, people have the ability to talk to like-minded people about music that is completely accessible to them - and the audience can be communicated to by their own fingertips. For artists in this day and age, it comes down to just how much you want it ... are you prepared to bring your music to the world? This doesn't come easy. Artists really have to put in so much hard work; the most successful DJs today have been doing it for 20-30 years. Richie Hawtin and Deadmau5 have been out for a long, long time; success doesn't happen overnight. In every case, artists have to take control of their own destiny and find their own community, doing every gig initially that offers them an opportunity that feels right to get their name out there. It's so competitive at a time like this ... when everyone has a voice. The technology may have democratized the production process, but it has also overloaded the channels of communication. Now it's about what you say and how you say it ... and sometimes just let the music do the talking.
Does dance music deal with the same monetization issues traditional labels face in terms of generating equitable revenue from digital/streaming music services - and in your view, what are the best ways to optimize revenue?
We have similar income streams to other genres, but we're fortunate to have some of our own. I had quite an interesting conversation with the manager of one of the world's biggest bands at Midem. He couldn't believe the profit margin artists in the electronic space enjoyed from a touring point of view. His band had to move 35 trucks from gig to gig. DJs can turn up to a new gig with only a mobile phone full of music and still get paid, in some cases, the same as major bands. You can see why the industry is fascinated by this space; if you do it right in electronic music, the profit margin is so much higher. On the other hand, some of the bigger electronic acts are spending a lot more on production, and costs have escalated, but still not as much as major stadium bands.
Are you concerned that once dance music reaches a critical mass again, it will lose some of its underground, cutting-edge appeal?
That's always a risk, but the underground in electronic music is so strong and powerful that world artists from the underground are leading a huge musical assault on the world without compromising their music. Yet they're still becoming more and more accessible, so all sorts of people want to be around it. If the music doesn't compromise, it gets stronger. I've seen this music grow and grow as it starts to open doors and explode into the mainstream.
Should dance music attempt to go beyond its core young audience?
There are already examples of that happening. It's funny ... about 10 years ago in the magazine world, Q and Uncut came out to cater for people over 40 who were into guitar music. We're now seeing dance music get its first version of that in an online publication you can purchase from iTunes (called Electronic Sound). I'm 40 now and I was 16 or 17 when I joined the dance music explosion in the U.K. I - and all my friends - haven't just stopped listening to that music just because we don't go clubbing every night of the week. We're listening to more interesting forms of electronic music that are absolutely relevant and sound futuristic. This music appeals to all ages; it's not just aimed for kids.
Where do you see dance music five years from now? Is it even advisable to look that far ahead when the art form seems to be evolving so fast?
The scene is evolving at a huge rate. There will be an implosion at some point, but personally I think electronic music is so deeply embedded in the psyche of young people that it's going to grow and grow. As John Acquaviva says, 'Digital natives by definition don't buy guitars." People who are 10 years of age already know about artists such as Deadmau5 and Skrillex. Part of that may be being influenced by their parents in some cases, but they are a generation of digital natives. They're computer-driven about everything -- films, games and music - and they absorb the technology around them.
On top of that you now expect to hear electronic music in videogames, Hollywood movies and hotel lobbies. It's the aesthetic people want, and the one people think that people want! This is the result of dance music evolving over 25 years -- and who knows where it will go from here. That, to me, is most exciting and fascinating thing about this music. The opportunities are endless and it can't be stopped.
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