Kim Gordon (Sonic Youth) among new BigSound keynotes

BIGSOUND 2016 is taking shape, with two international keynotes joining its 15th anniversary program from September 7-9; legendary Sonic Youth co-founder Kim Gordon and hip hop luminaries Peanut Butter Wolf and J Rocc. 

As one of the creative forces behind grunge pioneers Sonic Youth, Kim Gordon is one of the world’s most influential musicians and visual artists. Her near three decades with the band were detailed in her 2015 memoir ‘Girl in a Band’.

Peanut Butter Wolf is one of hip hop’s founding fathers, working as an artist, DJ and now as the head of influential label Stones Throw Records whose cutting edge artists and approach to the genre have led the label to be lauded as a creative influence by artists like Kanye West and Questlove. He and long-time label mate J Rocc will reflect on the past two decades of releasing music as the label celebrates its 20th anniversary.

Head of Pandora’s US Music Maker program Lars Murray, will deliver a mini-keynote on the emergent challenges and opportunities of the streaming era.

"It is an absolute honour to welcome these iconic cultural figures to BIGSOUND this year. Kim Gordon has been on our dream list of speakers for years and we’re so excited to hear from such an influential, challenging and still-relevant figure in music and art,” said co-programmer Nick O’Byrne. “Also on that dream-list has been one of the most important labels in the history of hip hop, Stones Throw. We can’t wait to hear founder Peanut Butter Wolf and long standing label mate J Rocc reflect on the music and people who have made it so seminal."

They will be joined by previously announced keynotes Jaddan Comerford (UNIFIED) and A.B. Original (Briggs & Trials) as BIGSOUND 2016 shapes up to welcome the biggest and most diverse range of industry participants from around the world in its history. The event will also welcome among others, Conan O’Brien booker Jim Pitt, music supervisor Marcy Bulkeley (Independence Day 2, Jurassic World), Universal Publishing’s Taylor Testa, ATO’s Jon Salter (My Morning Jacket, Alabama Shakes) and agents from New York institution The Bowery, German metal agency Avocado Booking, London’s ATC Live, Hong Kong’s Songs for Children and UK and US representatives from global agency, Creative Artists.

BIGSOUND will also commence its inaugural masterclass program which involves exclusive workshops with industry leaders on topics like Advanced Digital Advertising (presented by BIGSOUND’s digital partner Bolster), Business Management & Tax For Artists, International Touring (presented by BIGSOUND’s travel partner Stage and Screen) and Leadership and Team Building. There will also be an in-depth artist development masterclass in conjunction with Red Bull Sound Select. Attendees will be limited at all masterclasses to ensure a true hands-on learning experience for industry professionals of all levels.

BIGSOUND Festival tickets are also going fast, with 3 nights of live music with 150 bands in 15 venues and will showcase new Australian talent on the cusp of major international success, including Sampa the Great, Alex Lahey, West Thebarton Brothel Party, Gabriella Cohen, Tigertown, Tash Sultana, MOSSY, Olympia, Bec Sandridge, Ivan Ooze, Circles, Gideon Bensen, Good Boy, Sarah Connor, BANFF, Tiny Little Houses, Fascinator, Middle Kids, Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever and Mere Women.

This year will also see international visitors including NAATIONS (US), Fazerdaze(NZ), Groeni (NZ), Prateek Kuhad (India) and Young Tapz (NZ), cementing BIGSOUND’s rise as the Southern Hemisphere’s biggest global music marketplace. 

BIGSOUND conference passes are strictly limited and available now fromwww.bigsound.org.au. Special rate tickets are available until July 31 or until sold out from just $450. Tickets for the BIGSOUND Festival are also on sale now for just $75+bf for two huge nights of music with 150 bands across 15 venues, plus a third night closing party at the Triffid on Friday September 9.

BIGSOUND 2016
INDUSTRY SPEAKERS / BUYERS
* bold denotes newly announced speaker

Kim Gordon (USA) – Keynote
J Rocc & Peanut Butter Wolf –  Stones Throw Records (USA) – Keynote
Jaddan Comerford  –  UNIFIED (AUS) – Keynote
A.B. Original (Briggs & Trials) (AUS) – Keynote
Lars Murray  –  Pandora (USA) – Mini Keynote
Brodie Lancaster (AUS) – Mini Keynote
Bruce Tweedie  –  Music Mill (AUS)
Matt Ash – Raw Power Management (USA)
Alex Becket  –  Creative Artists Agency (USA)
Alex Black –  Big Deal Music (USA)
Alex Bruford – ATC Live (UK) 
Andrea Sze­w  –  Szew Law Group (USA)
Paul Barclay  –  ABC (AUS)
Guy Blackman  –  Chapter Music (AUS)
Jane Blondel – Songs For Children (Hong Kong)
Michelle Brown  –   4ZZZ (AUS)
Marcy Bulkeley  – Wild Card AV (USA)
Laura Byrne  – Made In Katana / The Scouted (AUS) 
Christine Cao  –  The Windish Agency (USA)
Chris Carey  –  Media Insight Consulting (UK)
Jen Cloher  –  Milk! Records (AUS)
Claire Collins  –  Bossy (AUS)
Jon Coombs  – Secretly Publishing (USA) 
Katie Cunningham  –  Junkee Media (AUS)
Cam Durnsford  –  PBS 106.7FM (AUS)
Dana Erickson  – Grandstand Media & Management (USA)
Emmy Feldman  – Canvasback (USA)
Sebastian Freed  – The Bowery Presents (USA) 
Melody Forghani  –   twnty three (AUS)
Stephen Goodhew  –   FBi (AUS)
Alastair Green  – Maker Agency (AUS) 
Cath Haridy  –  Catherine Haridy Management // Support Act (AUS)
Lawson Higgins  – The Royalty Network, Inc (USA) 
Tim Hollo –  Green Music Australia (AUS)
Zac Ives  –  Goner Records (USA)
Chris Johnson  –   Amrap (AUS)
Lachlan Kanoniuk  –  FasterLouder (AUS)
Mitch Knox  –  TheMusic.com.au (AUS)
Siobhan Kranz  –  Mushroom Promotions (AUS)
Jessica Krishnaswamy  –  BBE (AUS)
Jared Kristensen  –  Ticket Squad (AUS)
Kučka (AUS)
Tom Larkin  –  SIGNAL Agency Group / The Studios In The City / Homesurgery MGMT (AUS)
Nikita Lavrinenko   –  Paper and Iron Booking (Germany)
Regan Lethbridge  –  Lemon Tree (AUS)
Jeremy Maciak  – Vagrant Records / BMG (USA) 
Stu MacLeod  –  RTR FM (AUS)
Lindsay McDougall (AUS)
Ivano Maggiulli  –  Brace Yourself PR (UK)
Tyler McLoughlan   –  The Sound Pound (AUS)
Dean Ormston  – APRA AMCOS (AUS)
Jim Pitt  –  Conan (USA) 
Tim Price  –  Collision Course (AUS)
Jodie Regan  –  Spinning Top Music Manager (AUS / USA)
Josh Roth  –  Superfly (USA)
Katie Rynne  –  Select Music (AUS)
Jon Salter  –  ATO Records (USA) 
Jonno Seidler (AUS)
Roger Shepherd  –  Flying Nun (NZ)
Tim Shiel (AUS)­
Jackie Shuman  –  Good Ear Music Supervision (USA) 
Jessica Strassman   –  Columbia Records & StarTime International (USA)
Chris Swanson  –  Secretly Group (USA) 
Marcus Teague (AUS)
Edwin Tehrani  –  New World Artists (AUS)
Taylor Testa  –  Universal Music Publishing Group (USA)
Roman Trystram  –  Creative Artists Agency (UK) 
Mark Vaughan  –  Atomic Soul (Norway) 
Marco Walzel  –  Avocado Booking (GER) 
Julia Wilson  –  Nice Rights / Midnight Choir / Rice Is Nice (AUS)
Tom Wironen  –  Post Hoc Management (USA)
Nick Yates  –  UNIFIED (AUS)

BIGSOUND is supported by the Queensland Government through Tourism and Events Queensland and Arts Queensland. BIGSOUND has been assisted by the Australian Government through the Australia Council of the Arts, its arts funding and advisory body.