New Signings & Team-Ups: SCA and Edison Research team up; Vevo chooses 5SOS for Certified Live; Cowell’s Ultimate DJ back on; Future Classic releasing Kenton Slash Demon

SCA and Edison Research team up

As Southern Cross Austereo charts its future in audio, it struck a strategic deal with Edison Research USA. SCA’s Executive Director - Metro Operations, Guy Dobson, said, “Edison Research has distinguished itself as the leader in research and understanding of the entire audio space, led by what they’ve termed the ‘Infinite Dial’, where consumers have boundless choices.” The two will work together for Edison to bring its research platforms and methodology into the Asia Pacific with SCA introducing its innovations to North America.

Caroline Australia, Milk!, jointly release Fraser A. Gorman

Caroline Australia and Courtney Barnett’s Milk! Records jointly release Fraser A. Gorman’s debut album Slow Gum in Australia on July 3. A core member of the Milk! Collective, Gorman (the A is for Alexander, if you were wondering) he’s been releasing singles and EPs since 2012 and collaborating with the likes of Barnett, King Gizzard, Davey Lane and Jen Cloher among others. He does seven East Coast and SA clubs July 3 to 24.

Future Classic releasing Kenton Slash Demon

Future Classic will, with Kenton Slash Demon’s own audiovisual label collective WAA Industry, globally release the taster of their Danish futuristic duo’s first new material in three years. The two-part 15-minute opus Skydancer is a homage to European club culture.

Vevo chooses 5SOS for Certified Live

Vevo confirmed Sydney’s Five Seconds of Summer as its first act for the 2015 season of Certified Live. They play in New York on August 17. Last year’s event saw Pete Wentz, Demi Lovato and Iggy Azalea play to 2,000 in Los Angeles. The show has been revisited online 25 million times since.

Music Victoria rides a red truck

Music Victoria has a deal with Little Red Trucks for a 10% discount for members. Little Red was founded by (and staffed) by Melbourne musos.

Tri-collaboration leads to Pilbara Sounds compilation

A West Australian collaboration by music association WAM, Karlka Nyiyaparli Aboriginal Corporation and Celebrate WA lead to the recording of a ground-breaking project. Sounds Of The Pilbara II: Songs In Language is being made in a pop-up studio in South Hedland.

It captures songs and stories, from country and contemporary, in the Pilbara’s 31 dialects. WAM is working with Pilbara Indigenous language linguists from Wangka Maya.

Bradley Hall from KNAC said that the project “serves to record and preserve the traditional Indigenous languages found throughout the Pilbara… and expect (the focus) to result in an increase in public recognition and appreciation of Indigenous languages.”

WAM CEO Mike Harris added that also involved in the project were the Pilbara Development Commission, Pilbara Ports Authority, Horizon Power, Soundtown, Rio Tinto, Dampier Salt and the Town of Port Hedland.

Cowell’s Ultimate DJ back on again

Simon Cowell’s reality show The Ultimate DJ is back on again. It was cold-shouldered by the international EDM community after he proclaimed in January 2012 that with “DJs the new rock stars”, it was time for a show akin to X Factor for DJs. Now Cowell’s Syco Entertainment is working with the Yahoo’s streaming service Yahoo Live (launching it in July as part of 18 new shows on its 2015/16 slate) and Ultra Records. DJ Steve Aoki is on board as show figurehead. With a format that Yahoo’s Chief Marketing Officer Kathy Savitt calls “very much like the World Cup of EDM – country against country, DJ against DJ, fanbase against fanbase” (hear a splutter for the EDM industry which sees itself as a global community), Voting will take place through Tumblr tapping into EDM fans’ strong social media obsession. Winner is offered a slot on a major EDM festival, a record deal with Ultra/Sony.

The Voice goes to India

The Voice India launches in June on Indian TV company Zee TV's Hindi entertainment channel & TV, adapted and produced by Endemol India. Coaches include high profile Bollywood singers Himesh Reshammiya, Mika, Shaan and Sunidhi Chauhan. The Voice has seen 60 localised productions in 180 countries with a reach of 500 million viewers worldwide. India has previously adapted Pop Idol while Zee TV had its own music reality show Sa Re Ga Ma Pa (named after the Indian musical notes) from 1995 to 2013.

Kram smiling for Sunday

Spiderbait drummer and singer Kram created a new track for not-for-profit company Hello Sunday Morning’s new campaign ‘Don’t let the day get away’. It encourages people not to waste themselves on booze on Saturday nights and spend the next day recovering from a hangover because so much can be achieved on Sundays. Kram is featured on the national ad playing his drum kit on a Botany Bay cliff while others enjoy themselves running or surfing.

BMW retailer announces Vincent as ambassador

Sylvania BMW Sydney today appointed singer Mark Vincent a celebrity ambassador.

Netflix acquires music video director story

A subscription VoD rights that Netflix stuck with SBS International for Australia, New Zealand and the US includes a number of Australian names from its MipTV platform. The six-part Davie Wants to Live traces Australian music video director and fashion photographer David Murrell’s stem-cell treatment brain cancer. Unplanned America follows former MTV Australia staffers Tim ‘Gonzo’ Ryan and Pawel ‘Parv’ Jarecki and film maker Nick Maher driving 35,000km across 35 American states looking at strip clubs, skate colonies, New Orleans voodoo and a bondage training chateau. Watch it with your granny.

Focal brand chooses NZ firm to distribute in Oz

French Hi Fi brand Focal appointed New Zealand’s NA Distribution to represent their sales in Australia. NA doesn’t have a sales force in Australia but will send its executives over regularly. It plans to set up a warehouse in Australia but location and time are not set in concrete yet.

Proper to get Redye for UK/Europe

Proper Music Distribution inked a UK/Ireland distro with US indie Redye to cover 100 Redeye label partners. These include Yep Roc (Josh Rouse, Robyn Hitchcock), Barsuk (Death Cab for Cutie, Big Scary), Kill Rock Stars (Deerhoof, Gossip) and Northern Spy (Thurston Moore, Shilpa Ray).