Byta Presents: #HowWeListen Live: In Conversation with May Mahmoudi, A&R: Big Dada Recordings (Ninja Tune) & DJ/Producer
• Breaking the Mold: Record Label & Sync A&R! •
Tuesday May 30th, 10am PT / Noon ET / 6 pm BST (Live on Zoom)
Our next guest is May Mahmoudi, A&R at Ninja Tune’s Big Dada Records, as well as working in the sync department of Just Isn’t Music. May was brought on when Big Dada decided to do a big relaunch in early 2021. The Big Dada label put a new focus on where they wanted to go and who was going to take them there. They are now actively working to amplify Black, POC and racialised voices. Big Dada Records looks to shift the narrative around this music, bypassing stereotypes to allow and encourage the freedom to express oneself for who they are and want to be. The goal: supporting and offering resources to a new generation of artists.
Outside the virtual walls at Big Dada, May is also a working DJ/Producer with a radio show over at Dublab, a Los Angeles-based, community-supported internet radio station and creative collective dedicated to the growth of positive music, arts, and culture. You can find some of her DJ mixes at Pitchfork’s mix round-up. Maral’s sonic palette incorporates a collage of Iranian Classical & Folk samples and explores genres of experimental electronic production such as noise, punk/post-punk, and dub. Maral has released two critically acclaimed records, Ground Groove (2022) and Push (2020) on Leaving Records. She has collaborated with artists such as Lee “Scratch” Perry, Panda Bear, Penny Rimbaud of Crass, Anika and more.
Big Dada Records, is the innovative, Ninja Tune–distributed hip-hop label whose roster has included King Geedorah, Run the Jewels, Roots Manuva, and Spankrock. In January 2021 Big Dada was relaunched as a label run by Black, POC & Minority Ethnic people for Black, POC & Minority Ethnic artists [for lack of a better term].
Big Dada wants to shift the narrative around this music, bypassing stereotypes to allow and encourage the freedom to express oneself for who one is and wants to be.
#HowWeListen Live: In Conversation is a monthly online event that will be presented in two parts:
- A workshop: Tips & insights for tomorrow’s artists & music industry leaders with Byta founder Marc Brown.
- An in-depth conversation with May Mahmoudi about amplifying Black, POC and racialised artists’ voices by shifting the narrative around this music, bypassing stereotypes.
About the Event
This series is designed to deliver the knowledge to enable tomorrow’s artists and industry leaders to better manoeuvre their way through the music ecosystem. Providing fun and insightful Q&A along the way!
#HowWeListen Live: In Conversation is hosted by Byta’s founder, Marc Brown, whose deep music business background and digital audio knowledge have helped him deliver unique insights to audiences from Tallinn to Toronto. Marc is a former label owner, A&R, manager and radio plugger.
Key takeaways:
- Amplify Black, POC and racialised artists’ voices.
- Where are we now, where did we come from?
- How does the A&R department discover the undiscovered?
- What is “label ready”?
- How do Black, POC and racialised artists get the attention of an A&R department?
- How does a musician approach synch before and after being signed?
- Where are the exciting emerging music scenes today?
- What are an artist’s best first steps, when building a career?
Event Format
#HowWeListen Live (part 1):
The workshop will introduce industry insights that Marc has picked up from his work in A&R departments, running his own radio promotion company, plus years of experience managing artists and significant large-scale projects. Some of the topics he will touch on include artists’ teams, timelines and connecting the web of the music industry. Plus, most importantly, tips on what you can do yourself to better increase the chances of your success.
#HowWeListen In Conversation (part 2):
Each event features an in-depth one-to-one conversation. This time around we have Marc will be chatting with May Mahmoudi, A&R at Ninja Tune’s sub-label – Big Dada Records. She is not just front-of-house in the music ecosystem but is also a DJ and a producer and brings all of that experience to her music discovery and signing artists.
About Byta
Byta (“Bee-tah”: the Swedish word for exchange) is unrivalled in taking advantage of the unique properties found in audio files. By simplifying the reading and writing of file metadata, conversion of file formats and delivery of fast yet secure streaming, the platform enables everyone to send and receive digital audio in a clean, simple and secure way. Byta has also launched #HowWeListen, a not-for-profit organisation that complements the company’s ultimate goal: providing artists and their teams with the tools and knowledge needed to move their careers forward.
More about May Mahmoudi:
DJ/Producer/Collaborator and A&R for Ninja Tune’s Big Data Records. She also works in the synch department at Ninja Tune. Outside the virtual walls of Ninja Tune and Big Data, May is a working DJ/Producer with a radio show over at Dublab, a Los Angeles-based, community-supported internet radio station and creative collective dedicated to the growth of positive music, arts, and culture. You can find some of her DJ mixes at Pitchfork’s mix round-up. Maral’s sonic palette incorporates a collage of Iranian Classical & Folk samples and explores genres of experimental electronic production such as noise, punk/post-punk, and dub. Maral has released two critically acclaimed records, Ground Groove (2022) and Push (2020) on Leaving Records. She has collaborated with artists such as Lee “Scratch” Perry, Panda Bear, Penny Rimbaud of Crass, Anika and more.
About Marc Brown
Marc is the founder of Byta / byta.com. Run as a distributed team across three continents, Byta enables sending and receiving of digital audio in a clean, simple and secure way. Built for everyone working with music today.
His extensive music business background and considerable digital audio knowledge have helped him deliver unique insights to audiences from Tallinn to Toronto.
Marc got his start at murderecords, Canada’s premier artist-owned label, during the mid-90s. After working in A&R at the legendary London indie, Creation Records, and then at Alan McGee’s Poptones, Marc started his own boutique UK radio promotion company off the back of his success with The Hives. For over ten years, Marc worked with an impressive list of indie rock luminaries, including Wilco, Bloc Party, Conor Oberst/Bright Eyes, Spoon, and Refused as well as legends such as Tom Waits, Yoko Ono, Booker T and Mavis Staples.
Marc currently lives and works in Stockholm, Sweden.