Where are you based?
Berlin, Germany
Where do you work? What do you do?
I founded my 360-degree management agency, De Light Management in 2016, so I am running that on a daily basis. We specialize in Artist, Brand and Showcase management.
What are you listening to?
Oooh, the list is long, and over a wide range of genres:
Techno: Raven, Nina Kraviz, Radio Slave, Mr G
House: Ash Lauryn, Moodymann, Andrés
Alternative R&B: Santiago Le Saint, Kalela, The Internet, Mahalia
South African House: Shimza, Blanka Mazimela
Reggae: Chronixx, Jah9, Jah Cure, Beres Hammond
Afrobeat: Wizkid, Tems, Tiwa Savage
…To name a few 🙂
How do you discover new music?
Music has always been a huge part of my life. My mom raised me on Randy Crawford, Dionne Warwik, Anita Baker and Luther Vandross, while my stepfather raised me on roots and dub reggae. That started my journey into music discovery over many different genres. Nowadays I receive promos from various labels, have new music sent to me by my DJ/Artist friends, and also spend time navigating various music blogs, DJ playlists, and newsletters. I have to say the COLORS YouTube series has introduced me to many artists from various parts of the world that I fell in love with.
What formats do you usually listen to? LP, CD, Cassette, Digital, Streaming Services? Why?
As I move around and travel quite a bit, streaming is the most convenient way to consume music. I do have a small collection of vinyl, but I need to get my hands on another set of 1200s for my apartment 🙂
Where do you do most of your music listening?
I listen to music everywhere: at home while I work, in the bathroom as I get ready for the day, on the subway, and when I wind down…really in nearly every daily situation.
At home, I have Sonos speakers in nearly every room of my house.
How do you find and listen to pre-release music?
Generally, I am sent private SoundCloud links or listen via the player when I receive promos.
What are your frustrations with listening to music digitally? Any benefits?
The most frustrating part of listening to music digitally is knowing that the artists don’t get paid their fair share of royalties from the streaming services. Artists these days need to have a high number of listeners per month, as promoters now pay attention, but the artists don’t benefit financially. The kicker is when you see the Spotify CEO use his profit to invest in AI defence technology. Is this where money should be going rather than to the artists?
“The kicker is when you see the Spotify CEO use his profit to invest in AI defence technology. Is this where money should be going rather than to the artists?”
How do you keep track of everything you are listening to?
I am pretty diligent with creating playlists as I discover new music.
Do you tip other people off to new music? How?
Yes for sure! Whenever I find gems I send them to my friends and family based on the music they like. I usually find a link and send it via Telegram or WhatsApp
