Mixcloud Presents: The Inside Track

In episode six, Nico is joined by Elijah, a London-based DJ and writer. Elijah co-created the grime record label Butterz with Skilliam in 2010 and has written for The Guardian and guest edited Resident Advisor. In 2021, he began his ‘Yellow Squares’ project that explores alternative approaches to publishing creative work.

Starting from a note published on Instagram, it has developed into visual installations, an album, merchandise, a club night, a touring evolving lecture series and a new book 'Close The App, Make The Ting.'

They cover:

Elijah’s career and a DJ and label head

The birth of the Yellow Squares project

What artists can learn from pro-wrestling

Artists having a variety of creative influences

The state of urban UK radio

The future of record labels and music consumption

The differing roles of a music manager

Elijah’s new book ‘Close The App, Make The Ting’ is available now: https://velocitypress.uk/product/elijah-close-the-app-make-the-ting/

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In episode five, Nico is joined by David Zhou, the Co-Founder and Director of Eastern Margins. A collective for alternative East and Southeast Asian (ESEA) culture, Eastern Margins was launched in 2018 and is a record label and event series bringing the musical stories of the Asian continent and diaspora to the forefront.

In 2024, the platform launched Margins United - the first music festival of its kind in Europe - celebrating the diversity and vibrancy of ESEA music, food and art.

They cover:

2:07 David’s musical journey and identity

6:58 The birth of Eastern Margins

11:19 Creating and managing the Eastern Margins record label

22:04 Music licensing in East and Southeast Asia

30:10 The economics of running a record label

35:20 Predicting cultural trends in music

43:01 Championing local music scenes in Asia

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In the fourth episode, Nico is joined by Yancey Strickler, a writer and entrepreneur.

He is the Co-Founder and Director at Metalabel, which is establishing new ways for creative people to create value together. He is also Co-Founder and former CEO of Kickstarter, which pioneered crowdfunding and helped creators raise more than $8 billion for their projects, and Co-Founder of The Creative Independent, a resource of emotional and practical guidance for artists.

As a music critic he has written for the likes of Pitchfork, Spin and The Village Voice and authored the book This Could Be Our Future: A Manifesto for a More Generous World in 2019.

They cover:

The birth of Kickstarter and it’s impact on artists

Creativity and the human experience

The Bentoism framework

The complicated case of digital algorithms

Metalabel and how it helps creatives

The future of the creative economy

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In the third episode of Mixcloud Presents: The Inside Track, Nico is joined by writer, editor and artist Whitney Wei.

Whitney was the former Editor-in-Chief of the electronic music platform Resident Advisor, and prior to that, was the Editor-in-Chief of Electronic Beats, the music marketing program of Deutsche Telekom.

Throughout her career, Whitney has written extensively about club culture and experimental dance music scenes. Her words have appeared in The Guardian, Vogue US, Highsnobiety, Pitchfork, and Numéro Berlin, among others. 

They cover:

0:54 Whitney’s upbringing and discovering electronic music

6:11 Whitney’s move to Berlin and joining Electronic Beats

10:07 Whitney’s time as as Editor-In-Chief at Resident Advisor

16:33 The current state of music journalism

23:44 Whitney’s new book

29:54 Berlin, New York and Taipei’s club scenes

40:09 The impact of gentrification on club culture

53:07 The current state of diversity in music scenes

56:25 Future trends in music and club culture

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In the second episode of Mixcloud Presents: The Inside Track, Nico is joined by Charlie Bones, a DJ, radio host and founder of Do!! You!!! Radio.

Charlie is a mainstay of independent radio and was a resident at NTS Radio for over 10 years, hosting its now legendary breakfast show before setting up his own platform in 2021. He has also performed DJ sets throughout the UK and beyond for the likes of Boiler Room, GALA Festival and Corsica Studios.

They cover:

Charlie’s entry into music (2:16)

Charlie making his own music (01:15:29)

In the first episode, Nico Perez (Mixcloud Co-Founder & CEO) speaks with Francois K, a musician, producer, DJ and host of ‘World of Echoes’ on Worldwide FM.

He has nearly 50 years of experience in the music industry and his career began at historic nightclubs like the Paradise Garage, Studio 54 and The Loft during the 1970s.

He went on to work with everyone from Arthur Russell to Kraftwerk, before remixing artists from Diana Ross to Adam Ant. He has performed DJ sets in New York, Ibiza and around the world.

They cover:

Francois’s jump into live streaming during the COVID-19 pandemic (1:15)

The recent developments at Twitch, its DJ program and what it means for DJs (6:57)

The future of music copyright in the age of AI (12:42)

How music discovery has evolved over the years (18:28)

Finding your own music community and more (27:10)

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