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Dutch agencies Earth Beat and Blip join forces

Amsterdam-based booking and artist management agencies Earth Beat and Blip Agency are merging under one umbrella.

Under the name EBB Music, the agencies will bring together their rosters of afro jazz, psychedelic pop and electronic music acts.

The company’s consolidated roster includes Altın Gün, Jambinai, Otoboke Beaver, Ambassade, Gaye Su Akyol, DMX Krew, Daughters of Reykjavik, WaqWaq Kingdom, YĪN YĪN, Romperayo and M I M I.

According to EBB Music, the amalgamation will better serve its artists across Europe, Benelux and the rest of the world.

“EBB Music’s goal is to give non-European artists a chance to build a career in Europe”

Earth Beat was co-founded in 2002 by Jerome Williams who previously worked for ten years as a sound engineer and tour manager.

Having started out as an agency for ‘world music’ in the Benelux countries, Earth Beat gradually expanded into a company with a theatre division (operating in Holland and Belgium until 2013), an international agency and a local promoter in Benelux.

Blip, meanwhile, was founded in 2016 by Jeroen van den Bogert and Ronald Keizer and became a successful agency for ‘cutting-edge and leftfield artists’. Williams, Bogert and Keizer will lead the newly formed EBB Music.

 


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Dutch agencies develop green artist rider

UIMA (United Independent Music Agencies), the association of Dutch booking agencies, has released a green rider for artists wishing to tour sustainably.

The rider, which follows the launch of the first green artist rider at GEI in 2019, focuses on eating in a more eco-friendly way, cutting down on flying, reducing waste and using renewable energy. For example, by eliminating the 7,500 short-haul flights UIMA artists take a year in favour of trains, they can reduce carbon emissions from transport up to 80%, the rider explains.

UIMA members, which include Blip Agency, Octopus Agents, Good Music Company, Earth Beat and Sedate Bookings, represent more than 500 acts who play over 15,000 shows annually. The association was formed in April 2020 in response to the Covid-19 pandemic.

The rider focuses on food, transport, waste and energy

In addition to looking at what artists can do to reduce their footprint, the rider also advises how venues and festivals can make a difference, for example eliminating single-use products and using only green energy.

In a statement, the association says it hopes “more artists and agencies at home and abroad will embrace this initiative and help develop it so that we can collectively move towards a cleaner future”.

Download UIMA’s green rider (in English) by clicking here.

 


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Dutch agencies demand Europe-wide support for live

A coalition of independent Dutch booking music agencies have joined forces to create United Independent Music Agencies to advocate for a coordinated, Europe-wide policy for the live music sector.

Made up of Blip Agency, Belmont Bookings, Black Rice Booking, Earth Beat, Good Music Company, Octopus Agents and Sedate Bookings, United Independent Music Agencies asks for recognition that the live music industry “cannot function regularly until at least the end of 2020” and the corresponding “robust” financial support.

The collective also stresses the need for recognition that artists are a “crucial part” of the sector as a whole.

“The live sector stands or falls with the artist,” says Ronald Keizer of Amsterdam-based Blip Agency in an interview with Entertainment Business. “Unfortunately, the artist and his representation has so far been ignored.”

“Why are agreements not made at European level about the period in which concerts are to be allowed again and how?”

United Independent Music Agencies asks for “solid agreements” to be made to enable sustainable, long-term support of the sector, as well as agreements which “properly coordinate” the post-lockdown period to overall European standards.

Countries in Europe “have their own rules” in respect to lockdown laws, says Keizer. “Why are agreements not made at European level about the period in which concerts are to be allowed again and how?”

Currently, events are banned until 31 August in Germany, Belgium and Denmark, until the end July in Luxembourg, mid-July in France and the end of June in Austria, with event organisers in Switzerland and Czech Republic among those to ask for governments for clear decisions regarding the summer season.

 


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DME’s Dutch Impact party comes to IFF

Dutch Music Export (DME) will take the International Festival Forum (IFF) by storm on Wednesday 25 September with its Dutch Impact party.

“Our first participation in the event will be nothing less than legendary, with a killer line-up, unlimited Dutch ‘stroopwafels’ and an open bar,” comments the DME team.

The Netherlands is often seen as the gateway to Europe for touring artists. With a vibrant clubbing circuit, a festival landscape like no other, and a down-to-earth, no-nonsense mentality, the country is considered by many as an all-time favourite for live music.

While promoters like Mojo, ID&T and Friendly Fire are among the top globally when it comes to promoting shows and creating festivals, the Netherlands also has a vast musical landscape with an incredible diverse range of domestic artists throughout all different types of musical genres. Make no mistake: there’s a lot this small country has to offer when it comes to live music and events!

“Our first participation in the event will be nothing less than legendary, with a killer line-up, unlimited Dutch ‘stroopwafels’ and an open bar”

Working with the best Dutch professionals and artists, DME has become a well-respected and trusted household name in the international music industry. For over 15 years, it has been showcasing and supporting the best up-and-coming Dutch artists, which has not been without results. Partly with support from DME, artists like Sevdaliza, Within Temptation, Kovacs and Jacco Gardner have grown to be legendary artists with a world-wide fan base.

For DME’s first participation in IFF, three incredible Dutch artists who are more than ready for the big festival stages will play a showcase at best venue of the IFF evening: the Monarch. Neo-soul legend Jarreau Vandal (Paradigm Agency, pictured), Asian psych-rockers YĪN YĪN (BLiP Agency) and funk indie whirlwind Chef’Special (Filter Music Group) will show you that when it comes to live music, the Dutchies are on top of their game!

Dutch Impact party at IFF will take place on Wednesday 25 September from 9 to 11.30 p.m. at the Monarch in Camden, north London.

Dutch Music Export is powered by Dutch Performing Arts Fund and Buma Cultuur.

IFF 2019 takes place from Tuesday 24 to Thursday 26 September.

 


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