BIGSOUND Does It Again: Kim Gordon, Peanut Butter Wolf & J Rocc Added As Keynote Speakers

The 15th BIGSOUND industry conference and showcase series is just around the corner, and organisers have complemented their already hugely impressive list of event speakers by unveiling a further three icons as keynote speakers for 2016 in Sonic Youth co-founder Kim Gordon alongside hip hop trailblazers Peanut Butter Wolf and J Rocc.

Hot on the heels of her inclusion in this year's Brisbane Festival and in the wake of her enlightening 2015 memoir Girl In A Band, Gordon brings a unique perspective as a pioneer of the late-20th-century grunge revolution, having witnessed and experienced the transformation of the music industry — and, lamentably, the areas in which it has languished — firsthand over the past several decades, while PBW & J Rocc carry similarly influential weight; the former is the founder of renowned hip hop house Stones Throw Records while the latter has been a mainstay of the label almost as long as it's been in existence. Naturally, the event's organisers are just a little bit chuffed with their addition to the bill. 

"It is an absolute honour to welcome these iconic cultural figures to BIGSOUND this year," co-programmer Nick O'Byrne said in a statement. "Kim Gordon has been on our dream list of speakers for years and we're so excited to hear from such an influential, challenging and still-relevant figure in music and art.

"Also on that dream-list has been one of the most important labels in the history of hip hop, Stones Throw. We can't wait to hear founder Peanut Butter Wolf and long-standing label mate J Rocc reflect on the music and people who have made it so seminal."

The trio of heavyweights joins existing keynote speakers Jaddan Comerford, of UNIFIED, and rappers Briggs and Trials, aka A.B. Original, atop the bill for this year's event, while 'mini keynote' presentations have just been announced from Pandora's Lars Murray — who became the company's vice-president for industry relations in 2014 following a stint with Columbia Records — and prolific writer Brodie Lancaster.

As with the first batch of speakers, BIGSOUND announcers have put great care into curating a list of personalities brilliantly placed to give any aspirant musician advice on thriving in one of the world's most competitive industries, with this year's international cohort of reps now including newly announced movers and shakers such as Alex Black (Big Deal Music — US), Andrew Szew (Szew Law Group — US), Christine Cao (The Windish Agency — US), Chris Carey (Media Insight Consulting — UK), Nikita Labrinenko (Paper & Iron Booking — Germany), Ivano Maggiulli (Brace Yourself PR — UK), Roger Shepherd (Flying Nun — NZ), Jessica Strassman (Columbia Records & StarTime International — US) and Mark Vaughan (Atomic Soul — Norway).

If Norway's a bit beyond your reach at the moment and you're more concerned about cracking the local market, then the fresh line-up of speakers is really built for you, with an absolute pile of helpful Oz industry types now permeating the ranks for this September's shindig in Fortitude Valley. Thirty new additions — labels, managers, A&R reps, publishers, PR, media and more — have padded out the list, including WA artist Kučka, music-and-radio-maker Tim Shiel, renowned editor and writer Marcus Teague, Milk! Records co-founder and musician Jen Cloher, Bossy Music owner Claire Collins, Green Music Australia mastermind Tim Hollo and many more.

That's all in addition to the burgeoning line-up of live musical guests signing up to lend their talents to the yearly BIGSOUND Festival program, which so far includes the likes of Sampa The Great, Alex Lahey, West Thebarton Brothel Party, Gabriella Cohen, Tigertown, Tash Sultana, MOSSY, Olympia, Bec Sandridge, Ivan Ooze, Circles and others.

BIGSOUND 2016 will be held from 7-9 September across the Fortitude Valley precinct in Brisbane. A strictly limited number of passes are available now via the event's website, with special rates available until 31 July or sold out.

See below for the full list of announced speakers and artists.

Bigsound 2016 — Industry Speakers/Buyers

(Bold = new addition)

BIGSOUND Festival 2016 — artist line-up