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

19 July 2016 | 1:00 pm | Staff Writer

September can't come soon enough

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."

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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 TeagueMilk! Records co-founder and musician Jen CloherBossy Music owner Claire CollinsGreen 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)

Kim Gordon (USA) – Keynote
J Rocc & Peanut Butter Wolf – Stones Throw Records (USA) – Keynote
Jaddan Comerford – UNIFIED (AUS) – Keynote
A.B. Original (Briggs & Trials) (AUS) – Keynote
Lars Murray – Pandora (USA) – Mini Keynote
Brodie Lancaster (AUS) – Mini Keynote Bruce Tweedie – Music Mill (AUS)
Matt Ash – Raw Power Management (USA)
Alex Becket – Creative Artists Agency (USA)
Alex Black – Big Deal Music (USA)
Alex Bruford – ATC Live (UK)
Andrea Szew – Szew Law Group (USA)
Paul Barclay – ABC (AUS)
Guy Blackman – Chapter Music (AUS)
Jane Blondel – Songs For Children (Hong Kong)
Michelle Brown – 4ZZZ (AUS)
Marcy Bulkeley – Wild Card AV (USA)
Laura Byrne – Made In Katana / The Scouted (AUS)
Christine Cao – The Windish Agency (USA)
Chris Carey – Media Insight Consulting (UK)
Jen Cloher – Milk! Records (AUS)
Claire Collins – Bossy (AUS)
Jon Coombs – Secretly Publishing (USA)
Katie Cunningham – Junkee Media (AUS)
Cam Durnsford – PBS 106.7FM (AUS)
Dana Erickson – Grandstand Media & Management (USA)
Emmy Feldman – Canvasback (USA)
Sebastian Freed – The Bowery Presents (USA)
Melody Forghani – twnty three (AUS)
Stephen Goodhew – FBi (AUS)
Alastair Green – Maker Agency (AUS)
Cath Haridy – Catherine Haridy Management // Support Act (AUS)
Lawson Higgins – The Royalty Network, Inc (USA)
Tim Hollo – Green Music Australia (AUS)
Zac Ives – Goner Records (USA)
Chris Johnson – Amrap (AUS)
Lachlan Kanoniuk – FasterLouder (AUS)
Mitch Knox – TheMusic.com.au (AUS)
Siobhan Kranz – Mushroom Promotions (AUS)
Jessica Krishnaswamy – BBE (AUS)
Jared Kristensen – Ticket Squad (AUS)
Kučka (AUS)
Tom Larkin – SIGNAL Agency Group / The Studios In The City / Homesurgery MGMT (AUS)
Nikita Lavrinenko – Paper and Iron Booking (Germany)
Regan Lethbridge – Lemon Tree (AUS)
Jeremy Maciak – Vagrant Records / BMG (USA)
Stu MacLeod – RTR FM (AUS)
Lindsay McDougall (AUS)
Ivano Maggiulli – Brace Yourself PR (UK)
Tyler McLoughlan – The Sound Pound (AUS)
Dean Ormston – APRA AMCOS (AUS)
Jim Pitt – Conan (USA)
Tim Price – Collision Course (AUS)
Jodie Regan – Spinning Top Music Manager (AUS / USA)
Josh Roth – Superfly (USA)
Katie Rynne – Select Music (AUS)
Jon Salter – ATO Records (USA)
Jonno Seidler (AUS)
Roger Shepherd – Flying Nun (NZ)
Tim Shiel (AUS)
Jackie Shuman – Good Ear Music Supervision (USA)
Jessica Strassman – Columbia Records & StarTime International (USA)
Chris Swanson – Secretly Group (USA)
Marcus Teague (AUS)
Edwin Tehrani – New World Artists (AUS)
Taylor Testa – Universal Music Publishing Group (USA)
Roman Trystram – Creative Artists Agency (UK)
Mark Vaughan – Atomic Soul (Norway)
Marco Walzel – Avocado Booking (GER)
Julia Wilson – Nice Rights / Midnight Choir / Rice Is Nice (AUS)
Tom Wironen – Post Hoc Management (USA)
Nick Yates – UNIFIED (AUS)

BIGSOUND Festival 2016 — artist line-up

30/70
A.D.K.O.B
Ainslie Wills
Alex Lahey
Alice Ivy
Allan Smithy
Andrew Tuttle
Australia
B Wise
BANFF
Bec Sandridge
BEL
Birdz
Braille Face
Broadway Sounds
Chronolyth
Circles
Clairy Browne
Coda Conduct
Columbus
Confidence Man
DEN
Fait
Fascinator
Fazerdaze (NZ)
FERLA
FLOWERTRUCK
FOREVR
Fountaineer
Fractures
Gabriella Cohen
Gideon Bensen
GL
Good Boy
Gregor
Groeni (NZ)
HABITS
Heads of Charm
Hideous Sun Demon
Hot Spoke
Huntly
Ivan Ooze
Jack Grace
Jakubi
Jarrow
King Social
LANKS
LASTLINGS
Leah Senior
Loose Tooth
Luke Daniel Peacock
Mere Women
Middle Kids
Mosquito Coast
MOSSY
NAATIONS (USA)
Naked Oh Pep!
Olympia
OWEN RABBIT
Prateek Kuhad (INDIA)
PYNES
Raised by Eagles
Rat & Co
Ribongia
Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever
Rolls Bayce
Sampa The Great
Sarah Connor
Selahphonic
Shining Bird
SPARKSPITTER
Sydonia
Tapestry
Tash Sultana
Telling
Terrible Truths
The Outdoor Type
These New South Whales
Thigh Master
Tigertown
Tinpan Orange
Tiny Little Houses
Totally Mild
Totally Unicorn
Unity Floors
WALLACE
West Thebarton Brothel Party
Young Tapz (NZ)