New Australian Hip Hop Imprint WVS Looks To The Future

Those Brisbane-bound for BIGSOUND this week will all have a chance to discover what is in store for the future of the music industry. In the ever-changing convergent media environment, it's harder than ever to stay on top of your game and make a name for yourself. With ONELOVE's new hip hop imprint WVS, Aussie hip hop acts will now have all the backing they need to crack the scene.

"Evolution has always underpinned our entire operation," says Antonio Celestino. "I think in recent years we were framed by - a popular narrow concept of - 'EDM', due to our involvement in the festival space coinciding with a global shift musically towards 'over-the-top dance music', but it wasn't a single focus. The focus has been to follow sounds and scenes we simply like. To that end, we will always be driven by new sounds and sub-cultures...The music industry constantly evolves. Ten years ago we were moving hundred of thousands of CDs... now we wonder what will replace streaming?"

"We've always invested in new movements and WVS was born to be a platform for these new hip-hop creative."

Led by producer and writer Miracle, the Sydney-based label aims to shine a spotlight on the new generation of artists who are creating hip hop and alt-R&B music and showcase them throughout the country and abroad. "We began talking to Mira [Samson Andah] about doing something, and he immediately turned us onto an incredible new wave of - mostly multi-cultural - talent that was simply doing its own thing out of a hub in Sydney's North-East suburbs; underdog kids that aren't rapping about BBQs or getting radio but making interesting future forward music with world-class production in their own studios. We've always invested in new movements and WVS was born to be a platform for these new hip-hop creative," he explains.

Celestino has some top tips for artists looking to the future at BIGSOUND: "If you want to be in music then you need to live in it: broaden your musical vocab. Go see more shows and talk to people you don't know, check out interesting DJs, switch stations more. Above all make music you like to play even if nobody is at the show. And if you do all this then when 'industry' people finally become interested in what you're doing, don't be afraid to grab an opportunity and see where music can take you." Sounds like a pretty decent excuse to go on a venue crawl around the festival!

"We cancelled our party this year just so we can go see shows since there's that much talent performing this BIGSOUND! I love this Melbourne band called Teeth & Tongue. And I think Harts, Fortunes, Terrible Truths, GL, Ribongia, LASTLINGS, Polish Club, Alice Ivy, Alex Lahey, Cleopold, Lanks, Wet Lips, Habits, Woodes, Ivan Ooze, could all be acts that take off in the next year. Vera Blue has just done a track with our artist Slumberjack which will be good to see live before she becomes huge."