EMC10 Conference Program

The climate emergency can overwhelm many people and often instills feelings of being helpless and powerless. However, these feelings can be fuel in the user-generated creators economy, where many are harnessing online platforms and spaces to spread awareness and action. 'Where’s Your Head At? Eco-Anxiety and Climate Emergency' looks at the anxiety around the climate emergency and the power of an artist's platform as a vehicle to reach the audience that matters - yours.

Over the past decade, Eora/Sydney has experienced remarkable changes that have seriously tested this city’s resilience. From lockouts to lockdowns, bushfires and floods, these seismic shifts have impacted everyone from artists and creators, business owners and leaders, and music fans. Where are we now and what is on the horizon? This panel of guests has had an intimate relationship with the monumental changes in Eora/Sydney over the past decade and are bringing inspiring visions for this city’s future to life. 2012 - 2032: Decades of Changes reflects on the overcoming of immense challenges of the past, and the beckoning of a new era in Eora/Sydney, which is unfolding in real time.

What does it take to create, grow and maintain a business and brand for multiple decades? The Long Game brings together electronic and dance music brands that have navigated highs and lows of the music industry, capitalised on new opportunities, and have sustained through continued disruption and changing trends with agility and adaptivity. As all of these brands celebrate 10 and 30 year milestone anniversaries in 2022, their leaders reflect on the challenges and wins of the past, and look to the future and what continued success may look like in this ever-evolving world of electronic and dance music.

We've become familiar with terms like Web3, NFTs, and the metaverse, and some of us have even begun dabbling and building in this space. Has the technology for making music more equitable for artists finally arrived or are we still a long way off? We sit down with some of Australia's top minds at the intersection of music and Web3 to explore what is at our disposal now and the critical role artists and creativity play in realising a fair and equitable future.

Unapologetic. Disruptive. Born into technology. Creative slashies. Artivists. Gen Z is a generation that is fluid in their collaborations and knows no boundaries when it comes to creativity. Gatekeeping has forced Gen Z to take pathways to adapt and evolve more freely, in a changing landscape where activism, culture, creativity and technology intersect. For generations, gatekeepers have controlled the flow of information and creativity, dictating what is considered "good" and worthy of attention. That power is shifting. So what does the future of creativity look like in a DIY culture of independent creators? Gen Z and the End of Creative Gatekeeping we hear from the experiences of brands, major labels, marketers and Gen Z creators themselves on the status of gatekeeping and we ask what the future of creativity looks like in a DIY culture of independent creators.

"No Such Thing As A Silly Question: Taking On Climate Emergency in Real Time is a deliberate call-to-action focused on bringing an element of excitement and play to EMC audiences while addressing a serious topic: Climate Emergency. In this no-holds-barred conversation, Australian comedian, climate change activist, writer and TV personality Dan Ilic teams up with First Nations musician, environmental activist and Indigenous advocate, Nidala Barker; and Climate Justice Advocate and Artist, Ancestress to tackle audience concerns anchored on a First Nations lens. "

Making Noise discusses electronic music culture and its vast influences through the mind of the world-renowned DJ and producer, Boys Noize, and the evolution of his sound and his own label Boysnoize Records and DJ, Producer and Founder of NLV Records Nina Las Vegas. ‘Making Noise: In Conversation with Boys Noize and Nina Las Vegas’ will be an intimate experience that promises to leave the audience inspired to think of success not in terms of bigger being better, but instead considering that the greatest impact is often the result of resisting expansion and consistently working in alignment with your own clear creative vision.

Electronic music was an underground phenomenon with the origins of house birthed in Chicago following the Disco era in NY, and techno birthed in Detroit in response to the hard life of post-Industrial Detroit. These early scenes were defined by a DIY ethic and for providing places of inclusion and safety for marginalised groups such as people of colour and the queer community. Despite the progress over the almost four decades since, many similar issues both culturally and politically remain today. Closing EMC10 is ‘Never Forget The Underground’ in conversation with John ‘Jammin’ Collins (Underground Resistance). John ‘Jammin’ Collins’ of Underground Resistance has been a force locally in his hometown of Detroit and globally for more than three decades as a DJ, record producer, electronic music historian and curator of Exhibit 3000 - the USA’s only techno museum. Never Forget The Underground chronicles the experiences of John ‘Jammin Collins’ during his formative years, discussing the importance of underground culture, and how he sees the underground surviving the current tumultuous climate culturally, economically and politically.

The business model for promoters has always been high risk. Huge financial investment with slim to no profit margins placed promoters in a precarious position even before Covid. Post pandemic, the stakes are even higher with a changed consumer mindset impacting presales and significant increases in logistics and production costs. All Access Anonymous (AAA) was founded on a need to de-risk the promotions game using the transparency of web3. One of AAA’s verified network participants, Livescape’s - It’s The Ship, recently tested the power of web3, with their very own NFT ‘Duck Drop.’ Their ‘Duck Drop’ provided a sample size of 200 fans with the power to help Livescape determine the It’s The Ship lineup, craft exclusive theme parties for Duck Drop holders, and sell cabins and tickets to family and friends in return for exclusive rewards, which can be redeemed on board It’s The Ship. It’s The Ship’s Duck Drop assists in validating AAA’s past year of research on deepening the artist/fan/promoter relationship through live events and the power of web3, and in turn diversifying and increasing revenue. AAA presents the Duck Drop case study at EMC, answering the question Can Web3 De-Risk the Business of Promoting?

What distinguishes a "successful" promoter in this new world? Promoters are known as “tastemakers”. They are among the first to pique people's interest in new artists, often putting them on the radar before any other industry or media sources. No Guestlist! provides a ten-year retrospective of insights from promoters across Australia’s electronic music industry. Topics include skills development, community engagement, capacity building and response to global recovery efforts. What are the challenges? What about the future excites them? How much has the promotions game changed in the last ten years?

We Are The Mainstream addresses access, equity, representation and safety through the perspectives of First Nations peoples, the LGBTQI+ community, people with disability and culturally diverse people. Historically, these groups have been excluded and invisible from ‘mainstream’ culture as well as leadership roles. Whilst there is immense change afoot, there is still much work to be done to remove barriers and ensure access and safety for these communities. We Are The Mainstream looks at systemic change across workplace culture, nightlife spaces, governance and policies to create a better and safer music industry and society overall. These pioneers and professionals guide us to the future of creative work and play and highlight the role that everyone plays in creating a better world.

RÜFÜS DU SOL's music transports their audiences to another dimension. The trio and their creative team masterfully capture that transcendental, magical, all-encompassing well of emotions in every artwork, image, live performance and video. From Atlas to Surrender: The Creative Journey of RÜFÜS DU SOL will be part case study and part in conversation with RÜFÜS DU SOL's Creative Director Katzki and Lighting Director Matthew Smith. This session is a look under the hood at the progression of Rüfüs Du Sol's creative direction since their debut album Atlas to Surrender. It will share unseen working files of the development of shows, storyboards and creative evolution for their artwork, photo shoots and videos. The session will dive into the creative process and how team collaboration has been critical to the creation of that distinct world of RÜFÜS DU SOL.

The summer of 2019/2020 saw many festivals cancelled due to catastrophic bushfires and in 2022 we are now seeing our favourite festivals cancelling due to floods. The brutal reality of Australia’s climate emergency is impossible to ignore. Just as we must change the way we live, travel and work to reverse the impact of climate change, it is also critical that we act on the impact music events and festivals have on the environment. Many festivals and events are major commercial enterprises that result in significant carbon emissions, single use plastic and other garbage waste. This is a collective responsibility of audiences, industry, sponsors and influencers. The DNA of a Green Festival focuses on what is essential for music festivals to address the climate emergency - and to survive in the future. The speakers are leading new operational practices in sustainable event management and environmental initiatives.

For a medium that’s almost 120 years old, radio has been able to evolve with time and significant changes in technology. Today, Australia is one of the most advanced podcast markets in the world. This could indicate that the radio audience would diminish, but instead we’re witnessing profound changes in the radio sector and a growing appetite for radio from younger listeners. For the electronic and dance music industry, radio remains a powerful medium for a range of artists. It’s the home for beautifully curated mixes from emerging to seasoned DJs. It can give that first, meaningful break to a new artist. It provides the crossover for artists transitioning from mid tier to the mainstream. On Air: Online brings together impressive leaders from across the spectrum of community, online, specialist and commercial radio to give insights on what is working at radio for artists of all levels.

In recent years, the rise of First Nations hip hop and hip hop artists is undeniable. While we are starting to see more First Nations artists In electronic and dance music crushing it, we have a long way to go before we can claim that there is a healthy representation of First Nations artists in this genre. How can we collectively work together to support the development and championing of First Nations electronic and dance music artists? An Electronic Music Dreaming is anchored on the significance of Indigenous spirituality and returning to one's roots, addressing topics centred around institutionalised racism, invisibility, justice, and equality. Importantly, this panel discusses how non-Indigenous people in colonised working structures can help to grow the hotbed of First Nations electronic and dance music artists in so called Australia.

A whole new digital world is unfolding in real time, but how is or how will music use be measured, monetised and paid to creators and copyright controllers in the realms of the metaverse, AI, User Generated Content, DJing from the cloud? In this new phase of rapid change, digital disruptions and decentralisation, we bring together some of the leading minds in music, data, licensing and revenue distribution to discuss their new ways of working and what is on the horizon to ensure fairness and accuracy of play data for creators and copyright controllers.

Sam Korotkov, founder of Centaur Studios and the Glue Factory Show, is a creator and entrepreneur who is taking advantage of the opportunities afforded by the new digital world. He has been leading the charge in terms of reimagining the creative process through a ‘Community Writers’ Room, putting the We in Web3. “Open Sourcing Creativity” will take you through Sam Korotkov’s community creativity approach that empowers fans at the earliest stages of building new projects. This keynote will walk through his open-minded approach to IP that can be put to use whether you've got 1,000 true fans or 54 active participants. Plus how to balance the expectations of a growing community with your business outcome.

China: The NOW is a digital series leading into the panel at EMC discussing the powerful growth of China's music industry, now the 2nd largest in the world to consume digital music. Through pairings based on disciplinary alignment, EMC zones in on Chinese/Australian artists and creative technologists, and how they navigate the world of tradition, acceptance, resistance, censorship, AI Influencers/Virtual Idols and pioneering new digital platforms that are revolutionising the global music industry.   China: The NOW initiative is part of Engaging Influencers program curated by the Australia Council for the Arts and supported by the National Foundation for Australia and China Relations.

An amazing performance is a process of constant learning, refining and experience. It can be tough in the early stages and daunting to embark on, but once you understand the basics and put processes in place, confidence grows and things start to fall into place. Passionate about live performance, Nyxen will share the methods she uses to set up her live performance project files, and explain why each step is critical to her own amazing live shows. Nyxen will focus on: - Getting started - creating and organising a live performance project file in Ableton. - How to set up a project that you can perform at a range of venues from the local pub to a festival stage. - Guiding you through her process of which parts to play live and which parts to leave on a track, and why. - What equipment is essential for you to take your session out of the computer and onto the stage. How to set up a click track. By the end of this masterclass, you will have a deeper understanding of: - Organising your project file in preparation for a live performance. - Presenting a scalable live performance. - Modifying your songs to create a unique live experience that engages your audience.

Have you ever run out of ideas or lost your creativity? It's tough to keep that creative spark going and you can find yourself in a loop (pun-intended!) with nowhere to go. Have you ever wondered how the best of the best overcome writer’s block? In this session, Taka Perry will walk you through his process by addressing the mind before the mind stops you: - Understanding yourself and what the flow state is. - Navigating 'stuckness' on an idea, and the techniques Taka Perry uses that have proven beneficial for him. - Techniques to get inspired quickly using Ableton.