NexGen Music Competition

NexGen are doing an awesome competition where people submit their music and to win $250 and a release on the label. We caught with Dan, owner of NexGen for a chat about the label, read on for details of how you can enter the competition and what you can win…………

Hey Dan, can you tell us a little about how NexGen music started and how its progressed?

Well, like most aspiring DJ/producers it all started in my bedroom studio back in ’95. My underground musical influences started in early Dance, Rave, Hardcore, Breakbeat, and later Jungle/Drum & Bass, which when I started producing.

I first started dabbling with music management when I set up a mini-audio production company on a local college campus in London, where I went on to be quite successful at producing TV commercial/advertising jingles for a few recognized British brands. One jingle I produced in 1997 ending up being used by the #1 washing detergent company in the UK at that time, which ended up running for nearly 8 years!!

In the late 90’s I really started getting into the new sounds of Downtempo and Deep/Chill-House which essentially inspired me to expand the audio production company into a record label that would eventually include the wide array of style and genres that NexGen Music represents today. In 2001, I re-branded the audio production company to NexGen Music, and in 2003 I moved the company across the pond to Brooklyn, NY where I officially incorporated as a record label in 2004.

It’s now been 13 years since that happened, and I have to say today the label is stronger than ever musically. We have 3 labels under NexGen: NexGen Records, Migration Recordings, and Affectionate Grooves – which all have and serve very different and distinct sounds in underground music. We are still very much doing projects closer to our roots in film, TV, and interactive, however our focus today is very much on evolving our artists, brand, and blend of sound.
Who are the core artists on the label that people should look out for?

I would say our “core” artists today are Earth Leakage Trip, Rob Sparx, Kachina, Neveready, Wigz, and myself — representing all three of our imprints.
You have released some massive EP’s in the last 6 months from the likes of Digital, Rob Sparx & Kachina across the label group. There is obviously a strong focus on quality. What are you looking for in the competition entries?

I’m REALLY looking for music that pushes the boundaries of sound… And, I’m not talking in a “who can make the gnarliest bass” type of way. Today, underground music genres are so intricately divided — yet still very connected — that for me the platform of these genre are really just defined by the tempo. What I hear all day long in most new music is producers that are simply following the ‘blueprint’ of the genre in terms of its typical sounds, samples and arrangement. I’m looking for producers that are striving to create NEW blueprints. So, in other words we are seeking music that is out-of-the-box, non-formulaic, envelope pushing, but yet still groovy and melodic.
How do people enter the competition?

It’s super simple. We are looking for 3 to 4 original tracks in one of the following genres: Drum & Bass, UK Garage, Bass Music, and Downtempo. All we are asking from entrants is a follow on our Soundcloud.

What can the entrants win?

The lucky winners will have their release backed by a strong PR and social media campaign, and also receive $250 in cash! On top of this, the submission that we are feeling the MOST out the four winners will receive an extra $250 cash. The total package is worth a couple of of thousand dollars per entrant as well as place on our growing roster!

Finally, what does the next 12 months look like for NexGen Music?

Its an understatement to say that we have got so much good music lined up its ridiculous. I mean it really is. Even though we’ve been around for a while now our sound never stops evolving. We’re always challenging each other to push those boundaries that I was referring to earlier, so we still consider ourselves in “build” mode right now and through to around this time 2017. By the summer of 2017 we will be looking to take the labels on the road making some festival appearances and getting some tours going by locally in the US & UK, and internationally.

Soundcloud W/Fangate:­ ­

Competition Links­ ­https://www.nexgenmusicgroup.com/new-arti­st-competition-june-2016

T&C’s:­ ­https://www.nexgenmusicgroup.com/new-arti­st-competition-terms-conditions ­

YouTube Video:­ ­https://youtu.be/BfRyGZKfA4w

NexGen Music Competition