Artist and producer Diplo and former Downtown Music Holdings CEO Andrew Bergman have launched publishing company Bison Music.
Bergman will serve as CEO, alongside COO Tom Lee, CCO Juba Lee and general manager Jenny Ilibassi.
Diplo initially formed the company to bring together songwriters and producers, including the previously signed Picard Bros, Leclair, Maesic, Nitti, Kaien Cruz, BomboCat, Akira Evans and Groupthink.
Diplo and Bergman have now joined forces with the aim of transforming Bison into a company “dedicated to making fresh, original music written by real people to connect with a global audience”, according to the announcement.
“While much of the publishing business today is investing in the acquisition of existing intellectual property, Bison is focused on nurturing writers, creating new songs and growing its talented roster, with a focus on development and partnership,” added the statement.
We’re designed to identify and sign writers early, nurture them through the harsh realities of the music business and allow them to reap the benefits of their creative endeavours
Andrew Bergman
“For me, there’s still nothing more exciting in music than discovering a great song from someone you’ve never heard of,” said Andrew Bergman. “That’s always been at the core of what makes music publishing a great business. And it’s what excited me about partnering with Diplo, one of the leading creative forces in the modern music business, and Tmwrk, his management team and longtime business partners.
“We’re designed to identify and sign writers early, nurture them through the harsh realities of the music business and allow them to reap the benefits of their creative endeavours. Writers and the music publishers that serve them are at their best when they are in a collaborative mode and we intend to operate that way internally and externally.”
“At a moment when it feels like music needs an injection of originality, our writers are in a position to shape where music goes next,” said Diplo. “Andrew and I are creating a home for those writers, with a team that knows how to develop them and a company built to back them for the long term.”
Bison is based in New York and Los Angeles. Further signings will be announced in the coming months.
PHOTO: (L-R) Tom Lee, Andrew Bergman, Diplo, Jenny Ilibassi and Juba Lee
(Photo Credit: Anthony Mongiello)
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