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ISSUE 31 / AUGUST 2026 SUPPORTING THE CREATIVE COMMUNITY

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FINDING HER SECOND WIND

ALEXANDRA KAY ANDREW DEROBERTS

PRODUCING SECOND WIND

MYSTERY JETS

FINDING A HOLE TO SEE THE SKY THROUGH

TALA

FREEDOM, GHOSTS AND FINDING HER SOUND

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ISSUE 31

Welcome to Headliner USA

NO.31/ USA

Paul Watson CEO

Alice Gustafson Editor-in-Chief

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Zara Dosanjh Contrubuting Editor

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WELCOME

With the passing of Dolly Parton, the world has lost a little of its sparkle. A constant in the entertainment world since the ‘60s, for many of us, it simply didn’t occur to us that the Queen of Country could die. Eighty be damned, surely Dolly was ageless? And not just thanks to her doctors – “I’ll look as young as my plastic surgeons will allow me,” she once quipped. It was her energy that seemed truly eternal. Her death feels particularly poignant because her legacy stretches so far beyond the music. Yes, she was the undisputed Queen of Country, with thousands of songs to her name, countless records sold and a catalogue that has been passed from generation to generation. But Dolly was also brilliantly funny, fiercely independent, business-savvy and, perhaps most importantly, kind. She understood her worth, too, setting up her own publishing company in the ‘60s and protecting her songwriting rights at a time when the music business was overwhelmingly male-dominated. She knew the value of her work, and refused to give it away. Then there was her generosity. From the Dollywood Foundation

and Imagination Library to her support for medical research, Dolly consistently used her success to give something back. Her influence stretched far beyond country, too, with her songwriting, unmistakable voice and trailblazing career inspiring generations of artists across pop, rock, Americana and beyond. Following her death, tributes poured in from country artists, naturally, but also from Eminem, Paul McCartney, Céline Dion, Beyoncé, Elton John, Mick Jagger, Michael Bublé and Pitbull – a testament to just how far Dolly’s reach extended. And you can feel that influence right here in this issue. Our cover star, Alexandra Kay, grew up idolising Dolly and rose to fame covering her hits as part of her viral Coffee Covers series. Kay talks to Headliner about her rise to country stardom, the making of her hit album Second Wind and why women are back on top in country music. Meanwhile, Nashville producer Andrew DeRoberts takes us behind the scenes of the record, exploring its country-pop sound, studio experimentation and the creative partnership that shaped it.

Elsewhere, Mystery Jets’ lead singer Blaine Harrison looks back at the band’s 20-year journey, early wild gig days and the making of A Hole To See The Sky Through, their Yoko Ono-inspired seventh album. British-Iranian artist TĀLĀ discusses identity, collaboration, freedom and the long-awaited album that marks a new chapter in her career, while Gotobeat founder Max Busin examines Blue Dot Fever and why big tours are cancelling. We also head into the world of video game scoring with two-time BAFTAwinning composer Jason Graves, who reveals how he created the sonic world of the new sci-fi horror game, Directive 8020. Across the stories in this issue, there’s a common thread: artists finding their own voice, taking risks and refusing to be boxed in. Dolly did exactly that – and her influence will continue to be heard for generations to come. Enjoy the issue. Alice Gustafson Editor-in-Chief

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ISSUE 31

Welcome to Headliner USA

CONTENTS 08

EMERGING HEADLINER Singaporean pop star Regina Song on new album, everland

COVER STORY

ARTIST

TĀLĀ: Freedom, ghosts and finding her sound

Alexandra Kay on Second Wind and country music’s female revolution

By Alice Gustafson

PRODUCER Andrew DeRoberts: Crafting Alexandra Kay’s country-pop crossover

ARTIST Mystery Jets on Yoko Ono and A Hole To See The Sky Through

HEADLINER USA

By Zara Dosanjh

CONTENTS

THE BIG INTERVIEW

Inside Blue Dot Fever: Why tours are cancelling By Alice Gustafson

40 46

FIRST SET Kazia on thriving in the underground house scene

NEXT UP Lily C-D: From deep house digging to Amnesia Ibiza

ALUMBRAR SOUND SERVICES ON DELIVERING WORLD CUP SOUND

BASTILLE DAY Keeping the broadcast classic

RIEDEL REFCAM LIVE MAKES INTERNATIONAL FOOTBALL DEBUT

JASON GRAVES Scoring sci-fi horror game Directive 8020

GUIYANG OLYMPIC SPORTS CENTRE DELIVERS KNOCKOUT AUDIO

HOME GAMING ACOUSTICS How to create a more immersive space

CELESTION MEANS BUSINESS WITH TORBEN MÜLLER APPOINTMENT

L-ACOUSTICS DJ TAKES DENVER’S REELWORKS INTO THE SPATIAL ERA

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REGINA SONG

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Finding everland

S BY ZAR A RD

SANJH DO

EMERGING HEADLINER

FINDING EVERLAND

REGINA SONG Music has always been a haven for Regina Song. At just 22, the Singaporean pop star is stepping fully into her own on everland, an enchanting sophomore album – and her first as an independent artist. She talks to Headliner about the resilience behind piecing together an album sans record label, coming-of-age through songwriting, and the memories behind the music.

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10 REGINA SONG

Finding everland

For as long as she can remember, the need to release art into the world has been a driver for Song. “When I was younger, teachers would ask: ‘What do you want to be when you grow up?’” she tells Headliner. “I always said that I wanted to be a singer, only because I thought that everyone wanted to be one,” she laughs. Making music and trying on the role of a singer is all about escapism, self-expression and creativity in the eyes of Song. “As a teenager,” she says, “I had to pretend to be a certain way, but with music, I can be comfortable in my own skin. It was the same with songwriting – it came to me really naturally,” she continues. “I started writing songs when I was 13. I’d come home from school, write in my notes app, and hum something. It’s interesting how everything turned out. It felt like I was born into this passion.” Song went viral at just 20 years old with her song the cutest pair, which has since gained over 66 million streams on Spotify and a top spot on Spotify’s Viral 50 Global Playlist at the time. The music video is warm, grainy, with a home-video feel. The song releases a flood of nostalgia, despite it being out just shy of two years. It’s a period of time Song looks back on with gratitude. “It’s a very cute love song, and people like cute love songs,” she says. “It just happened HEADLINER USA

that the concept and the melody work together really well, and that’s something I started to incorporate more into my music.” “That experience made me refine my songwriting, as it felt like I had something to live up to,” she adds. “It helped me shape my intention as an artist. I would say my first album was definitely more experimental, but after the cutest pair, I had a clear idea of what works for me and what I like my art to be,” Song adds. Song looks beyond the horizon of her own experiences when she thinks about the kind of artist she wants to be. “I like to look at female pop singer-songwriters and how they shape their stories,” she says. “It’s really interesting how every artist’s evolution is different. I take a lot of inspiration from listening and understanding what an artist’s evolution looks like,” she muses. A mosaic of influences has shaped Song’s artistry: the best of pop, indie, classical, K-pop, and Chinese music, alongside some of today’s biggest pop stars, Olivia Rodrigo, Grace Abrams and Sabrina Carpenter. “I love the way they tell stories and how they package it so nicely, “ she says. “I’m very inspired by their flow.” With artists like Filipino-British indie singer-songwriter Beabadoobee or South Korean girl group BLACKPINK

making waves at the forefront of culture, Song also has a catalogue of Asian role models. “It gives me a lot of hope to know that people who look like me can write any music they want and still be seen by people all around the world. That’s empowering,” she says. “I remember feeling super inspired after watching the Light Up the Sky documentary on Netflix. BLACKPINK were going on tour, and they were sharing how they began. I have so much admiration for them, seeing them work hard and become the women they are. It makes me want to put my best foot forward.” Settling into young adulthood, Song has evolved leaps and bounds since the release of her debut record, fangirl. “everland is an album that really aligns with who I am,” she says. “With fangirl, because I’d written so much, so long ago – and the entire album rollout took place over one and a half years – a lot of things had changed since,” she says. “With this album, every lyric and every feeling is representative of how I process my emotions and how I present myself.” Song’s coming-of-age is memorialised in her music, something she finds strange but quintessential. “With every era of my music, it feels like I have frozen this chapter of my life behind glass, and I get to go back and listen to it,” she says. “It’s odd to have published

EMERGING HEADLINER

my diary, but I think that’s what’s so special about being an artist – connecting with people in a way that is completely magical and insane. Sometimes I can’t fathom there’s someone out there who I haven’t met, but knows what goes on inside my head.” This sentiment bleeds into the atmosphere of Song’s live shows. “I really like seeing people who I have never met before scream and mouth every single word to my songs,” she says. “That’s such a special, cathartic experience. I still try to wrap my head around the idea that people listen to my music and the fact that they’re here.” The making of everland is a story to be told in itself. “It’s a very soulful record,” Song considers. “It’s a little bit textured and lives in that inbetween space of programmed music and drums, and live drums. It

gives the music so much dimension.” Working with producers Ian Lee and ALICIA DC was a monumental part of the album-making process for Song, too. “Firstly,” she says, “they’re really fun people to hang out with. Secondly, they’re really good at making live instruments sound good in a pop song. Their influences are wide-reaching as well – they definitely brought in a lot of soul and jazz into the record.” As Song’s first record as an independent artist, the making of it was by no means easy. “With every record, there’s going to be challenges,” Song admits. “This is the first time I’ve made a full-length album without a record label. I spent nights worrying about this and that while going to sessions, writing my verses, recording my vocals, getting the mixes and masters done, and just ingesting

my music. It was difficult, and sometimes I get so overwhelmed that I just want to escape.” However difficult it’s been, independence has also been a blessing for Song. “One of the things I’m happy about, and that has really empowered me, is that I started my own label. It’s basically just me. I’m the label,” she smiles triumphantly. “I’m just glad I did it because I have been thinking about it for a long time. Gaining autonomy and control over my work feels nice.” “I know it just came out, but when I listen to everland, I just think about the memories I have in the studio making the music,” she adds fondly. “I’m growing with my audience, and I feel like I’m growing as an artist. It feels very fulfilling.”

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12 REGINA SONG

Finding everland

Song pauses for a moment. “I can do this as an independent artist,” she asserts. “That’s what really pushed me through everything. The biggest challenge was having to piece everything together myself, conceptualising, writing, uploading the album – so many parts floating in my head.” Enchanted and inspired by Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland, Song’s new record presents an odyssey of memory interwoven with dreamlike melodies. In Song’s words, “It is an album about self-exploration, having ups and downs, going down rabbit holes, and having history repeat itself. It was parallel to my life as an artist and as an individual trying to experiment with what works with me, what doesn’t work with me.” The story of Opening Line – naturally, the opening track – is one of Song’s favourites. “Opening Line is about this work meeting that turned out to not be so much of a work meeting,” she says coyly. “It turned out to feel more like a date. I was mesmerised by this person, with HEADLINER USA

limerence floating over me. It was a magical night, having dinner and talking about work, but also not really talking about work. It’s a really nice day to look back on. I’m very intrigued by the love trope, forbidden romance,” she adds. “That experience definitely felt like a forbidden romance for me because I was told, ‘You shouldn’t date this person, he’s not good news,’ but whatever, I’m going to write a song about him anyway!” Now the music is out in the world, Song has plenty in the mix to look forward to. “I’m looking forward to going back on tour, and I’m also really looking forward to creating a new project,” Song teases. “It’s so early, but I’m already planning and thinking about what I want to do next. I’m always creating.” INSTA: @SLEEPYREGGY

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ALEXANDRA KAY

Credit: Alysse Gafkjen

HEADLINER USA

Finding her Second Wind

Y ALIC sb E d r

STAFSON GU

COVER STORY

FINDING HER SECOND WIND Alexandra Kay is definitely not nervous. A few days after this interview, the rising country star will be playing to a sea of revellers at a sunscorched BST Hyde Park in London, joining the main-stage lineup to open for headliner Garth Brooks.

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ALEXANDRA KAY

Credit: Alysse Gafkjen

HEADLINER USA

Finding her Second Wind

Credit: Randy Shaffer

COVER STORY

“I leave tonight,” Kay gushes from her home in Nashville – presumably mid-packing – and radiating excitement at what’s to come when she touches down across the pond. It’s not her first BST rodeo, though, but it is her biggest. In 2024, Kay headlined the smaller Rainbow Stage ahead of headliner Morgan Wallen. This time, she’s bringing main-stage energy. “It’s a lot more pressure, but I’m trying this new thing where, instead of saying I’m nervous, I just say I’m excited instead,” she grins. “Garth Brooks is my favourite of all time. He’s literally the reason why I do this, so I’m so excited to get to perform in front of all these people on this massive, iconic stage, but then also to get to watch his show.” Kay is immediately warm and conversational during the interview, answering questions with an openness that feels like talking to an old friend – she can’t wait to join the London crowd after her set to enjoy the other acts, “hitting a pub” and a high tea, and promises she will have fish and chips “multiple times” during her visit. Her enthusiasm is straightup infectious. Riding high on the wave of her recent success, she’s got

good reason to embrace all that’s happening to her. Growing up in Illinois, Kay began writing songs at 15, using music as a way to navigate her teenage years, first loves and the process of finding herself. She entered the entertainment industry at a young age, booking commercials and voice-over work while performing in musical theatre productions. Fast forward to today, and she’s released two albums, boasts 9 million social media followers, starred in Netflix series Westside, joined Tim McGraw and Jelly Roll on their respective tours, made her Grand Ole Opry debut, featured on the Twisters movie soundtrack, headlined her own tours, and last year, after years of slogging it out as an independent artist, she signed to BBR Music Group/BMG Nashville and released her second record. It all started with coffee. Kay began recording cover videos of ‘90s country music favourites (think Randy Travis, Tim McGraw, Tracy Lawrence, Shania Twain, Faith Hill, LeAnn Rimes, Trisha Yearwood, and Jo Dee Messina – who she now counts as a friend) and posting them

on her Facebook page. The covers, in which she sings while making a mean-looking morning iced coffee, quickly gained popularity and became known as her Coffee Covers series. Before she could say double shot of espresso, Kay had gone viral, with her online following swelling into the millions. And away from handling her own music career, she’s savvy as an entrepreneur too, recently opening her own cafe in her hometown in Illinois named The Coffee Girl – the nickname fans gave her during her viral rise. “I’ve been able to consider myself successful for a while,” she says humbly. “I just keep raising that bar, though, with every new thing I get to check off the list, like this weekend. Never in a million years did I think, when I started the Coffee Covers, that I would be where I am now. It’s really crazy that I’ve been able to take a love for ‘90s country music and a love for coffee and mix them into one of my greatest life accomplishments. I couldn’t have done it without the fans,” she stresses, keen to shout out the ones who put her here.

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ALEXANDRA KAY

Finding her Second Wind

“IT’S REALLY COOL TO BE IN THIS NEW ERA OF COUNTRY MUSIC WHERE IT FEELS LIKE WE’RE GETTING BACK TO WHERE THE FEMALES ARE ON TOP.”

Cementing herself as a force to be reckoned with in the industry, the tenacious rising star dropped her debut album All I’ve Ever Known in 2023. The record reached no. 1 on the iTunes All Genre and Country charts globally and earned her a spot in the Top 10 on Billboard’s Current Country Album, Emerging Artist and HeatSeekers charts – and all independently. Meanwhile, her 2025 followup, Second Wind, continues to gain momentum since its release, charting at No. 36 on Top Country Albums, 10 on Top Current Album Sales, 11 on Top Album Sales, and 34 on Independent Albums, also making waves on US country radio with 71 adds of the record’s standout single, Straight For The Heart. This put Kay in the company of Taylor Swift and Carrie Underwood among the top five of all-time first-week debuts by a solo female artist on the Mediabase Country chart. Kay takes these accomplishments in her stride; hearing her songs on the radio never gets old. “It’s the coolest thing in the entire world! My friend Willow Avalon texted me the other day, saying, ‘I got in the car after my show in Michigan, and you were on the radio.’ That’s so cool! I think back to myself as a little kid in the ‘90s in the back of my parents’ Ford Expedition, and all I wanted was to hear my voice on the radio. I was listening to Deana Carter sing Strawberry Wine in the back seat, and I couldn’t have even imagined that my voice would come through those speakers. It’s the biggest blessing, truly.”

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It tracks that Kay is coming in with the tide along with country’s recent mainstream popularity outside of the US. Now a Radio 1 staple in the UK, country is now firmly on the A-list. The resurgence has been building for years. Taylor Swift helped soften any uncool stigma country may have had for younger music fans, while crossover hits from Beyoncé, Post Malone, Morgan Wallen and Shaboozey brought the genre firmly into pop culture. Meanwhile, younger listeners, helped along by TikTok’s ability to bypass traditional radio gatekeepers, are driving the next wave – nearly half of new UK country fans are under 30. The appetite extends beyond streaming, too. C2C: Country to Country and The Long Road Festival attract huge crowds, while artists such as Luke Combs continue to sell out major UK dates. And with stars including Lainey Wilson, Megan Moroney and Ella Langley (whose mega hit, Choosin’ Texas, has broken the record for the most weeks at number one among non-holiday titles by women) helping to lead a new generation of female country artists, the genre’s resurgence shows little sign of slowing. That’s not lost on Kay. “It’s really cool to be in this new era of country music where it feels like we’re getting back to where the females are on top,” she beams. “I feel like there’s a ‘90s vibe too. I’m really happy that everybody else is jumping on the bandwagon. It’s really cool to travel to the UK and get to perform there, because there’s a different level of excitement and appreciation when we get to London, Glasgow or Belfast. The crowds go absolutely wild! They’re some of my favourite shows of the entire year,” she adds. In a world that feels increasingly chaotic, there is something innately comforting about country music. Perhaps that is why its appeal continues to reach so far beyond the traditional country audience. At its heart, the genre is built on honesty: stories of love, loss, hard work and everyday life, while the sound itself leans towards the nostalgic. “Also due to the surge in social media over the last five years, now everybody has so much more access to country,” Kay considers. “Regardless if you’re in London or if you’re in the US, we’re being fed these algorithms where people like Ella Langley are going viral and they’re blowing up on the internet, which means they’re blowing in London, Dublin, Nashville, or wherever at the same time, and thanks to TikTok, Facebook and Reels, we’re all getting to enjoy the same things. I mean, I’ve discovered Central Cee, a UK rapper, and I never would have known him without TikTok.” Divorce and heartache have inspired many a country album, and Kay’s own divorce would serve as the inspiration for her debut record. Second Wind sees the singer-songwriter enjoying a new chapter of her life, inspired by her romantic relationship with her long-

Credit: Alysse Gafkjen

COVER STORY

time lead guitarist. “It feels like a new chapter, definitely, especially since I was independent,” she acknowledges. “My last album was a divorce record, so in many ways, Second Wind feels like a brand new start. My first song from Second Wind just charted in the Top 30 on country radio. It’s number 28 in the US, and that’s my first time going to country radio. It feels like a new start because I fell in love again. I was able to put my divorce days behind me; I was able to put all of that trauma behind me. I have been with my boyfriend for the last two years, and I wrote a lot of songs about him for the record. I can’t wait to see the rest of it unfold.”

collaborator because of who he is as a person, and because of how much grace he gives me in my creative process. He’s not only there for me as a collaborator but also as a friend. It’s a very personal experience writing music or creating music, especially with me, because I get really deep into it. He definitely changed my sound a lot. He brought more of a modern twist; he broadened my horizons by bringing that pop edge, and he contributed to why the album sounds so fresh. It definitely widened my horizon of fans, for sure.”

Second Wind was produced in collaboration with Andrew DeRoberts, a new creative partner for Kay, who she credits with helping her sound reach and connect with an even wider audience.

If her first album was largely an instinctive outpouring, Kay’s songwriting on Second Wind reflects a growing confidence – one that has allowed her to take more risks while also understanding what works for country radio. That evolution, she says, has been one of the biggest steps forward in her craft.

“We challenge each other,” she asserts. “He brings more of a pop edge, and he’s truly become one of my best friends. He’s an incredible

“It’s definitely evolved,” she nods. “I think to myself, how much better of a songwriter I’ve become, even on this record, as opposed to my last record.

“I definitely take more risks. I think more outside the box, but I definitely am more…,” she pauses, searching for the right way to put it, “outside the box, but when it’s time to think inside the box, like when it comes to country radio, I’m a lot better at doing that now. “Before, I was just writing from my heart, and a lot of that would be ballads and really sad songs, which don’t necessarily work on country radio as much,” she explains. “I’ve been able to evolve into a songwriter that can sit down and write an upbeat song out of nothing, and I don’t need to have a personal experience connected to it. That’s a huge step for me as a songwriter.” Kay reveals that songwriting inspiration can strike at any time for her. “Just yesterday, I wrote down ‘the antagonist’ in my notes app because it was something that I read in a book. Do I always make it to actually writing that thing? Not always, because I forget,” she laughs. “Creativity is a gift from God, and it comes to you when it’s supposed to come to you. HEADLINERHUB.COM

ALEXANDRA KAY

Finding her Second Wind

If you continuously ignore that nudge of creativity, you’re going to lose it,” she shrugs. Since achieving her goal of signing with BBR Music Group/BMG Nashville, Kay has stepped into a new chapter and has seen her profile rise; however, her years as an independent artist gave her the industry know-how and self-reliance to navigate it on her own terms. Whatever happens next, Kay knows she has achieved over 350 million collective streams as an independent artist. “I’ve had to figure out the loopholes, because we didn’t have any help. We had to figure it all out by ourselves,” she reflects. “I’m really grateful for my years as an indie artist, because it made me savvy. It gave me an edge that I think people who are signed immediately and go straight into the machine…” she trails off. “It’s hard to develop that edge when you have all of it at your fingertips. Now I have this edge of, if anything were to happen with my record deal, like if I were to get dropped and it were to fold in and close, I know I’ll be okay, and I’ll just go back to being indie. I know how to do that. And I think slowly, independent artists are creating so much room for other indies to come up,” she adds. “RAYE won a Grammy as an independent artist, so things are happening. That power is definitely shifting slowly.” While her time as an independent artist taught her how to be selfsufficient, signing with a label also gave Kay a new perspective on the opportunities and limitations built into the industry – and just how much access can depend on having a deal. Doors have no doubt opened for her that were closed before. Kay is refreshingly candid about her experiences.

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“I learned very quickly that there are so many opportunities within this genre of music, specifically in country music within the Nashville machine, that you are just not going to get unless you are signed. And it doesn’t matter how great you are, how pretty you are, how skinny you are, or how great you sound, how wonderful the music is, how viral you are. There were things that I had been working for as an independent artist that I got the next week because I was signed. “There are a lot of things that are only given to signed artists, and they are not talent-based and are not work ethic-based,” she continues. “That was just super eye-opening to see how much this machine is truly manipulated by the higher-ups in this industry, and that these things I thought I was going to get if I just kept working as an independent artist were never going to be available to me.” Kay has already proved that she can captivate audiences around the world and turn social media recognition into an adoring fan base. With that momentum continuing to build, she is already looking ahead, with a new body of work taking shape that promises to capture where she is now. “I actually have an entire album’s worth of music written already,” she discloses, weighing up how much to reveal about it. “I haven’t started recording it yet, but this new era is extremely authentic. I don’t know that I’ve even seen a theme emerge, but I think that’s what’s so beautiful about it. I have written so much in the moment for this record; I’ve gone back to past relationships, I’ve lived in my current relationship, I’ve written about my family, my sisters, my friends, and I’m keeping my eyes wide open to what’s going on around me and writing in the moment.

“For so long I have been somebody who looks too far in the future, or I’ve lived in the past, and it’s caused me a lot of anxiety. I’m very much just trying to keep my feet on the ground and trying to be as present as possible. That’ll be revealed in my new music.” Following her triumphant BST Hyde Park set, Kay announced her biggest international headline tour to date, performing in 15 cities across the UK and Europe throughout March and April 2027. For an artist who once sat with her guitar wondering how she would ever make it out of her small town, Kay remains down-to-earth and does not take for granted that she’s currently riding high. “This was always the plan, always the dream. I remember telling my mum when I was younger – I was a very emotional child,” she points out with a chuckle. “I remember sitting there with my guitar, so frustrated that I lived in this small town, and I had no idea how I was going to make it out of here. She would always talk to me about a Plan B, and I’d be like, ‘Mum, there is no Plan B. It is this, or it is nothing. This is what I’m supposed to do.’ I thank God every single day I got to make it to this point. I’ve done so many things that I’ve wanted to do that I’ve considered myself successful for a while, and I think you need to have that threshold; otherwise you’re always just going to be chasing happiness that’s never actually going to fulfil you.” And so, for now, Kay isn’t looking for the next destination. She’s taking stock of how far she’s come – and enjoying the view. ALEXANDRAKAYOFFICIAL.COM

ANDREW DEROBERTS

HEADLINER USA

Crafting Alexandra Kay’s country-pop crossover

CRAFTING ALEXANDRA KAY’S COUNTRY-POP CROSSOVER

bY ALICE

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Wo rd

PRODUCER

ANDREW DEROBERTS For this issue’s cover star, Alexandra Kay, Second Wind marked a new chapter – one that pushed her country sound into fresher, more contemporary territory. At the centre of that evolution was Nashville producer Andrew DeRoberts, whose pop sensibilities helped broaden the album’s sonic palette while retaining the character at the heart of Kay’s music.

The result is a record that not only expanded her creative horizons but connected with a wider audience, earning strong chart positions and a major radio breakthrough

with Straight For The Heart. Here, DeRoberts takes Headliner inside the making of Second Wind, from finding the sweet spot between country and pop to building songs around Kay’s

voice, experimenting in the studio, Maroon 5 Easter Eggs, and knowing when to push a track somewhere unexpected.

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ANDREW DEROBERTS

Crafting Alexandra Kay’s country-pop crossover

Alexandra said that your collaboration changed her sound significantly. When you first discussed Second Wind, what did you both agree the sonic identity of the album should be? I don’t decide what it is at the beginning; I leave that early-stage process very open. I think of making an album almost like casting a movie or something like that. By staying open in those early stages, you let the characters of the album reveal themselves. With Alexandra, her voice is incredible, and she has this huge, dynamic range where she can sing these songs that are so intimate and feel like they’re almost in a small room. Then she can sing songs like Straight For The Heart that need to have a bigger soundstage and almost feel like rock, orchestral and very dramatic. So, through the early stages of that process, I’m always fishing for what sounds, instruments, tempos or ranges of the artist’s voice are best for what we’re trying to achieve. Alexandra credits you with bringing a more modern, pop-inspired edge to her music. What does pop edge mean to you in a country context? It’s all about being smart about who the characters are in your album. Sometimes pop can mean more creative sounds with organic instruments. On Alexandra’s album, we used electric guitars to make modern electric guitar sounds. It can also be the way that you produce the vocals. A lot of times, pop music has way more vocal production than you would hear in a traditional country record. So on some of these songs, we’re using Alexandra’s voice almost like an instrument. Then the other big, obvious one is drum production, which is how we are treating the drums. How do you modernise a country record without losing the authenticity and storytelling that fans expect from the genre? It’s so easy to just go full pop music production, where we have all these progressive elements in the song, HEADLINER USA

and it’s also very easy to go fully ‘traditional country’, where everything is organic and a sound that you’ve heard before, perhaps. The balance that gives artists their unique voice is how you play in between those two opposite ends of the spectrum. With Alexandra, on a lot of these songs, it is very organic. All of the songs except for one or two are pretty much a live band, effectively, playing with her. But we’re picking the elements in the song that are giving it a modern touch rather than just making a popprogrammed production. From a production perspective, what were the defining elements that you think helped give the album’s hit single, Straight For The Heart’s energy and crossover appeal? In terms of characters on the record, on some of these songs there’s a way that I’m playing acoustic guitar that we found works really well with Alexandra’s vocal. There’s also fiddle on a lot of songs, which we found in this exploratory process. Alexandra has used a lot of orchestral sounds and classical strings in her records, so we knew that was going to be a character. We had Jenee Fleenor come in and play fiddle on one song, but the way that she played worked so well with Alexandra’s voice that it was just like, ‘Well, we’re gonna end up putting this all over the record.’ Then there’s a drummer, Aaron Sterling, who played on the record as well, and the way that he plays works really well with the way Alexandra sings. Those are the big characters. There’s also a lot of pedal steel in there, which is funny, because some of that is actual pedal steel. It’s played by a guy named Drew Taubenfeld, who plays with Kacey Musgraves and used to play with Dwight Yoakam, and then some of it is me trying to play guitar like Drew plays pedal steel, which is just a funny creative intersection. There’s also a lot of piano to support her vocal. That meant basically staying out of her range and letting her be

the star on top of the song, keeping the piano voicings more intimate and sensitive, and lower in the midrange of the register. Can you talk us through your production setup on Second Wind? Were there any instruments or bits of kit that became essential to the album’s sound? When I record, I usually start all the songs in Ableton, and then I switch to Pro Tools almost always, because for some reason it’s fun to start songs in Ableton, and I get a better result finishing in Pro Tools. Most of the vocals were recorded with a Neumann U 67 mic, a Neve 1073 microphone preamp and a Universal Audio 1176 FET Compressor. For monitors, I use SCM25A Pros from ATC. Aaron recorded drums at his place, and he has a very in-depth setup at his house that’s very specific for recording drums. What’s great is I can make a drum part that I think is right for the song, and then I’ll send it to Aaron, and he’ll dial in something that works. Sometimes it’s similar to what I sent him, and sometimes he’ll call me and be like, ‘Man, I think you missed it on this. I think it’s something different.’ It’s really fun to go back and forth with him to get the right sound on these songs. The piano is my grandpa’s old upright piano. There are some classic synthesisers, Roland Junos and Sequential Prophets and stuff like that. I really like old instruments as well, so there are some old Martin, Fender and Gibson guitars and guitar amps. What about plugins? Plugins are pretty simple. I feel like I’m in a long-term relationship with FabFilter [laughs]. You can do whatever you want with it. It’s so flexible. And because we have great outboard gear, by the time it gets to the computer, I have the sound close to what I want, and the FabFilter stuff just allows me to tailor it to be exactly right. Obviously, Pro-Q 4 is the

PRODUCER

HEADLINERHUB.COM

ANDREW DEROBERTS

Crafting Alexandra Kay’s country-pop crossover

hero plugin of the recording business, and I used tons of FabFilter EQ! I use Saturn a lot, which is their distortion or saturation plugin. Sometimes I’ll just throw it across almost all the channels in the song to make it sound like all the tracks are going through the same console. I use the Pro-C 3 compressor a lot, the Pro-L 2 limiter, the Pro-DS de-esser, and the Pro-G gate/expander on drums and vocals. Similar, sort of science plugins, if you will, that I use a lot are oeksound’s Soothe and Spiff. I also really like making my own presets. I made a preset with Spiff for when I need the drums to hit harder, and I either need it to happen quickly so I can move on to something else, or I don’t know what to do. I’ve made this preset in Spiff that will make the drums hit 10 to 20% harder, and that makes my life so easy. There’s a lot of Valhalla reverb too. I like to make reverb or delay sounds that I can use in different places across the record, like a character in a movie. That can really help define the sound of that album. I also used Xfer Records’ Serum, and the UAD plugins are great when you want something to have a vintage or traditional character to it. And probably the ye old XLN Audio RC-20 for when you want things to sound crappy. Is there a production technique on this album that listeners might not consciously notice, but which made a significant difference to the final result? In Nobody, there’s that super-western baritone guitar, which was a thing that I was super into in that era. We plugged baritone guitars straight into preamps to get tons of low end and high end and everything else, and then put them in this epic reverb space. And then, on other songs, like Old Me, I programmed the drums. When I say programme, I mean specifically sounding like a drum machine, not trying to sound like a real drum kit. Then we had Aaron play drums on it, and I dialled in what I thought was this big, beautiful drum sound, but HEADLINER USA MAGAZINE

it just did not work. Then I had this second chain for the drums, where the drums were super gated and distorted and smashed up. One time I accidentally muted the main drum sound and left the smashed, messed-up drum sound on with the programmed drums, and that was infinitely better than the big, beautiful drum kit with the programmed drums and the smashed-up drum sound. So we ended up just not using the big, beautiful drum kit sound; we only used the... It’s almost like a gorilla’s drum sound on there [laughs]. This is a little bit of an Easter egg, but James Valentine from Maroon 5 plays the guitar solo on Feminine Energy. We’re old friends, and when we were making that song, I was like, ‘I feel like we’re doing a lot of Maroon 5 tricks on this song.’ I was like, ‘Wouldn’t it be funny if we just had a guitarist from Maroon 5 play on it?’ So I sent it to him, and he played an amazing guitar solo. Big Boy Boots has a country shuffle to it, so that’s one where I thought, rather than, ‘Let’s see how modern we can make this,’ the guitar part on that is full-on Dwight Yoakam. So that was a fun, different angle. Alexandra shared with Headliner that she already has an album’s worth of songs written. What can you tell us about that at this stage? Well, by the time the album came out, we had already started making songs for her next album. For me, the fun part is that we now get to go and make more songs. We get to keep doing the best job in the world. She has a bunch of great songs that could make up this next record, and she’s writing better songs than I’ve ever heard her make. I’m really excited for her. INSTA: @ANDREWDEROBERTS

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MYSTERY JETS

Credit: Mike Palmer

HEADLINER USA

Finding A Hole To See The Sky Through

BY ALICE DS

FINDING A HOLE TO SEE THE SKY THROUGH

STAFSON GU

WO R

ARTIST

MYSTERY JETS Mystery Jets’ seventh studio album, A Hole To See The Sky Through, serves as the final part of a trilogy that began with Curve of the Earth and continued through A Billion Heartbeats. The band’s lead vocalist, Blaine Harrison, explains that none of it would have happened without Yoko Ono.

“It’s been a kind of accidental trilogy, and it’s an interesting one,” begins Harrison, speaking to Headliner from his studio in an old hospital building in London’s King’s Cross. “We’ve found, looking back, that there have been these patterns that emerged retrospectively, where you realise that some records are siblings.” Titled after Yoko Ono’s minimalist masterpiece of the same name, and featuring the original work – a simple white postcard with a circle cut out – on its album cover, having

been granted special permission by the artist herself, A Hole To See The Sky Through finds the band fighting fear with imagination, joy, and the sort of infectious melodies that have kept them at the heart of British guitar music for the past 20 years. “It’s a dream come true because I’ve been a huge fan of Yoko’s work and the way she sees the world,” Harrison enthuses. He recalls that one of the first art exhibitions he was taken to as a child was a retrospective of Ono’s work. All these years later,

he remembers being struck by the playfulness of her work. “I’ve always hugely admired her. There is this invitation in almost everything she does to try and find joy,” he considers. “Her work asks you what’s important, and it seeks to explore the message of joy and hope and love. It’s incredibly powerful. And also, she’s been the victim of an unprecedented amount of sexism in her life and career as a female artist, and particularly with the ‘Yoko broke up the Beatles’ connection,” he says HEADLINERHUB.COM

MYSTERY JETS

Finding A Hole To See The Sky Through

as an aside. “I’ve always thought that is bullshit. It’s not the story, and I think anyone who watched the Get Back documentary can see that,” he adds, then refocusing on why getting the green light from her means so much to him. “We’ve been incredibly blessed that she has given us her complete blessing to carry forward her idea. I give her complete and absolute credit. It’s a Yoko piece of art with our name on it, and it’s our interpretation of her idea, and [her team] has been so supportive. It’s keeping her art alive and bringing it to a new audience. I’ve got the original on my wall,” he discloses, “and I look at it every day. It brings me a lot of joy first thing in the morning, looking at it and thinking about the fact that every day is a new day. You’ve got to think about the frame that you view the world through. That’s something we’ve really tried to communicate with the music.” Formed on London’s Eel Pie Island in the early 2000s, Mystery Jets have spent more than two decades following their curiosity. Originally named The Misery Jets – a reference to an Evening Standard headline about the planes flying over the island – the name became Mystery Jets after Harrison accidentally misspelt it while painting it onto a drum skin. The more intriguing and optimistic name stuck. Over the decades, Mystery Jets have moved between indie rock, psychedelic pop and progressive influences, continually reshaping their sound rather than settling into one formula. Their 2008 album Twenty One marked a shift towards a more popfocused, radio-friendly sound and delivered two of their best-known songs, Young Love, featuring Laura Marling, and Two Doors Down, the latter becoming their highestcharting UK single. Harrison reflects on how much the band’s songwriting has changed. HEADLINER USA

“When you’re younger, you write so much more instinctively,” he says. “For example, Young Love was very much Will’s [the band’s founding guitar player, Will Rees] song, but Two Doors Down, and quite a few of the songs on Twenty One and Serotonin – I look back at those now and think back to the fact that I always used to carry a notebook around in that wonderful presmartphone era. I very much miss that. I’ve got shelves of all these old notebooks which, regrettably, I don’t keep up anymore. But now and again I’ve looked back at them, and what you hear on the record is the first draft of the lyrics. There aren’t tweaks. There might be one line here or there that changes, but essentially what ended up on the record was the first thing that came out.” These days, his approach to songwriting is very different. Harrison co-writes all the lyrics with his father, Henry. “Which in itself is a kind of bizarre scenario in a way,” Harrison laughs. “We’re writing partners, and we see life in some ways which are shared, and then other ways which are very different. For example, he’s a great reader. He reads the newspaper every day. He has a huge book collection, and I’ll come to him, and I’ll say, ‘I’ve got a feeling that I want to write a song about this,’ or I’ll play him some music, and I’ll say, ‘What do you think of this?’ And then he’ll say, ‘Oh, I’m seeing fire,’ or ‘I’m seeing kind of cascading waves,’ or ‘I’m seeing this guy, the sound of a train, and it’s raining,’ and I’ll be like, ‘Okay, cool.’ Then he’ll disappear off to his library, come back with three books, start thumbing through them, and he’ll find passages, and he’ll be saying, ‘Oh, this is reminding me of this character from this story.’ And that’s not how I approach things at all.” Instead, Harrison uses what he calls “an endless scroll – which is basically one document which goes on and on and on and on and on. They’re just

fragments. They’re quotes. They’re things overheard on the Tube, or lines I’ve picked up from places. It’s such a mishmash of things. I’ll do a word vomit of all this stuff, and then he’ll help bring an order to it all. I have actually maxed out the document a few times, and you have to start a new document,” he laughs. Written over the years since their last release in 2020 and then recorded with producer Leo Abrahams (whose credits include Brian Eno, Wild Beasts, Frightened Rabbit) at his East London HQ, A Hole To See The Sky Through is filled with ideas of freedom and forgiveness, trauma and wisdom. With Ono’s postcard propped up on his desk for inspiration, the first song Harrison wrote for the project was the opening track and title piece, A Hole to See the Sky Through. Packed with the band’s signature hooks and an instantly infectious chorus, it’s a bittersweet and nostalgic track destined to delight longtime Mystery Jets fans and linger in your head long after the first listen. “The title and the core message in the song were very much tied to the Yoko postcard,” he says. “I thought, ‘What could this mean, and how do I go about finding my A Hole to See the Sky Through?’ The first thing that I thought about was my partner, who is my biggest supporter, and I’m hers as well. I thought, ‘I’m going to tell the story of how we met.’” Taking place in summer 2019 as part of a celebration of 20 years of John Kennedy’s radio show X-Posure, a South London outdoor gig was the band’s first outing for new material from A Billion Heartbeats. It would also be founding guitarist Rees’ final show with the band. But the night marked new beginnings as well as an ending: it was where Harrison met his now-fiancée, and where he also met two brothers who would go on to join Mystery Jets. “It was a crazy, wonderful cosmic event,” he

31 Credit: Joe Quigg

ARTIST

HEADLINERHUB.COM

MYSTERY JETS

Finding A Hole To See The Sky Through

Credit: Mike Palmer

marvels. “I wanted to tell the story of that night and the first conversation I had with my partner, and it’s all there in the song. It was us talking about our traumas, all the things that we are looking for in our lives. It was this incredibly bonding experience. It’s a very personal song, but I find with lyrics, I’m also just as interested in, if not more interested in, what songs mean to other people.” Headliner takes this opportunity to draw Harrison’s attention to a comment under the song’s YouTube video which reads, “This just stopped me in my tracks and made me smile while picking up dog shit. I literally went, ‘Ooooh... that’s something special right there’”. Harrison bursts out laughing. “That’s exactly who we’re doing it for. People out on the dog walk picking up poop.” Fresh from announcing the new album, Mystery Jets confirmed a new run of UK and Ireland headline dates for November, including shows at London’s O2 Forum Kentish Town and Manchester’s O2 Ritz. For a band that came up in an era when live shows could be as much about unpredictability as production, the older and wiser Mystery Jets’ approach to touring has inevitably evolved. “We’ve toured through these different eras,” Harrison acknowledges. “In the early days HEADLINER USA

we were really interested in playing venues that weren’t set up for gigs, and we would go completely out of our way to play places that were just not meant to be played in.” He’s not lying. In their early days, the band ran a series of illegal parties on Eel Pie Island, attracting increasingly large crowds before the events were eventually shut down by police. The final illicit gathering, promoted partly by word of mouth and bizarrely, on Radio 1, drew an estimated 700 people. The event ultimately earned Harrison a £20,000 noise abatement order. “We played in cemeteries, libraries, caves, we played on the ferry on Loch Ness, the ferry over the Mersey, all sorts of places,” he smiles nostalgically, clearly with no regrets. “We didn’t want to constrain ourselves in any way. ‘Is this something you can even sell tickets to? Who cares?’ Not to say that that’s not still a fun idea,” he insists, “but now it’s a different era.” Harrison is all too aware how social media has changed gigs, with everything now being filmed and shared, and a greater pressure for shows to look and sound perfect. Today, the slightest slipup is captured forever, ready to be memefied and torn to shreds by

Internet trolls. For a band that came up in the comparatively chaotic days of indie sleaze, Harrison feels some of that rawness has been lost. “Unless you’re doing these kinds of gigs where you’re getting people to put phones in bags – which, by the way, I completely approve of,” he says. “There’s a different expectation on you nowadays, and people need a certain level of high fidelity or production level that you need to keep up with, which I do think is a shame because there was a real raucous rawness to our early shows. I mean, indie sleaze…” he reminisces wistfully, drawing out the words. “Not to speak too nostalgically about it because there were lots of things about that time that were a bit off. But those shows were fun, and they were fun because people weren’t filming. People were throwing themselves into the mosh pit, throwing beer, letting loose. No one’s worrying about being photographed, and there was something about that time that was incredibly freeing, which we have lost a bit.” MYSTERYJETS.COM

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TALA

A Taste of Freedom

s by Zar rd

sanjh Do

A TASTE OF FREEDOM

Credit: Noema

TALA

HEADLINER USA

ARTIST

TĀLĀ is a truly global artist. The British-Iranian singer and producer has roots in Hampton, but she’s never been one to stay put. Music and collaboration have driven her from Indonesia to Turkey, Egypt to South Korea, and that restlessness travels straight through her sound, infused with elements of garage, R&B, hip-hop, and the Iranian music she grew up with. TĀLĀ speaks to Headliner about her forthcoming album, what artistry means to her, and the ghosts she’s finally stopped running from. TĀLĀ is speaking to Headliner from Ubud in Bali, where the artist shares she’s planning to permanently relocate with her family. “It’s beautiful out here,” she smiles. “There is very much a cliché of it being paradise, but there’s a lot more to Bali. You have to experience it yourself.” A cross-continental move might seem like a big step, but for TĀLĀ, home is wherever she makes it. “I felt like I’d already checked out of being tied to a location,” she adds. “I’ve always felt a bit nomadic, in a way.” The artist was born to an Iranian father and British mother, so naturally, her influences and tastes are far-reaching. “Growing up, my household was a very creative and free space. My parents loved music and art, and there was a crosspollination of different influences all at once,” she says. “We’d have lots of Arabic and Persian music, and at the same time my mum would have her Michael Ball and Celine Dion. It was such a contrast, and I absorbed so much of it.” TĀLĀ first emerged in 2014 with her self-produced debut EP The Duchess, and was met with critical acclaim and support from Channel 4’s Future Sounds and Vevo’s DSCVR. “It was an exciting time,” TĀLĀ reflects. But

behind the scenes, her breakthrough in 2014 was the result of years of hard work. “When I look back, there were seven or eight years before The Duchess where I was putting in the back-end work,” she says. “It always seems success comes from nowhere, but you look back, and there’s history. There’s a whole track of trial-anderror,” she adds. “I’d got to a point where I stopped trying to make music that I thought needed to be made to get a record deal or get a manager,” TĀLĀ recalls. “I got to a point where I thought, ‘I’m just going to release these weird demos that I’ve made on my laptop.’ I really had no expectations – I built it up to such a point that I almost didn’t care anymore. It was quite freeing. That’s what I think back about that time. It was a very freeing time.” TĀLĀ has navigated being both a vocalist and producer throughout her career. It’s an identity that’s in constant flux. “When I first put the EP out, it was freeing not to feel the pressure of being perceived as a singer,” she says. “At that time, there weren’t as many women who were producers. I didn’t have role models doing what I was doing in that space, and I didn’t want to be labelled.” TĀLĀ’s journey as a vocalist and producer has been a tumultuous one, albeit one she needed to take. She’s an artist who refuses to be boxed in. “My life is in a different place now,” she reflects. “There was a phase when I was really pushing and spending a lot of time in L.A. I worked on the BANKS album for a long time. I exec-produced it, and that was a whole different experience. I loved it, but I realised quite quickly I didn’t want my life to be that. It just wasn’t for me.” Now, TĀLĀ has turned her focus to harnessing her artistry. “It’s long

overdue. I just want to release the music,” she says. She marked her return last year with the standout single Freedom, a momentous build-up to her debut album. “I always put out EPs,” TĀLĀ reflects. “There was always this thing for me to release an album, but it was easier not to have the pressure and release my music as EPs. It was quite important this time round to intentionally call this project an album, because I think a lot of artists fear the word ‘album.’ Making that decision to call it an album – I feel at peace with it.” Freedom dates back to TĀLĀ’s early days as a singer and producer: “The first demo was from 2015. I made it with MssingNo, who’s an amazing producer, and there were various artists that really were interested in the track, but it didn’t quite happen. It’s funny how those ideas can take a whole new lease of life.” The song is born from innovation, with the bones of its sound stemming from sampled recordings and footage from protests at Tehran University, at the time of the Women, Life, Freedom movement. “I have family in Iran, and I was following it a lot. I don’t know what possessed me to sample the Tehran protests and put them into the song, but I felt that I needed to do it. It was so strange because it gave the song a purpose, and it felt like it found the words for itself. I truly think as artists we are vessels,” she muses. “We are vessels for ideas, for creativity, for messages, for songs, whatever it is; we are vessels creativity moves through, and Freedom was a prime example. The song was recorded in the iconic old Genesis studio. “It was this amazing ‘70s capsule studio with all the Phil Collins vocal chains, and a stone room, which is so rare to find in HEADLINERHUB.COM

TALA

A Taste of Freedom

“IT ALWAYS SEEMS SUCCESS COMES FROM NOWHERE, BUT YOU LOOK BACK, AND THERE’S HISTORY. THERE’S A WHOLE TRACK OF TRIAL-AND-ERROR.”

a studio because nowhere has a stone room anymore!” she exclaims. “We recorded drums in there, so I always had this vision in my head of what the track could sound like with live drums, and that’s where that idea came from. I said to Ben Bashi, ‘Let’s try the live drums on it,’ and it was a vibe. He did it in a few takes, and then I chopped them up, and that was it.” TĀLĀ released the single Ghosts in November of last year, too. “It was a collaboration between myself, my friend Beat Butcha, and another friend who’s an amazing songwriter called MAYDAY. We had so many ideas and samples that we were creating together, and this was one of them,” she says. “It was a process, and it took a while to form itself, but the initial concept of the song was the HEADLINER USA

idea that I’ve been running away from these demons and these ghosts all my life, so I’m turning that around, and I’m chasing them. I felt that that was there from the moment we made it.” In an era of bedroom pop, TĀLĀ is big on collaboration: “It’s one of the joys of music. The most amazing songs in the world will have more than one person involved in the concept and story,” she tells Headliner. “Collaboration opens up a song to the possibility of it exceeding your expectations, so I’m never scared of bringing other creatives into that process. I think it’s a beautiful thing. I genuinely thrive in an environment where I can spot people’s talents, and I can spot where to pull people in.”

ARTIST

HEADLINERHUB.COM

TALA

A Taste of Freedom

Living in Bali has been far from a barrier for creative collaboration in TĀLĀ’s eyes. “Wherever I’ve gone in the world, I can connect with creatives. I’m a big believer in you attract what you put out. If you’re open to meeting people, maybe you meet someone who knows someone, and your network expands – it’s a very natural flow.” As a vocalist and producer of mixed heritage, the concept of duality is personal for TĀLĀ. “The album is very much about duality,” she nods. “We need opposing things for balance. We need the light, the dark, complete opposite forces to have balance in every extreme.” As someone always on the go, the production tech TĀLĀ uses is something she cherishes. “I have a very small setup here in Bali. But HEADLINER USA

I like very simple gear. I have my Apollo Twin, my UAD interface. At the moment, I just have my Shure SM7B mic, which I love,” she enthuses. “I have a load of random instruments that I’ve collected at markets and stalls here and stuff that I sometimes like to play live percussion on. One thing I’ve used on most of my tracks is my Yamaha Motif XS7. It’s something I’ve had for years. I love analogue synths, and I just love the set. There’s something about having it in physical form, rather than it being a plug-in – although there are some amazing plugins. That motif has been a really big part of my sound,” she says. “Honestly, even when I build my studio here, it will still stay quite minimalist. I always find that I have better ideas when I have fewer things. Weirdly, I love going into

a studio and just playing on their instruments. It’s like being a kid in a toy factory, you know. But when it’s my own setup, and I want to get something done, I actually think less is more for me.” What’s next for TĀLĀ? “I’m hoping to start doing some live shows,” she begins, “but I’ve also got some really interesting collaborations lined up where I think music can be appreciated and experienced differently. I’m curious to keep developing areas of sensory experiences in music, and how we get to experience sound in a way that uses all of our senses,” she smiles. INSTA: @TALA_OFFICIAL

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INSIDE BLUE DOT FEVER

Gotobeat on why tours are cancelling Credit: @gianspeaking

HEADLINER USA

GOTOBEAT ON WHY TOURS ARE CANCELLING

BY ALICE STAFSON GU

WO R

THE BIG INTERVIEW

INSIDE BLUE DOT FEVER The live music industry is facing a growing reality check. In recent months, several high-profile artists have been forced to cancel, postpone or rethink major tours amid weak ticket sales, a trend increasingly referred to as “Blue Dot Fever” – named after the unsold blue dots that dominate online venue seating maps.

The most high-profile example came when The Pussycat Dolls cancelled almost the entire North American leg of their reunion tour after poor ticket sales made many arena dates financially unviable. Meghan Trainor also scrapped her planned

US arena tour amid widespread speculation that demand had fallen short of expectations, while Post Malone cancelled the opening weeks of an upcoming tour. While every situation is different, the industry-wide conversation remains the same: are

artists, managers and promoters accurately understanding where demand really exists? Touring remains one of the most effective ways to build a fanbase and generate revenue, yet today, it has HEADLINERHUB.COM

INSIDE BLUE DOT FEVER

Gotobeat on why tours are cancelling

“HIGH-PROFILE EXAMPLES ARE JUST MAKING VISIBLE WHAT HAS BEEN HAPPENING QUIETLY FOR YEARS. COSTS HAVE INCREASED, BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY, DEMAND IS OFTEN MISUNDERSTOOD OR MISJUDGED.”

also become one of the riskiest. Rising production costs, changing consumer spending habits, ambitious venue bookings and inaccurate demand forecasting can quickly turn a tour from a career-building opportunity into a financial burden. While headlines tend to focus on arena-level artists, many emerging and mid-level acts have been quietly dealing with these challenges for years. Choosing the wrong city, the wrong venue size, or overestimating audience demand can have significant consequences for artists operating without the financial safety net of major headline tours.

per tour through improved routing, venue selection and pricing.

Against this backdrop, Gotobeat believes the live sector needs more than better promotion. The company combines promoter expertise with proprietary AI technology to analyse fan demand, venue data and touring patterns, helping artists make smarter decisions about where, when and how to tour. Rather than relying solely on industry instinct, Gotobeat’s model aims to reduce risk through data-led planning while retaining the local knowledge and cultural understanding that remain essential to successful live events. The approach appears to be gaining traction, as Gotobeat is on track to deliver 1,000 shows across the UK and Europe in 2026, while artists using its platform earn an average of 30 per cent more

What’s broken is that live is still largely run on intuition in a market that now moves on data. Promoters are making big financial decisions based on fragmented signals, artists are routing tours without real visibility on where their audience actually is, and marketing is still often guesswork. The result is empty rooms, mispriced tickets, and artists subsidising their own tours. We started Gotobeat from seeing this first-hand. But the insight wasn’t just that promotion could be improved, it’s that the infrastructure behind live needed to be rebuilt. At the same time, it’s important to say: this is not just a data problem. Live is culture. Taste, context, and on-the-ground knowledge still

HEADLINER USA

Headliner spoke with Gotobeat founder and CEO Max Busin about what’s broken in today’s touring ecosystem, why traditional approaches are struggling to keep pace with modern audience behaviour, and how technology could help solve one of live music’s biggest challenges. What’s fundamentally broken in today’s live ecosystem, and what prompted you to start Gotobeat?

matter massively. What we’re building sits at the intersection – combining proprietary data with a team of promoters who are deeply embedded in the scenes they operate in. How reflective are touring losses across the board? It’s very reflective of what’s happening across the industry. The high-profile examples are just making visible what has been happening quietly for years. Costs have increased, but more importantly, demand is often misunderstood or misjudged. Artists end up playing cities where their audience isn’t strong enough yet, or venues that are too large, or pricing that doesn’t match demand. When that happens across a tour, losses become almost inevitable. How does your model differ from traditional tour planning? Traditionally, the process starts with the artist and builds forward, and a lot of decisions are made based on precedent or relationships. We start from demand. We analyse where an artist’s audience actually is, how it’s evolving, and how likely it is to convert, and then build the tour around that. Cities, venues, timing and pricing are all informed by that layer. But equally, those decisions

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THE BIG INTERVIEW

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INSIDE BLUE DOT FEVER

Gotobeat on why tours are cancelling

are always shaped with human input. Our promoters understand the nuances of each market: what works culturally, what doesn’t, and how to position a show properly. It’s the combination that drives outcomes.

Credit: @gianspeaking

What needed to change? The core issue is fragmentation. Every show is treated as a one-off, so there’s very little compounding learning. Data isn’t structured, insights don’t carry over, and margins stay thin. What needed to change was owning the full loop, from understanding demand to selling the last ticket, while keeping cultural relevance at the centre. Technology gives us consistency and scale; the team brings context and taste. Without both, it doesn’t work. Can you walk us through how Gotobeat’s AI plans a tour? At a high level, we start by mapping demand. We aggregate signals from social, streaming and historical ticketing, and analyse them geographically to understand where real audiences are forming – not just where followers exist. From there, we score markets, select cities, match venue size to expected demand, and optimise timing and pricing. That creates a strong baseline. Then our promoters layer in local knowledge, understanding how a show should be positioned in that specific market, which can make a significant difference. What insights are most valuable in predicting a successful show? The most valuable insight is understanding real intent. Follower numbers alone don’t mean much. What matters is how fast an audience is growing, how it engages, and where it is concentrated. We also look closely at behaviour: who actually converts into ticket buyers. That’s where the signal is. Again, data gives you the map, but interpreting it correctly requires experience. How does your data-driven marketing approach improve outcomes? HEADLINER USA

Traditional promotion tends to be broad and reactive. Our approach is much more targeted and iterative. Campaigns are built around real audience segments and optimised continuously based on performance. Crucially, we connect marketing directly to ticketing, so we’re measuring what actually matters – sales, not just reach. At the same time, creative and positioning still come from the team. The way a show is presented culturally has a huge impact on how it performs.

For grassroots venues, what difference does working with Gotobeat make?

What’s driving the 30% uplift in artist earnings?

How are you closing the gap for emerging artists?

It’s the result of multiple improvements working together. Better routing reduces underperforming shows. Rightsizing venues increases sell-through. More precise pricing captures more of the demand, and more efficient marketing reduces wasted spend. All of those compounds, and over a full tour, make a meaningful difference to artist earnings.

A lot of the industry is focused on proven demand at scale. What we do is identify early demand signals and make them actionable. That allows us to take more informed bets on emerging artists, without exposing them – or venues – to unnecessary risk. Importantly, those bets are still guided by people who understand the culture around those artists. Data alone doesn’t tell you what’s about to

It makes programming more predictable and less risky. Venues get artists that are better matched to their audience, which leads to stronger attendance and more consistent nights. Over time, that helps with audience development as well, because you’re building trust with the local crowd rather than programming in a more ad hoc way.

Credit: @gianspeaking

THE BIG INTERVIEW

break, but it can help you move faster when the signals are there. Why has live infrastructure lagged behind, and what role can technology play? Live has historically been relationship-driven and quite fragmented. That worked at a smaller scale, but it hasn’t kept up with how audiences behave today, which is global, digital and fast-moving. Technology can bring structure, visibility and consistency to decisionmaking. But it’s not about replacing the human side, it’s about enhancing it. The goal is better decisions, not automated ones.

What are your core goals for Gotobeat? The focus is on building the infrastructure layer for live entertainment in Europe. That means continuing to improve how demand is understood, how tours are planned, and how shows are executed, while staying very close to the culture that drives the industry in the first place. Ultimately, the goal is to make live a more predictable and sustainable revenue stream for artists, without losing what makes it special. GOTOBEAT.COM

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DJ KAZIA

HEADLINER USA

Sound of the Underground

FIRST SET: POWERED BY ALPHATHETA

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SOUND OF THE UNDERGROUND

DJ KAZIA DJ Kazia has had a cosmic start to her career. With international sets at Abode on the Rock in Malta and Cova Santa in Ibiza, and renowned venues including Ministry of Sound and Egg London under her belt, her showreel of electric sets is only growing.

Her sound is a medley of genres, including garage, jazz, and vocal-led throwback tracks, with an eccentric groove buried beneath. DJ Kazia has undoubtedly cemented herself as a rising star in the underground scene, with a sunny personality that’s sure to take her far. In this First Set interview powered by AlphaTheta, DJ Kazia reflects on getting behind the DDJ-GRV6 DJ controller and trying the HDJ-CUE1 headphones on for size, while balancing lessons learned

on the dancefloor and the mix of influences on her ever-evolving sound. From seeing first-hand how the DJ scene has transformed since COVID to playing her all-time favourite crowd at Maravilosa, DJ Kazia opens up about everything there is to know about the underground scene.

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DJ KAZIA

Sound of the Underground

How do you introduce a crowd to music they might not have heard before? When I’m prepping sets, I’ll make a playlist, but I’ll split it into two categories. So it depends on the event, but I usually play songs with vocals people might know, and then I always have a couple of wild cards. Sometimes at an event, I think,“I can play all this cool music no one’s ever heard,” but it might end up being quite a young scene where that might not go down well. But I’ve built a name for myself so I can play what I really want to.

How would you describe the underground house scene today? It’s a very fast-paced, quick-moving environment. It’s grown really quickly but in the best way. There are just so many different kinds of people getting into music. Whether that’s on the DJing side or just an interest in house and underground music, it’s moving forward quickly. How has the scene changed since you first started? COVID changed things. Before COVID, everyone went clubbing, but now, the younger generation has gone straight to raves and festivals. More people are interested in underground house now. COVID flipped the scene, but in the best way in terms of getting people into house music. No one goes clubbing anymore, which, to be fair, wasn’t really my thing anyway. I know so many people who started to DJ over COVID, because it was something you could do at home, and the time to put into it. It was a little hobby lots of people picked up. HEADLINER USA

When I first started, I’d play to the event a bit more, but as I’ve become more established, I do steer my sets towards music I’m enjoying because that’s a big part of it. I’ll always have backups in my playlists, with vocal edits, but I do a lot of digging for cooler, quirky underground sounds, with some well-known lyrics in there. Not your standard songs that everyone knows, but vocals on a different beat or an edit someone else has made, because then you get the best of both. It’ll be three years since you started DJing this December. What’s the best crowd you’ve played to in those three years? I played an event called Maravilosa last month, an open-air festival with 1,500 people, which was definitely the biggest I’ve played to. I’ve played in Ibiza at Cova Santa, and I played at Eden twice this year, and those were all standout sets because of the location, the crowd, and obviously playing in Ibiza! But you don’t feel like you have 1,500 people in the room – everyone goes to different rooms, goes to smoke, whatever. But at this one at Maravilosa, everyone was there. Everyone was jumping up and down, even over the set recordings. You could hear everyone going “Oi!” when a good track was playing. That interaction with the crowd was insane. Even when I came off, I had so many people saying, “Oh my god, that was

amazing!” They were watching me as the DJ and actually vibing with me. You could feel the energy of the crowd, and the videos from that set looked insane because there were so many people. That was definitely the best crowd and the most interactive in a way, which was good. At Maravilosa, they have a proper family feel. You get the same people that go every time they put events on because they love the event and the music sound that comes with it. Everyone’s there for the music. After the set, I had people telling me it’s a DJ’s dream to play to a crowd like that. Even people who weren’t there could feel the energy through the videos. Are there any DJs in the scene who are doing something you think is cool or different? Lots of DJs are putting on all-nightlongs now. When you get to the point where you can put on all-night-longs and sell out a venue, it shows you’re doing something right. Even smaller artists are doing it – they’ve built a fan base through social media and gained a following that way. For your First Set, you used the AlphaTheta DDJ-GRV6 fourchannel club-inspired DJ controller. How did it feel to get behind the controller? I really liked it. I have the DJ XDJ-XZ at home, and it felt like that, but on a smaller scale. It was easy to transfer across, which is something you want when you go out and play in different venues with different equipment. It had all the filters and effects still, which some other controllers don’t have. I remember when I first started, I had a smaller controller that didn’t have the filter with the effects. So with the AlphaTheta DDJ-GRV6, it was great to get on a bigger deck with all the mixes and effects. When I got there, I said it looked so futuristic. It looks like it’s from 10 years’ time! It’s great that it has the four channels, because if you wanted to get an extra CDJ, you can plug it in, or if you wanted to get turntables, you could plug it in, which is another cost saved.

FIRST SET: POWERED BY ALPHATHETA

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DJ KAZIA

Sound of the Underground

You also used the AlphaTheta HDJ-CUE1 headphones during your set – how did you find using those? They were really good headphones, especially for the price. For someone starting up, they would be perfect. It was just so easy, and it makes it a bit more accessible for anyone if they wanted to start up without having to spend £2,000 on a piece of kit. The sound quality was really clear, especially the bass, which is what you need. They felt like the headphones I have at home, which are a bit more expensive. When you’re mixing, you’re in a loud environment, so they’re really good for that.

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Your performance was streamed on TikTok, and you said earlier how you liked interacting with people on the livestream. Do you feel like social media platforms are a good gateway for DJS to build their careers when they’re just starting out? 100%. I think people don’t want it to be important because there’s a lot of controversy in that we’re DJs; we’re not doing social media, we should be getting booked for being a DJ. But it is important. It’s essentially your CV at the end of the day. It’s where people see your content. It’s your showreel in a way, isn’t it? It’s really important because you’re selling yourself as a brand, essentially. You are your brand. What people see is what they get. Social media opens an even bigger opportunity for you to get seen, because you could post one video and it can land in the right people’s laps. I know so many people who post on TikTok daily, and they’re getting snapped up left, right and centre for sets and bookings and getting these opportunities.

FIRST SET: POWERED BY ALPHATHETA

“YOU ARE YOUR BRAND. WHAT PEOPLE SEE IS WHAT THEY GET.”

Are you interested in any music or subcultures that might surprise people?

Looking back to when you first started, what do you wish you knew as a beginner that you know now?

I love playing underground, minimal sounds. I love garage, and I always steer my sets that way. I mainly listen to house and garage now and then, and I do like a bit of a sing-song. As a DJ or someone interested in music, you have to take influence from all different genres of music. A lot of music at the minute is cross-genre – you get a lot of house at the minute mixed with hip-hop, and then it ends up in the charts rather than just in the house scene.

I didn’t really understand the layout of a track as much as I should have, and I wouldn’t plan my sets from start to finish. But that’s something I’ve learned as I’ve grown. I’ve always been quite a social sort of person, and I’ve stayed true to myself. Whatever I post is me. However I am in person is me. I’m not trying to be someone else to fit in with anyone, and if you’re yourself, you attract the right sort of opportunities and the right sort of people. I’ve been quite happy to go with the ups and downs and figure out as I go along. It’s all part of the journey.

Do you have a go-to track to revive a dead dancefloor? There’s this track by GRIGGY called THE VIBERIDE, with a vocal sample of “God Made Me Phunky” but on a really upbeat track. It’s such a fast, bouncy track with a nice bassline. It works well in any environment and set because it’s got that sample everyone knows.

INSTA: @KAZIA.DJ ALPHATHETA.COM

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LILY C-D

HEADLINER USA

Deep house digging to Amnesia Ibiza

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DEEP HOUSE DIGGING TO AMNESIA IBIZA

LILYC-D For Lily C-D, the underground has always been about digging deeper – finding the sounds, scenes and dancefloors that feel like home, then putting her own spin on them. Born just outside Birmingham and now based in Manchester, the rising DJ has carved out a distinctive lane built around the rolling basslines, tight grooves and crisp, techno-leaning highs of early-2000s tech house, with influences stretching across garage and techno.

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LILY C-D

Deep house digging to Amnesia Ibiza

That sound has taken her from residencies at Joshua Brooks, RAW Birmingham and Snug b2bs to some of the UK’s most respected club spaces, while support slots alongside the likes of Skream, Max Dean, Kolter and Mason Collective have helped establish her as one to watch, and this year marked another step up, with a main-stage set at Hide & Seek Festival, followed by her Ibiza debut at Amnesia, one of the island’s original superclubs. Now, with production firmly on the agenda and forthcoming releases in the works, Lily C-D is entering a new chapter. In this Next Up interview, powered by AlphaTheta, Lily C-D joins Headliner to discuss the journey that has led her to carve out her own lane, from spending hours digging for tracks people haven’t heard to developing a distinctly niche taste. She reflects on the importance of finding your own path rather than simply following what’s big, the role TikTok can play in helping emerging DJs build an audience, the gear that has shaped her DJing, her biggest career moments and where she wants to take things next. What was your first ever bad set? I have had one really bad set where I completely fumbled the whole set. It was quite early in my DJing career, but again, it does build you as a DJ, and the things I did for that set I would never, ever do again. I went

so unprepared. One of my USBs had corrupted, so I only had about 15 tracks on it. I was going back-toback with somebody I didn’t know, so it was absolute chaos. I ended up playing the same song three times because I only had about 10 tunes on my USB, but luckily there weren’t many people there at the time [laughs]. It was very early days, but I don’t think I’d ever make that mistake again. I always go prepared with about seven USBs now, just in case that does happen again. I’m scarred! How have Birmingham and Manchester shaped your relationship with underground music and club culture? Some of the very early parties that I went to were at Rainbow Warehouse – I think it’s called XOYO now – and Lab11 in Birmingham. Some of that music was very deep house. It was stuff like Amine Edge and Shadow Child – very old-school deep house, and I feel like that’s coming back around now. That sound has shaped my sound. Manchester obviously is such a huge player in that kind of music as well. I’m a resident DJ at Joshua Brooks, and they have a specific deep house night now, so I still get to play that sound. It’s a blast from the past. I also lived in London for a year, and that was probably the bit that shaped my music taste the most. I used to go to the FUSE parties at 93 Feet East, and that’s where it all changed for

me. I thought, ‘This is a bit of me’. You have to go through all of these different paths to figure out what you actually like. Some people don’t do that now. Some people just go to what’s big, and maybe that’s why they don’t enjoy it as much, because they haven’t dotted around and figured out what they like and what they don’t. You recently agreed with an Instagram comment saying your least favourite thing about electronic music is how much of it is only available on YouTube. How does it affect the way you discover and collect music? There are so many amazing vinylonly tunes that you cannot get your hands on. I spend hours and hours and hours a week looking for tunes that people won’t have heard, or ones that are a bit more unique, or ones that sound like what I like today but are actually from 10 years ago. But when you do that, you find ones that are on Discogs that you can’t even listen to, or ones that are just in a DJ set of somebody that you really like that you can’t find anywhere. Or you’ll go to the record shops in Manchester that I go to, and there are records in there for £70 each. But they’re the most incredible tunes you’ve ever heard, and you’re like, ‘Why am I paying £70 for a tune?’ It’s very frustrating sometimes, but they’re the best ones half the time, and there’s a reason why they’re £70 a tune. You’ve now played some iconic venues, supported artists like Skream and Max Dean, played Hide & Seek Festival and made your Ibiza debut at Amnesia. When did you first start feeling that things were starting to take off for you? Last year I started to see a lot of movement, especially since I was posting on social media a lot, and then got my Joshua Brooks residency, so I had really consistent gigs. I had content on social media quite

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regularly, but this year it’s just gone absolutely crazy. The biggest players in the game, the biggest events, the biggest brands, the biggest agencies have all got my back now, which is absolutely surreal to say. Even at the weekend, I was speaking to one of the You&Me partners who basically runs that event, and he was absolutely singing my praises. I just can’t believe that people like that, who are so successful and have such amazing brands and such amazing intel in this music world, are recognising me. It’s absolutely surreal. And then there’s being signed to LUMA Agency, which I signed to a couple of months ago. They have people like Max Dean, Luke Dean, Sidney Charles, Emma 2000, Danby, Gigsta – huge, huge names – and they signed me this year. I can’t believe my name is on this list of people now, and with this booking agency. Since then, I’ve been like, ‘This is actually turning into a career now.’

What was the first ever bit of DJ kit you got your hands on? It was a Pioneer XDJ-RX. It’s an allin-one; it’s got two channels. I was umming and ahhing about getting the Pioneer DDJ-400 at the time or the XDJ-RX, and the reason I went for the all-in-one instead of going for the controller with the laptop was that a lot of my other DJ friends had said they had never changed from that one. They were professional DJs, and they had just had this one bit of kit throughout the whole time. It can take you from learning as a beginner to being good enough for professional DJing. I’ve still got that exact piece of kit now and still use it regularly. I still have it in my setup; it’s still in the background of all of my videos, and I still use it on a daily or weekly basis. It helped me go from a beginner to a professional, so it was a good middle ground. It was a bit more expensive, but I’ve never had to buy another one, so it was all good with me.

You recently played a Headliner Next Up set on the AlphaTheta XDJAZ. What was your first impression of the system? It was very clean, very crisp, and very smooth. It felt professional. On these big stages that I’m playing on now, I use the AlphaTheta CDJ-3000X, and it didn’t feel too different from that. I like the big screen as well. That’s a nice new bonus, as the one I have currently is not a touchscreen, so I like that this one has that. It was very easy to use; it was pretty much a switchon-and-go job. I like that the effects were the same as what you would expect on a professional setup. It was very similar to what I would normally use in a club, and I appreciate that.

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LILY C-D

Deep house digging to Amnesia Ibiza

The XDJ-AZ is designed to give DJs a layout and feel similar to clubstandard CDJ-3000 and DJM-A9 setups. How valuable do you think it is for an emerging DJ to learn on equipment that prepares them for the systems they’re likely to encounter in bigger clubs? That’s super important. When you get to a club, you’re not going to be overwhelmed with the setup because you’re like, ‘Oh, I know this. I’ve been using this at home,’ and it really sets you up for success. I would recommend it to anyone to go in with a piece of kit like this because it is a professional piece of equipment. If you learn on something like the DDJ-400, I’m not saying it doesn’t do the job because it absolutely does – a lot of my professional DJ friends have learned HEADLINER USA

on that as well – but it sets you up for success because it is so similar. The only big difference is that there’s one screen instead of two screens. You also used AlphaTheta’s HDJF10-TX wireless headphones. What did you make of these in terms of sound quality, ease of use, and as a pair of headphones that allows you to stay in the moment? I’m absolutely obsessed with them. I need to get myself a pair because they were amazing. I’ve never experienced ones as crisp as that. I don’t think I’ve ever heard a pair of headphones that have sounded that good, and I’ve gone through so many pairs of headphones now. They were super comfortable too. I liked that they were wireless. I never had myself

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down as a wireless headphone girl, but with my hair and moving around and dancing, it’s so nice not to have to trip over the wires. Sometimes the thing that bothers me about wireless headphones is that you can get a bit of a lag, but there wasn’t any lag at all. It felt very instant. I really appreciate that with a pair of headphones. I was really on board with them. Your Next Up set was streamed live across TikTok. How important are live platforms like TikTok for DJs in 2026? I don’t think I would be where I am if I hadn’t been posting on TikTok and regularly engaging with the audience there. It gets you out there. TikTok’s an amazing platform if you use it right and if you are consistent. I’ve seen

people who use TikTok Live go from bedroom DJs to professional touring DJs because they’ve got their name out there so much and they’ve built such a huge fan base that they can sell so many tickets.

the right time to do it, because I feel aligned on the sound and where I want to go and where I want to take it.

Looking back at the early version of Lily C-D compared with where you are now (other than bringing more than one USB!), what’s changed most about the way you approach a set?

I would love to have my own event and be curating the whole line-up, having like-minded selectors on there and people that make similar music to me. In quite quirky places, maybe not your average venues – just very weird and wonderful places. I’d like that. Plus, more music. I would like to continue travelling the world, DJing, and to be able to play some more spots in Ibiza next year. DC10 is on my bucket list…

I’m so much more prepared now [smiles]. I’ve developed a little bit more of my own sound with my sets. For a while I was trying to figure out what I wanted to play and playing a little bit of everything – a bit of garage, a bit of house, a bit of tech house, a bit of deep house. But now I’m very much in my own lane. I have a very niche taste, and my audience knows what my taste is now because I post so much about music. That’s probably what’s changed from the early days. I’m more structured now.

If we jump five years ahead, what does that version of Lily C-D look like?

INSTA: @LILYCD ALPHATHETA.COM

You’re now turning your attention towards production, with forthcoming releases aimed at some of the scene’s respected labels. Why does now feel like the right time to make that move? I’ve been producing music for a very long time, but I’m finally in a place now where I’m happy to send it out to DJs. We’ve had some really good downloads from The Martinez Brothers, Silva Bumpa, Aaliyah JM, EVIE – some really huge DJs who are selling lots of tickets and playing lots of headline shows. So that’s very exciting. It’s taken me a long time to figure out the sound and figure out what sort of labels I would want to approach. That’s why now it feels like HEADLINERHUB.COM

JASON GRAVES

HEADLINER USA

Scoring Directive 8020

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GAME COMPOSER

SCORING DIRECTIVE 8020

JASON GRAVES Some of the most iconic themes in popular culture rely on just a few notes. Jaws’ iconic two notes inspire a healthy fear of the sea to this day, Darth Vader’s surging Imperial March is built around four, and Close Encounters of the Third Kind expands the formula to five. Two-time BAFTA award-winning composer Jason Graves’ score for new survival horror game Directive 8020 is in good company then, with its simple, three-note motif unsettling gamers by blending it with something far more sinister than what mostly comes out at night: aggressively friendly, corporate music.

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JASON GRAVES

Scoring Directive 8020

“I’m a big sucker for three-note kinds of ideas,” begins Graves, speaking to Headliner from his air-conditioned studio in North Carolina. He explains how pairing the three-note motif with the game’s corporate world heightens its unsettling atmosphere. “I wanted it to feel spacey, but also feel slightly uncertain. I’ve always loved having two chords next to each other. It’s used all the time in film music, and it’s very recognisable once you understand what it’s doing, but that doesn’t mean that it’s not effective. Also, I’ve done so much cheesy corporate music, especially back in the ‘90s, that it was fun to fall back into that vibe of ‘make everything happy, and everything’s gonna be okay,’ even though it isn’t. It’s like someone shaking your hand and making direct eye contact and smiling a little too much,” he laughs. Those three notes appear throughout, from the opening, Welcome To The Corinth Family to the ship’s ambience and chapter transitions. A simple motif is a tried and tested approach for Graves: “I’m not thinking, ‘Does this three-note thing sound like Still Wakes the Deep, or Tomb Raider,

or Until Dawn?’ There are so many three-note things that I’ve done, and a lot of times it’s almost accidental. I just find myself leaning towards that,” he shrugs. Graves is no stranger to game composing, having lent his talents to the Dead Space series, Still Wakes The Deep, The Dark Pictures Anthology, No Rest For The Wicked, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II, MOSS 1&2, Tomb Raider, Far Cry Primal, Until Dawn, The Order: 1886, and The Hobbit. His latest project transports gamers aboard the colony spaceship Cassiopeia, where Directive 8020 plunges them into a fight for survival when the crew crash-lands on Tau Ceti f, a planet 12 light-years from Earth. Developed and published by Supermassive Games, the 2026 interactive survival horror game pits its characters against a terrifying shapeshifting alien threat. As the story unfolds, players’ decisions can dramatically alter its trajectory, shaping relationships between the five playable protagonists and determining who survives. Some choices can lead to permanent

“IT’S LIKE SOMEONE SHAKING YOUR HAND AND MAKING DIRECT EYE CONTACT AND SMILING A LITTLE TOO MUCH.”

deaths, while the game’s new Turning Points feature allows players to rewind to pivotal moments and make different decisions. Graves describes the game’s overall vibe as “The Thing in Space”, while the ship’s overarching corporate messaging provided a clear jumpingoff point for his initial musical ideas. “It’s in the spirit of Weyland-Yutani [a fictional British-Japanese megaconglomerate from the Alien and Predator franchises], where it’s like, ‘Be a part of our family!’ – this very friendly, devilishly friendly corporate vibe,” he elaborates. Welcome To The Corinth Family is the first track on the album, and it begins and ends with the corporate, threenote ID. Those same three notes are constantly playing in the background of the cue as well, in different variations. All of the sound design and UI bleeps and bloops were purposely tuned to the same key as this corporate music to create an artificial sense of harmony between the ship and its crew. Until things begin to go awry. At that point, the entire tuning of the ship’s interior and UI sounds are disjointed and wrong in every possible way. “Corinth is the name of the company; basically, Corinth is Weyland-Yutani, is what it comes down to,” Graves explains. “We talked about the way that the sound designers were steering towards using a lot of FM synthesis for the ship’s UI, which is just a techie name for saying cold, digital, bell-kind of sounds that are very void of humanity,” Graves notes. “They’re sterile, for lack of a better word, but very glassy. “The first track on the OST was the first thing that I wrote, which was this wonderfully, almost underminingly happy corporate thing. And the bumbum-bum three-note ID naturally took shape within the structure of the tune. We wanted something

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GAME COMPOSER

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JASON GRAVES

Scoring Directive 8020

“I’LL SOMETIMES HAVE 200 OR 300 TRACKS; CUBASE IS INDISPENSABLE TO WHAT I DO.”

corporate and happy and cheesy, but also a melody we could brand before someone announces the ship through the PA.” With plenty of alien space games to compare Directive 8020 to, and inevitably many more to come in future, gamers have come to expect a certain sonic palette to accompany the genre to evoke a sense of the unknown, cosmic isolation, or creeping dread. Graves notes that there’s a fine line between something that’s cliché and something effective. “When I’m starting anything, I intentionally don’t really research things in terms of film or games or classical music,” he reveals. “If I were doing, let’s say, a vampire film, the last thing I would do is go and watch a bunch of other vampire films, or listen to vampire soundtracks, or games or films, because I want to be inspired by the film or the game that I am currently working on.” Graves explains that the score continues the series’ tradition of tailoring its sound to each game’s setting, while pushing its signature pitch-bending technique further than ever to reflect Directive 8020’s shapeshifting threat. “With each Dark Pictures instalment, we make the music feel like it’s bespoke to that particular setting and HEADLINER USA

that particular game. There’s always going to be commonality between the scores – maybe everything has a little bit of orchestra, or everything has a little bit of percussion, but we try to lean in one direction fairly heavily. Since the very first Dark Pictures game, we’ve been exploring this simple idea of bending pitches, either slowly or quickly. “As we’ve progressed through the games, I’ve got a lot more in-yourface about how I’m using these pitch bends, and Directive 8020 was definitely the bendiest of all. In this case, I’m musically representing this shape-shifting entity that’s slowly but surely killing everybody on the crew. So in the corporate music, it’s in the background, where it’s very amiable and almost innocent-sounding, and in some of the themes, it almost sounds like something happy, even though it’s sliding up and down with these different pitches. “It’s always there,” he continues, “and it becomes more forward when we get into the more aggressive types of gameplay. It even gets to the point where it sounds like a creature screaming. You hear those up-anddown screaming vocalisations, but they’re still just synthesisers being pitched all over the place. The idea is just to make you as uncomfortable as possible, musically speaking,” he adds with a smile.

The true corporate intentions emerge in Little Star, which carries the same three-note motif over a shifting backdrop of pulsing orchestral and synth sounds, while the score’s central theme belongs to the shape-shifting creature, with the aforementioned bending, unpredictable notes reflecting its constantly changing nature. Meanwhile, a separate theme for Brianne Young, Young Eyes Open, accompanies her journey from awakening from hypersleep, balancing hope with hints of something darker. That theme is reworked as a surprising jazz combo in Young at Heart, which underscores a “Two Days Before Launch” flashback, blending acoustic instrumentation with elements of the original orchestra and bending synths. Graves explains what makes Directive 8020 distinct from the horror worlds he’s previously scored. “I was trying really hard to balance human versus inhuman,” he considers. “In Little Star, for example, it’s a traditional orchestra setup – very human. But on the opposite side of that, we have these synths and pulsing and bending sounds in the background that are completely synthetic and very inhuman. The idea, hopefully, is the more you progress through the game, or the more you progress through the soundtrack

GAME COMPOSER

– which I tried to programme as an in-game type of experience – the orchestra starts getting a little mutated. But more importantly, all these inhuman sounds start becoming almost more humansounding, especially in the crazy, more abstract cues.” Graves scored the game from his home studio, where he uses Steinberg’s Cubase as his primary DAW. He reveals how the software was essential when building this large-scale cinematic score. “I’ve been using Cubase for as long as I’ve been on PC, which has been 15 years now, and I’m on the most current version,” he points out. “I see-saw between Cubase and Nuendo, whichever has the most recent features. Usually, Cubase is in the lead. I use all these wonderful features from Cubase, like being able to import track presets and being

able to disable tracks and import entire things, folders of different music libraries or sound design stuff. It’s indispensable to what I do.” In particular, Graves cites Cubase’s Channel Visibility Configurations button on the MixConsole toolbar as a must-have for him, allowing him to create configurations that are useful for switching quickly between different visibility setups.

all of my rendered audio.’ Then I can hit another shortcut: ‘These are just my groups.’ It’s really made a big difference. What I’m enjoying right now is the Folder and Group tracks. I’ve been doing some remastering of an older set of soundtracks, and it’s been wonderful to use those and bring everything into 2026,” he smiles. STEINBERG.NET JASONGRAVES.COM

“They’re huge for me,” he nods. “I have everything mapped to shortcuts – I’ll sometimes have 200 or 300 tracks – and scrolling can get a little old, so being able to zoom in on one particular area and say, ‘Just show me the tracks that are active in this area,’ makes a huge difference. “Plus, for my presets for visibility configurations, I can go to different versions of, ‘Here’s all of my virtual instruments with the MIDI,’ and then I can hit another shortcut, like, ‘Here’s HEADLINERHUB.COM

HOME ACOUSTICS

Game on!

GAME ON!

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SHEVYN ID

W o

HOME ACOUSTICS

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ROOM ACOUSTICS

Home gaming has come a long way since setting up your console, monitors, and a comfy chair in a darkened corner. Dedicated gaming rooms are now pretty common for most avid players, with a growing number now exploring optimal sound performance and even simulator-style spaces for a more immersive experience. Sound quality and acoustics naturally play a huge part in this evolution, which makes sense when you consider that the sound effects, music, and dialogue featured in your favourite games were likely mixed and recorded in studios treated for professional audio production. David Shevyn, managing director at GIK Acoustics Europe, discusses how thoughtful room design and acoustic treatment can transform a gaming space. When designing a gaming room or simulator, the goal is twofold: to create a natural-sounding space where you can comfortably spend long periods, and to ensure accurate, high-fidelity sound reproduction. While at first glance these rooms may seem highly specialised, they actually share many characteristics with traditional two-channel listening rooms or home cinemas. One major advantage is that these spaces typically focus on a single seating position - the “sweet spot” - allowing for more targeted optimisation. However, unlike a cinema space, where silence is golden, gaming rooms also need to accommodate the excited chatter and shouting that can accompany a multiplayer game, with players coming together online or in the same room to take on hordes of aliens or enemy fighters on screen. The room therefore needs to work for both the audio coming from the speakers and the people using it.

“UNLIKE A CINEMA SPACE, WHERE SILENCE IS GOLDEN, GAMING ROOMS ALSO NEED TO ACCOMMODATE THE EXCITED CHATTER AND SHOUTING THAT CAN ACCOMPANY A MULTIPLAYER GAME.”

No matter what your budget or room constraints, there are several fundamentals that can be applied. A great starting place is looking at the room layout. In a rectangular room, the listening position will generally benefit from being symmetrical along the room’s centre line and ideally placed facing the short wall. Symmetry helps maintain balanced reflections, which directly influences the soundstage and imaging. Precise speaker placement is also critical. Front speakers should be positioned with their distance from nearby boundaries carefully considered to minimise issues such as Speaker Boundary Interference Response (SBIR). SBIR occurs when low-frequency sound waves from a speaker interact with nearby walls or surfaces and interfere with themselves, causing peaks and nulls at the listening position. This is one reason why small changes to speaker position can

have a surprisingly large effect. Even minor adjustments of just a few centimetres from the front or side wall can significantly improve clarity and coherence. In setups involving multiple speakers, such as surround sound or Dolby Atmos configurations, managing early reflections becomes even more important. Reflected sound waves reach your ears shortly after the direct sound from the loudspeakers. In most rooms, this means reflections arriving within 30-40 milliseconds of the direct sound. Each speaker introduces additional sound energy into the room, and without proper acoustic treatment, these reflections can build up and create a chaotic listening environment. This can be particularly notable in gaming, where positional information is often critical. Being able to hear exactly where a sound is coming from- footsteps behind you, an approaching vehicle, or a distant explosion is part of that experience.

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HOME ACOUSTICS

HEADLINER USA

Game on!

ROOM ACOUSTICS

Strategic placement of absorptive panels at primary reflection points can help control these early reflections while maintaining a sense of natural ambience. The aim isn’t to make the room completely dead. Overtreating a space can make it feel unnaturally dry and uncomfortable, particularly for a room that may also be used for music, films or general entertainment. A balanced approach, combining absorption with appropriate diffusion and reflection, can produce a room that sounds controlled without losing its sense of space. And then there’s the bass: arguably the most challenging aspect of small room acoustics. Many common issues originate in the low-frequency range, which often builds up and lingers (long decay times) in untreated rooms. This buildup can ‘muddy’ the entire frequency spectrum. Room modes create areas where certain bass frequencies are exaggerated, while others can almost disappear. At the listening position, this can result in inconsistent and poorly defined low end, while long decay times can allow bass energy to hang around long after the original sound has stopped.

excessive brightness or a boomy low end can become tiring to listen to. Good acoustic treatment helps create a more controlled and balanced environment, reducing the need to turn the volume up simply to hear detail and allowing the player to stay immersed for longer. Ultimately, a gaming room doesn’t need to look like a professional recording studio. Acoustic treatments can be integrated into the design, with panels, bass traps and diffusers becoming part of the room’s aesthetic rather than an afterthought. Once the fundamentals are in place, the result is more than simply better-sounding gaming audio. A well-controlled room allows the soundtrack to breathe, dialogue to remain crisp and clear, effects to have greater impact and positional cues to become easier to interpret. More importantly, it lets the player hear the game as it was intended, creating a more convincing, immersive and enjoyable experience, whether playing solo or with friends. GIKACOUSTICS.NET

This buildup doesn’t just affect the bass. Excessive lowfrequency energy can mask detail across the spectrum, making dialogue less intelligible and effects less distinct. Effective bass management, starting with substantial bass trapping in corners and rear walls, reduces these decay times and prevents low-end frequencies from interfering with themselves. There’s also a practical benefit to getting the acoustics right that is easy to overlook: comfort. Gaming sessions can last hours, and a room with uncontrolled reflections, HEADLINERHUB.COM

DENVER GOES SPATIAL

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Reel immersion

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REEL IMMERSION

DENVER GOES SPATIAL Once a 1940s factory responsible for producing Hollywood’s film reels, Denver’s ReelWorks has entered a new era – with L-Acoustics DJ and an L Series spatial system transforming the 2,000-capacity venue into one of the region’s most immersive concert experiences, and making it only the second venue in the Americas to install L-Acoustics DJ as a permanent centrepiece.

Housed in the historic 1940s Goldberg Brothers Tinners factory, which produced most of Hollywood’s metal film reels during the studio system’s Golden Age, ReelWorks Denver has spent more than two decades reinventing itself. The venue already billed itself as a fully immersive experience, with 360° 3D projection-mapped walls and intelligent lighting, but it

was held back by a house sound system dating to 2007, adequate for corporate events, yet no match for the concerts its team wanted to host. To close that gap, ReelWorks brought in local integrator Brown Note Productions, and the result puts the venue at the leading edge of live electronic music: an L2D spatial loudspeaker system paired with L-Acoustics DJ, the first complete HEADLINERHUB.COM

DENVER GOES SPATIAL

Reel immersion

solution for turning ordinary stereo mixes into true, three-dimensional spatial audio, live. “We had completely outgrown what that old room could do,” recalls ReelWorks Denver director of operations Basil Osman. “It was fine for corporate events, but the moment we set our sights on hosting real concerts, we knew we needed to be operating on a completely different level.” Introduced by L-Acoustics in 2025, L-Acoustics DJ is the first complete solution to transform standard stereo DJ mixes into a true spatial audio experience, live. At its core, the company’s proprietary Source Separate technology uses lowlatency machine learning to split any stereo track into discrete stems – its beats, basslines, melodies, and vocals – and routes them straight into a spatial mix engine, so a DJ can position and move each element anywhere in the room in real time. Unlike other stem separators, it does so without disrupting a DJ’s existing gear or workflow. For Osman, it only took a single demo. “I was very curious to check out L-Acoustics DJ, and next thing I knew, I was on a flight to California to experience the system for myself,” he recalls. “When I heard it, I thought it was absolutely groundbreaking tech. All it took was one listen. The L-ISA Processor part of it was just mind-blowing, and I couldn’t say no. It was fantastic.” With the decision made, Brown Note turned to L-Acoustics Soundvision acoustic simulation software to model a system that would carry that immersive experience across the entire room. The design centres on three L2D arrays flown leftcentre-right above the main stage. The L Series’ compact format preserves sightlines, while the dedicated centre array gives DJs a discrete channel to anchor vocals HEADLINER USA

and pinpoint key elements, and L2D’s cardioid directivity keeps energy off the DJ booth so the artist hears exactly what they are playing. Low-end reinforcement comes from eight KS28 subwoofers in a cardioid configuration flanking the stage, for tight, even bass across the floor. Surround coverage then wraps the room for full immersion. Two midroom arrays of two A15i Focus over one A15i Wide flank the dance floor, complemented by two rear-room arrays of three A15i Focus over one A15i Wide, with two additional arrays of three A15i Wide handling VIP and entry side-fills. The rear balcony carries its own left and right hangs of an A15i Focus over an A15i Wide and has been pre-wired to extend the room’s surround imaging with additional L-Acoustics A Series and/ or X Series enclosures, a deliberate move to future-proof the venue as its programming grows. Up front, the DJ performance space adds its own immersive layer, with two A15 Focus over two KS21 subs per side – dubbed “Texas headphones” – and two X12 for surround foldback. Amplification and processing run on L-Acoustics LA7.16i and LA12X amplified controllers, with the L-Acoustics DJ ecosystem driven by the L-ISA Processor II core and managed across the network with LA Network Manager. “L2D was essential to this system,” enthuses Matt Bauer, senior integration project manager at Brown Note Productions. “The compact arrays preserve sightlines, the LCR arrangement drives the immersive imaging, and the cardioid behaviour keeps energy off the DJ booth so the artist can hear exactly what they are doing.” Pairing L2D’s output with the surrounds was just as deliberate. “L2D has plenty of horsepower, so the surround system has to keep up, and A15 made perfect sense,”

he adds. “It has the full-range performance and output to match L Series, and with Panflex and the install versions, we could set five degrees between enclosures to focus energy into the far throw.” “ReelWorks Denver is completely 360° projection mapped, and we have a state-of-the-art VJ rig, so while we run visuals on the walls, we can now match the audio and move it around the room, creating a fully immersive experience for every concertgoer who walks in,” explains Osman. “I believe we have the most advanced sound system in the region with L-Acoustics DJ and L2D. It’s aurally the perfect fit with what’s happening here visually, and I love this system. It’s so clear and crisp; it hits you in all the right places.” For all the science and engineering under the hood, the payoff for artists is immediacy. “With L-Acoustics DJ, we just let the customer jump right into it,” says Bauer. “It drops straight into their existing workflow, so we can hand it to a DJ, tell them to play around with it, and they are off and running. ReelWorks has already wowed roomfuls of people who had never experienced electronic music this way, and we are just now on the precipice of creating some truly magical experiences that will make lifetime memories. With L-Acoustics, we are setting the standard for electronic music and clubs, and it has been a joy making this dream come true for our customer,” he enthuses. L-ACOUSTICS.COM

THE WORLD’S BEST SOUNDING CONVERTERS

DREAM ADA-128

8 TO 128 CHANNELS OF ANALOGUE I/O FOUR CLOCK DOMAINS UNRIVALLED

NOTHING ELSE COMES CLOSE, NO MATTER WHAT YOUR APPLICATION

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PERFORMANCE FLEXIBLE MODULAR CONSTRUCTION

BACKGROUND PIC: WISSELOORD STUDIOS, NETHERLANDS | WISSELOORD ACOUSTIC DESIGN BY: JV-ACOUSTICS, AUDIO & ACOUSTIC CONSULTING, JOCHEN VEITH

ALUMBRAR SOUND SERVICES

HEADLINER USA

World Cup sound

by Alic e ds

WORLD CUP SOUND

stafso n Gu

Wo r

PRODUCTION SOUND

ALUMBRAR SOUND SERVICES From high-profile broadcasts and outdoor festivals to global touring artists, veteran audio engineer Alejandro Rivas has built Alumbrar Sound Services around one simple goal: delivering premium, highly personalised live sound wherever the job takes him. From high-stakes broadcasts to challenging outdoor conditions, Rivas reveals how his Lectrosonics wireless setup helped deliver flawless sound for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Rivas’ journey into professional audio began in childhood, helping his father install hi-fi systems in homes and cars. After graduating from an analogue-era recording school in Montreal in 1992, Rivas spent five years supervising major events and festivals in Mexico before establishing himself in Vancouver in 1998. Known for his friendly, positive, and conversational approach, Rivas caters to a diverse range of clients, from the prestigious TED Conferences to touring globally with Australian multi-instrumentalist Xavier Rudd. To handle its client list across Canada, Mexico, and internationally, Alumbrar relies on versatile, stateof-the-art Lectrosonics wireless solutions including the DSR4 FourChannel Digital Slot Receiver, SRc

Dual-Channel Slot Mount Receiver, SMDWB Dual-Battery Miniature Wideband Transmitter, and DHu Digital Handheld Transmitter, along with its recently added the Duet digital wireless monitor system consisting of the M2T Dual-Stereo Half-Rack Transmitter and M2Ra Digital Wireless Monitor Receivers. Rivas also frequently takes his custom-built Waves e-motion LV1 mixing rig to remote First Nations communities on Vancouver Island for the 2 Rivers Remix festival. “I try to make every gig friendly and fun while keeping the focus on absolute audio excellence,” he shares.

with TSN, an official Canadian broadcaster for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Operating from a custom-built, 53-by-37-foot open-air studio located at Vancouver’s Jack Poole Plaza – which showcased spectacular scenic views of the North Shore mountains, Stanley Park, and the Coal Harbour waterfront – Rivas utilised his Lectrosonics kit to capture live studio analysis broadcast across TSN, CTV, and Crave. Under challenging outdoor conditions, including a saturated RF environment expected during an event of this magnitude, the gear delivered flawless transmission for commentators and guests alike.

He recently put a Lectrosonics wireless lineup to the test during a prestigious six-week engagement

“When you are doing a live broadcast of this scale, you have to be completely on your game,” says HEADLINERHUB.COM

ALUMBRAR SOUND SERVICES

World Cup sound

“WHEN YOU ARE DOING A LIVE BROADCAST OF THIS SCALE, YOU HAVE TO BE COMPLETELY ON YOUR GAME.”

Rivas, reflecting on the high-stakes project. “I take my work very seriously, and my priority is to deliver the best possible outcome. In these scenarios, there is no room to be relaxed about your equipment. You have to make sure that everyone can be heard perfectly, loud and clear. With Lectrosonics, I knew I had a system that would perform consistently, scan cleanly, and handle the wild outdoor environment without a single hiccup.” To elevate Alumbrar’s live monitor offerings, Rivas recently invested in Lectrosonics Duet digital in-ear monitoring systems, making Alumbrar the first rental house in Western Canada to offer specialised live sound packages centred around the HEADLINER USA

Duet system. “I wanted to offer my clients something superior, unique, and offer a distinct, future-proof advantage,” Rivas explains. “The M2 Duet system sounds incredible, supports Dante, and packs four mono mixes into a single half-rack unit.” In field testing and early deployments, the Duet system has exceeded Rivas’ expectations. “The RF scanning on the M2T and M2Ra is incredibly fast, which is a massive time-saver on busy stages where you don’t have time to configure coordination software,” he notes. “The visual display is clean and intuitive. Best of all, the digital RF range is astonishing. I can walk half across the street and still maintain a beautiful,

pristine stereo image without any of the static, hissing, or dropouts you get with standard analogue IEMs.” For Rivas, partnering with Lectrosonics has been a seamless experience from start to finish. “Their customer service is outstanding,” Rivas enthuses. “When I’ve reached out for a demo, they’ve responded immediately and have been highly supportive. I look forward to bringing Duet IEM systems on the road for summer festivals and introducing touring artists to a higher standard of wireless monitoring.” LECTROSONICS.COM ALUMBRARSS.COM

BASTILLE DAY

HEADLINER USA

Keeping the broadcast classic

BROADCAST

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KEEPING THE BROADCAST CLASSIC

BASTILLE DAY This July, Paris marked Bastille Day, the anniversary of the Storming of the Bastille in 1789. As tens of thousands of spectators gathered on the Champ de Mars and millions more tuned in via television, radio and international broadcasts, Lawo once again provided the IP-based audio processing infrastructure for the 2026 Concert de Paris.

Presented at the foot of the Eiffel Tower as part of France’s National Day celebrations, the event brought together the Orchestre National de France, the Chœur and Maîtrise de Radio France, and a worldclass roster of soloists under the direction of Daniel Harding. Powered by Lawo’s mc² production consoles, A_UHD Core audio

engines, RAVENNA networking, and HOME management platform, the production delivered pristine sound for audiences on-site and across more than 70 countries. Now in its 14th edition, Concert de Paris has established itself as one of the most-watched classical music events in the world. The concert HEADLINERHUB.COM

BASTILLE DAY

Keeping the broadcast classic

was broadcast live on France 2, France Inter, and via the Eurovision and Euroradio networks. Ahead of the main event, the Maîtrise de Radio France, Radio France’s young vocal ensemble, marked its 80th anniversary with a dedicated opening set.

To meet the demanding requirements of simultaneous live-sound reinforcement, stage monitoring, and international broadcast production, Radio France deployed a fully redundant Lawo AoIP infrastructure. The system centered on three mc²56

HEADLINER USA

production consoles connected to a redundant pair of A_UHD Core audio engines via a redundant RAVENNA network. A centralised HOME cluster provided system-wide device management, connection control, security, and operational monitoring, creating a highly resilient production environment

BROADCAST

“THIS EDITION MARKED THE FIRST USE OF LAWO’S NEW DYNAMIC EQ FUNCTIONALITY AT CONCERT DE PARIS, ADDING FURTHER TONAL PRECISION TO THE LIVE SOUND WORKFLOW.”

ideally suited to a mission-critical live event of this scale. Radio France’s live sound team, led by Christophe Lukaszewski, operated the public-address system using two Lawo 48-fader mc²56 consoles at front-of-house. While Stéphane Thouvenin handled soloists and choirs, Nadège Antonini mixed the orchestra and managed PA outputs, under the guidance of Benoît Gaspard. On stage, Tahar Boukhlifa and Charles Bouticourt, coordinated by Cyprien Matheux, worked from a dual-operator mc²56 setup, providing precise monitor mixes and seamless communication with performers throughout the evening. This edition marked the first use of Lawo’s new Dynamic EQ functionality at Concert de Paris, adding further tonal precision to the

live sound workflow. For the audience, both on-site and remote, the result was a detailed, natural, and immersive listening experience that faithfully conveyed every nuance of the orchestra, choir, and soloists. For the musicians, the Lawo platform delivered ultra-lowlatency monitoring and exceptional sonic transparency, enabling confident performances in a challenging outdoor environment. For the engineering team, the IP-based architecture provided flexible routing, instant resource sharing between consoles, and comprehensive redundancy. Broadcast audio production was handled from Radio France’s OB facilities using a Lawo mc²66 MkII console. Julien Bourdais, Laurent Fracchia and Arnaud Moral created the international broadcast mix

for French radio and television, as well as for Eurovision distribution, ensuring consistent audio quality across all platforms. The 2026 program featured internationally acclaimed performers including Corinne Winters, Marina Viotti, Farrah El-Dibany, Jakub Józef Orliński, Lawrence Brownlee, Daniel Lozakovich, Gautier Capuçon, Hayato Sumino, Masaya Kamei, and Adélaïde Ferrière, accompanied by the Orchestre National de France, Chœur de Radio France, and Maîtrise de Radio France under Daniel Harding. The evening drew to a spectacular close with La Marseillaise and the Eiffel Tower fireworks display, which this year featured 1,600 drones and captivated an estimated 100,000plus spectators on-site. LAWO.COM

HEADLINERHUB.COM

REFCAM

International football debut

INTERNATIONAL FOOTBALL DEBUT

BY ALICE

STAFSON GU

WO R

REFCAM For the first time at an international football match, Riedel’s RefCam Live gave viewers a unique perspective on the action during a friendly between the German men’s national team and Ghana. Integrated into an existing broadcast setup of around 30 cameras, the camera solution was combined with Riedel’s Easy5G Private 5G network to bring additional insights directly from the referee’s point of view. Headliner explores how the technology was integrated into the broadcast and what it takes to put the referee at the centre of the action.

The goal was to effectively complement the established camera angles at the Stuttgart stadium without altering the usual production workflow. The RefCam delivered authentic footage from close range, from player-referee interactions and HEADLINER USA

controversial game situations to the teams’ warm-ups and lineups. “In an international context, the RefCam offers far more than just a new camera angle,” explains Dalton Koch, junior project manager, Riedel

Communications. “It realises its full potential precisely in those moments when closeness, dynamism, and emotion become visible. At the same time, it helps referees capture critical game situations and thus make them easier to understand by recording

BROADCAST

relevant scenes directly from the referee’s perspective.”

to ensure clear and reliable referee communication during the game.

Meanwhile, Riedel’s Easy5G system, consisting of an Easy5G Core and two base stations, was used for wireless signal transmission. The signal was transmitted to TV production via SDI. Additionally, the international referee team used RefComms with Bolero S

“Following successful deployments in various leagues and cup competitions, this international soccer match marks an important milestone for RefCam and Easy5G,” adds Jacqueline Voss, executive director of strategy and innovation at Riedel’s

managed technology division. “We are delighted with the successful implementation in close collaboration with the DFB. It illustrates how we at Riedel approach innovation: practical, production-ready, and with clear added value for viewers, production partners, and sports organisations.” RIEDEL.NET HEADLINERHUB.COM

GUIYANG OLYMPIC SPORTS CENTRE

Knockout audio

KNOCKOUT AUDIO

BY ALICE

STAFSON GU

WO R

GUIYANG OLYMPIC SPORTS CENTRE A new 80,000 sqm indoor arena has opened as part of the latest development phase of the Guiyang Olympic Sports Centre in Guizhou province, China. With seating for 12,000 spectators, the venue was designed to address a gap in the region’s high-end sporting and cultural infrastructure, while providing a stage for international-level sporting events and entertainment performances. Headliner discovers how its CODA Audio system KO’d the competition.

The grand opening of the venue saw it hosting the second AIBA World Cup Boxing event of the year, which took place across six days and featured more than 200 bouts. Where sporting venues often hire in rented audio equipment to meet the needs of HEADLINER USA

individual events, the Guiyang venue benefits from a carefully designed professional sound system installed during its construction. Responsibility for the design and installation of a premium audio system was given to experienced specialists Zhejiang

Tongbo Vision Technology Co., Ltd., who installed a CODA Audio system to meet the brief. Tongbo needed to provide a system which could fully meet the diverse audio requirements of the venue.

AUDIO IN SPORTS

The grand opening and World Cup Boxing event perfectly illustrated the challenges, with a need to meet the demand of live commentaries, background music reinforcement, and large-scale live performances. “The venue required the uniform delivery of audio to every seat with outstanding vocal clarity,” comments a spokesperson for Tongbo. “The CODA system achieves this consistent sound pressure, even in a noisy and dynamic competition environment, ensuring ultra-clear vocal broadcast without noise interference. “The arena now possesses a system which is fully adaptable to the needs of sports competitions, large-scale galas, and international performances. It features deep and pure low-frequency sound as well

as delicate mid-to-high frequency sound, delivering high-fidelity audio for all types of on-site performances and ceremonies.” Tongbo designed and installed a system based around CODA Audio point source and arrayable point source loudspeakers, specifically 48 CODA Audio APS speakers, 24 HOPS12i-Pros, supplemented by four G515s – all powered by CODA Audio LINUS DSP amplification. For the opening ceremony of the AIBA World Cup, the venue’s directorship had originally planned to bring in extra temporary sound reinforcement from other brands, but on hearing the installed CODA system on the eve of the event, recognised its superior performance and cancelled the additional equipment.

“Thanks to our meticulous installation and the premium quality of the CODA products, the new system offers the venue many practical benefits and significant cost savings,” the spokesperson adds. “The permanently integrated CODA Audio system eliminates the repeated costs and cumbersome procedures of repeated equipment transportation, setting up, and commissioning for each separate large-scale event. It enables efficient and rapid delivery of regular international events, improving the overall efficiency of event preparation.” CODAAUDIO.COM

HEADLINERHUB.COM

MEET TORBEN MÜLLER

Celestion’s business development manager

CELESTION’S BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT MANAGER

BY ALICE STAFSON GU

WO R

MEET TORBEN MÜLLER

HEADLINER USA

APPOINTMENT

Celestion has appointed Torben Müller as business development manager. Headliner learns how the industry veteran is bringing years of specialised sales and promotion experience to lead in key markets for the legendary loudspeaker brand.

growth alongside Celestion’s valued customers and partners.

In his new role, Müller’s primary focus is identifying, exploring, and developing new opportunities for

Müller joins Celestion with an extensive background in the musical instrument and professional audio

He is also responsible for serving many of Celestion’s international distributors, as well as several key OEMs across both the pro audio and guitar sides of the business.

industries. After attaining a Master’s degree in Musicology and English, he initially taught music at a grammar school before transitioning to the music technology industry. He spent more than a decade in sales and promotion at Tube Amp Doctor (TAD), a market leader for premiumquality valves for guitar amplifiers. His tenure at TAD, which also serves as Celestion’s German distributor, HEADLINERHUB.COM

MEET TORBEN MÜLLER

Celestion’s business development manager

“WITH MORE THAN 100 YEARS AS A COMPANY, I AM THRILLED TO BE WORKING FOR A BRAND WITH SUCH SIGNIFICANT HERITAGE. TO THIS DAY, THEY STILL REMAIN ON TOP OF THE GAME; HOW CAN YOU BEAT THAT?”

provided an opportunity for Müller to gain a deep understanding of Celestion’s products and customers. An active and passionate musician, Müller began studying classical piano at the age of six, taking lessons until he was 20. In 1994, he picked up the electric guitar and co-founded a group in 1996 that remains active today, recently releasing new music. This personal background as an active performer gives him a firsthand understanding of the critical importance of superior sound quality on stage. “We are absolutely delighted to welcome Torben to our global team,” says Andy Farrow, global sales director at Celestion. “His extensive product knowledge, combined with his solid relationships and commercial HEADLINER USA

experience in the MI and pro audio sectors, makes him a perfect fit for this role. His passion and expertise will be major assets as we continue to support our partners and potential customers in Europe and beyond.” “The welcome from Celestion has been incredibly warm, and everyone has been wonderfully supportive; you can truly feel the devotion and excellence of the entire staff,” enthuses Müller. “With more than 100 years as a company, I am thrilled to be working for a brand with such significant heritage. To this day, they still remain on top of the game; how can you beat that? I feel honoured to help continue their legacy.” “Beyond the heritage, there is so much impressive research, development, innovation, and engineering happening here,

involving unbelievable technology that literally sets Celestion apart from any competitor,” he furthers. “I look forward to being part of a devoted and dedicated team, meeting and working with our great partners and customers, and contributing to strengthening and growing the Celestion brand.” Müller, a German native, will live and work out of Germany and can be reached at: torben.mueller@celestion.com. CELESTION.COM

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