EDM: The End of Dance Music? 4/8/2013 5:26 AM

By: John D. Langdon Chairman, Massive Enterprises, LLC DJ SlingR, Kalm Kaoz

Contributors: Jennifer C. Lai, CEO, Massive Enterprises, LLC

Nathan L. Filby Creative Director, Massive Enterprises, LLC DJ Filby, Kalm Kaoz

We the people…

Who love ...

Change is coming. The only guarantee in business today is disruptive, technology-driven upheaval, and change is now upon us -- lovers of dance music -- and those who profit. A marked moment occurred two weeks ago. The wind has been at the electronic dance music (EDM) industry's back since inception. The sun-drenched, joy-filled, never-ending days of euphoric bliss… continually dancing, one day… to the next… with money… real money… rolling in. If, perchance, this has caused a mental malaise and a comfortably numb state, wake from your dream and listen clearly. Mr. Robert Sillerman's, a New York City private equity investor, entrance into the EDM scene foretells many things: who will win, who will lose, and is an illustration of how very smart people make money, while teetering on the precipice of chaos - - technology driven, constantly morphing, chaos.

And to the dear house music fan: fear not, for our love is pure, our hearts big, and our wallets dictate the answers.

When, in the course of events and festivals, does it become necessary for electronic music fans to declare a history of repeated injuries to the American public and question powerful individuals’ motivations and their potential impact on something so dear, and dearly loved by so many? Is it important for EDM fans to challenge the powerful, and likely suffer slings and arrows of misfortune, but thereby oppose these forces and potentially save EDM as we know it?

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Or are the recent major headlines, introduction of new players, and big deals in EDM simply the nature of things? Merely the market acting efficiently, rationalizing excesses, creating a healthier market that is in the offing -- regardless of any individual's actions? In other words, if we are to strike out against misfortune, against whom do we strike? Who is the enemy in this battle? Or rather, is the enemy elusive, indeterminate, and a function of macroeconomic certainty with no individual or institution to blame or fight? Perhaps the answer now is simply to understand, and upon understanding, act. Based upon prognostications proved true time and time again, is the lesson simply to first understand, and then prepare for market disruption, technology driven upheaval, and the classic maturation of robust markets?

As I fly home to LA from after attending Miami Music Week ("MMW," formerly known as "WMC," a congregation of EDM professionals formed to create awareness and build relationships) and (the number one global music festival event held in Miami, FL) and metabolize my experiences from the previous week, I'm left contemplating the current state of affairs of the electronic music scene and am compelled to write, speak, and rally.

While on the plane preparing to draft a thesis on the state of the industry, a soft-spoken young man introduces himself to me after overhearing a dialogue between me and my partners. He introduces himself as an electronic music producer who just finished a new album. “Will you listen to my tracks?” he asks. We find out later that he is a freshman at Stanford studying computer science. I think to myself, “this kid is brilliant,” and probably a production mastermind with deep understanding of DAWs – digital audio workstations such as Ableton Live -- computer interfaces upon which one can create studio quality music while sitting in a dorm room, drinking a beer, wearing no more than pajamas. Is the existence of this bright young man -- who considers himself first and foremost a musician, rather than the brilliant Stanford scientist that he is -- a fundamental data point? This may indeed be the most important statistical data point gathered from my trip to Miami, dwarfing anything learned or experienced at Miami Music Week or Ultra Music Festival.

My unadulterated love of electronic dance music -- coupled with 20 years of experience on Wall Street as a private equity investor at firms ranging from Platinum Equity to Kohlberg & Co. as well as serving on the boards of companies such as Rauch Industries, ThermoView, Vitality Foodservice, Siemens Laserworks, Arborcraft, H.L. Lyons Companies, and International Wholesale Tile -- provides me with a unique perspective to ask questions, to add to the current dialogue, and express queries and concerns regarding the potential perversion of the EDM music scene. I've executed over $1 billion in transactions, buying businesses from cruise ship companies, to steel manufacturers, and Florida-based amusement parks as a "private equity"

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("PE") investor -- a fancy term for buying private companies with 20% to 40% down in equity, borrowing the rest from a bank. Previously known as leveraged buyouts ("LBOs") before the term became publicly derided, the finance industry changed the term to “private equity” for PR purposes after the debacles experienced with LBOs in the early 90s.

For 20 years, I'd review and consider 1,000 companies for purchase each year, spanning virtually every industry in an effort to acquire just one to three these deals per annum. This background provides me with a broad and analytical approach to the understanding of businesses and the nature and evolution of markets. I retired from PE 3 years ago, unhappy and disillusioned by the hunt. I retreated to my first love, music. Via the internet, YouTube, and various online DJ and production schools like Dubspot and Sonic Academy, I taught myself to DJ and produce, out of love, and out of the need to do something that was healthy and fulfilling. Besides, everybody is a DJ nowadays, right? You should see my 82 year-old mother, she’s super dope!

Three months ago, my dear friends Jennifer Lai and Nathan Filby, the COO of TapouT Films and DJ Motoe Haus, an accomplished music producer with 15 years in the game, respectively, assured me I'd accomplished much in my learning and that we should form a team and a business to enter the EDM market. At the time, to some it seemed absurd and an act of madness, but “what the heck,” I thought. Why not hope for a spell that a retired investor, film executive, and an accomplished musician could become artists and make music together, while building businesses in an industry for which we have nothing but pure love. Thus, we formed Massive Enterprises, LLC, and several subsidiary companies, including Massive Decks (a record label), Massive Merchandising (an EDM-related merchandising business, sourcing headphones and other innovative industry-specific products we think are cool directly via proprietary relationships with manufacturers), Massive Advisors (an advisory firm positioned to provide business advice and counsel to the industry), and Massive Festival Management (a management company principally engaging as an intermediary, acting on behalf of both American Indians and the entertainment industry as a whole, representing sovereign Native American nations in their efforts to bring forth quality festival and entertainment events). Finally, as the Blues Brothers said, "we put the band back together," and formed an electronic dance music group and brand known as Kalm Kaoz. Specifically, Kalm Kaoz is an electro-driven DJ and producer duo that represents liberation and a constant effort to bring magical, epic EDM moments to people that, like us, need those moments of peace and joy as refuge from the real world. Silly perhaps, but done with pure intention.

The combination of my business experience, talented partners, and a never-ending drive to deeply understand the EDM space -- from music production to festivals, and macroeconomics of the industry -- arms me with a rare and unique perspective, and possibly a vantage point, that

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can provide insights, music, and hopefully provide a living for me and my gang of misfits. We went to MMW/Ultra with a few business-related opportunities with seasoned professionals in the space, candidly hoping they'd perhaps hear our music. It seemed a better strategy than throwing fliers all over South Beach and adding to the litter on the street, increasing the white noise. Instead, we listened, learned, and absorbed the wild business gyrations occurring in the EDM market first hand. And so, again, I feel compelled to write and hope these musings of mine are of some worth to a market that we adore.

Here is my effort to shine a light on the current state of play in the industry and the nature of circumstances surrounding profound moments in EDM history -- from Swedish House Mafia's "final tour," to 's major record deal signing, and Mr. Robert Sillerman's entry into the electronic music scene through his company SFX’s recent acquisitions (Beatport, Sensation White, and Tomorrowland) -- and to facilitate a dialogue concerning the fate of our beloved electronic dance music.

Whether most fans realize it or not, a major shift has begun in EDM. Given my background and recent experiences, it seems worthy a time for an open, honest, and direct dialogue. The intent is to understand what the second generation of the EDM market will look like and the consequent impact on artists, fans, festivals, labels and the genre as a whole. These high-water marks strongly suggest the market has topped. So what's next?

In 2008, the U.S. and global economies went into a tail spin, caused by cheap money and the well documented excesses of Wall Street and corporate abuse. As history teaches: in times of great despair and fear, people seek places to commune, be together, support each other, and find brief moments of peace… to get away from the heartaches of the real world, the real challenges. While the global economy sank and verged on the second Great Depression, average attendance at five of the top global EDM-related festivals increased 92% between 2008 and 2012, from an approximate average attendance of 106,000 to approximately 204,000. Additionally, average general admission ticket prices to these festivals increased from $100 to $300 over the same period, or an astounding 300%. These figures are striking, particularly in light of the global recession. The demographics of EDM festival attendees are 18 to 45 in age, educated, employed, possessing meaningful disposable income. Electronic dance music is a powerful juggernaut with an estimated $5 billion market size.

We went to the festivals to escape without guilt and celebrate life through music, finding shelter from disheartening stories of defaulted mortgages and the consequences of rampant unemployment. Now, in 2013, after the economic chaos caused largely by Wall Street, Wall Street has found our hiding place.

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The September 8, 2012 issue of Billboard Magazine heralds Robert Sillerman's proposed EDM- related acquisitions as the number one most important event in EDM history. Not the music, producers or festival companies, but rather a private equity professional from Wall Street with a long history of consolidating entertainment assets, only to flip them years later. On the cover, Mr. Sillerman stands, his tall lean frame pronounced, arm stretched out, holding a disco-ball-like globe in his large hand, like Michael Jordan and a basketball; the imagery is powerful and overt. I wonder how this cover image made EDM fans feel?

Since its inception, the advent of technology and the internet -- as experienced by many industries -- created an upheaval in music production, distribution, and marketing. Electronic dance music producers were shunned by NYC and LA and had no voice in radio or in typical music chain retail outlets, such as Tower Records. Additionally, technology facilitated DJ'ing, or the mixing of various tracks together to produce effectively one song, mixing music for hours on end as an orchestra leader mixes strings, horns and drums. The love of music and the art of DJ'ing and mixing -- coupled with the advent of new software and technology -- enabled these maverick producers to create music at home, rather than in a traditional music studio, for a fraction of the historic cost. The barriers to entry from a production perspective became de minimous and helped lay the foundation for EDM producers and DJ's to create, regardless of whether the major music labels cared or not.

Producer/DJ's, through ingenuity, creativity, and isolation, began leveraging the power of the internet to market and distribute their own music. They utilized networks of DJs around the globe to play or "spin" each other’s tracks. Meanwhile, record labels in NYC and LA completely missed the trend and, as is well documented, misunderstood the disruptive power of technology and the internet on the traditional music business model. I assure you, however, that they are very smart, have vast resources, and have been calculating their inevitable entrance into the scene for years.

Segregated from the pitfalls of institutionalized music distribution and label oversight, the producer/DJ formed an independent, underground culture. Music festivals, often held in far off locations or in warehouses, became the central distribution point for these artists and their music. Meanwhile, the NYC and LA labels continued to push out formulaic music productions and fabricated artists, ignoring the genesis of what is now the $5 billion EDM industry. Historically, the grass-roots global EDM culture was a tight-knit, self-contained ecosystem. For example, it is my understanding that in its 15 year history, no artist has ever been signed to major label at MMW/WMC.

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The traditional record labels were clearly aware of the rapid growth of the EDM market, but apparently assumed it was a fleeting fad since they did little to engage the EDM market over the years. Suddenly, in 2012, the growth of EDM and its apparent robust profitability -- coupled with its penetration into the average American household through events such as Deadmau5's appearance at the Grammys in both 2012 and 2013 -- became “mainstream” and caught the inevitable attention of Wall Street and major record labels.

Vital to the evolution of any market today is technology's disruptive power. In the case of EDM, advances in DJ software have caused the commoditization of the live performance DJ in recent years, not the producer. Whether the DJ was talented or not, the new software made mixing simpler, much like a Pandora algorithm. The era of the valued DJ is now history, and clubs often no longer pay DJs. The DJ is now a commodity. The great producers of EDM who consistently create amazing tracks, however, remain of great value and have been able to command enourmous fees for appearing at festivals and DJing both their tracks and those of others.

On March 22nd, 2013, Afrojack, aka Nick Van de Wall, a DJ and successful EDM record producer with hits ranging from Take Over Control to Prutataaa, signed the largest major-label record deal in EDM history, grabbing a reported multi-million deal. In February of 2013, Mr. Robert Sillerman announced the acquisition of Beatport, an iTunes-like online retail music portal that caters specifically to DJ/producers. Previously, in January, Mr. Sillerman announced the acquisition of the North American division for the largest festival company operating in Europe. Finally, he purchased major shares in multiple Miami night clubs and stated that he intends to deploy $1 billion in equity capital in the EDM space as a first shot across the bow in his plan to consolidate artists, producers, festivals, and distribution channels under principally one large, well financed entity known as SFX (see informative article on Mr. Sillerman's history at www.huffingtonpost.com).

Although many publications and artists, such as Deadmau5 and Ritchie Hawtin have openly objected to Mr. Sillerman's entrance into the EDM market, stating, "It’s a double-edged sword, its taking the life out of it," Mr. Sillerman’s entrance into the market seems to be accepted as a normal course process in the economic evolution and maturation of electronic dance music. It is easy to understand -- and perhaps accept -- both the entrance of institutionalized capital into nascent markets, as well as the entrance of such capital into mature, highly profitable markets. Internet startups, venture capital, and buyouts have made these notions acceptable to us. However, these concepts fail to recognize that EDM has existed as a stand-alone market for over 15 years, with expanding balance sheets and large shareholder value. In other words, the independent artists in the space have become wealthy, with a fairly robust distribution of wealth among many successful artists, both large and small. Successful acts, such as globally ranked

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number one Armin Van Buren (reported net worth of $40 million) and electronic music forerunner Tiesto (reported net worth of $65 million) have been underwriting new acts and promoting them for years, effectively becoming record labels unto themselves. They have created a purely self-contained economic ecosystem. Additionally, this has caused a highly fragmented market, with many participants creating value. Simply put, the industry has become self-funding and there has been no need for institutionalized outside capital to fund the industry and its growth. This is highly unusual, particularly in light of the inherently dreadful working capital model of US festivals, combined with the tremendous equity capital required to support an industry that grew 92% from 2008-2012. Electronic dance music is truly an economic anomaly.

The EDM market is principally composed of producer/DJ's, promoters, and festival production companies executing grand scale business models. Like in many successful start-up industries experiencing rapid and consistent growth and cash flow, electronic dance music industry leaders do not have business training equivalent to their counterparts in more mature industries. As is often the case, the market is white hot and has been for some time. Rapid growth and excess cash flow often mask poor business practices, which are typically exposed when the industry experiences change. Additionally, producer/DJs have become famous and brands unto themselves, like Joel Zimmerman (a.k.a. Deadmau5). These artists have steadily increased their pay scales, along with the financial burden on festival operators as well as other areas of the market. Artists are not commodities and they've extracted significant net worth from the festival operators, particularly in the U.S..

The European EDM festival business is more mature, professional, and culturally accepted by the local and state governments, as well as their constituencies. EDM as a genre has had a strong presence in Europe well before its U.S. ascension in 2010. Additionally, due to the concentration of countries and major cities in Europe, European festival operators are generally able to change festival locations every six months. They are likely bidding state and local governments, as well as local service providers, against each other. The state and local governments, as well as service providers, bid lower prices to secure the robust economic impact that these festivals bring to their economies.

The U.S. market, however, is principally defined by single, annual events in established “destination” locations, such as Ultra in Miami, FL and Electric Daisy Carnival (EDC) in Las Vegas, NV. Thus, U.S. companies are not able to extract value, much less incentives, from the local governments and service providers and the U.S. EDM market, as opposed to Europe’s, is "new." The U.S. market grew rapidly and gained the attention of the general public, which is typically weary of the new genre's culture due to unfortunate association with partying and drug

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use. As opposed to the more mature European market and its acceptance as a genre, U.S. cities are likely extracting value from festival operators, forcing them to leave and find alternative venues due to mounting costs. Additionally, the political environment for these festivals is tenuous, likely increasing the overall cost of festival operations due to expanding insurance premiums and other difficulties of doing business, including governmental policies and regulatory compliance standards.

Although festival operators are working assiduously to create new destination-based events, the U.S. market is typically viewed on an annual basis, stressing festival operator balance sheets by requiring them to front-end load the costs of a particular event a year in advance, then waiting 363 days for the pay day: a working capital nightmare. Fortunately, the U.S. festival operators have been executing thus far in a rapidly expanding market and consistently selling out shows. In a mature or declining market, this annual bet gets dicey. U.S. festival operators have not yet experienced a pronounced downturn or disruption to their insular economic ecosystem. Finally, due to the rogue nature of the U.S. EDM industry and its lack of acceptance by the general U.S. public to date, it is likely difficult for U.S festival operators to have access to capital or traditional bank financing, and are likely asset poor… in addition to the economic challenges caused by the “annual big bet” financial model. It is safe to assume that throwing festivals is a tough game in America, and likely only to get tougher.

Just ask Pasquale Rotella, founder and CEO of Insomniac Events, the other heavy-hitter in the U.S. festival business. Principally operating on the west coast, Mr. Rotella has been working tirelessly to expand his empire to other destinations, for example EDC Orlando in Florida. To date, he has changed the location of two of his already established annual festivals. He moved -- at considerable risk and cost -- the highly successful EDC festival traditionally held in Los Angeles to Las Vegas after a death of a 15 year-old at EDC in 2010. In March of this year, Mr. Rotella felt compelled to move his Beyond Wonderland festival, traditionally held at NOS Events Center, to an Indian reservation with only two weeks’ notice to the attendees -- even with an expected attendance of 45,000 -- due to difficulties with the local government and community. Can you imagine the cost and logistical nightmare of moving a festival of this size to a sovereign land, with only weeks to decide and implement? He's a very smart man… it must have been well worth it.

On March 22nd, 2013, from 3pm to 6pm, Mr. Sillerman held a private event at the Delano Hotel in South Beach Miami. In attendance were Afrojack and the Beatport team, sitting side by side with the Island Records executives, while producer/DJ Calvin Harris spun to a small, highly influential crowd. There are very few pictures of the event. Afrojack, in a supposed impromptu move, jumped on the decks and spun for Mr. Sillerman and his private party, while

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simultaneously tweeting about Ultra. This party, of course, was held during the week of MMW and Ultra. I wonder what toasts were made?

The question is begged: is Mr. Sillerman good or bad for electronic dance music? A salient argument can be made that, at least in the short term, Mr. Sillerman's entrance into the EDM scene and festival market is a good thing. Mr. Sillerman is clearly a highly trained professional whose success building, consolidating, and rationalizing businesses is well documented and resulted in access to even more capital based upon these successes. He will undoubtedly bring a more professional paradigm to the market, and those that don't shape up will be left behind. His entrance has validated the industry in the U.S. and provided a basis for traditional market dynamics and acceptance. Additionally, Mr. Sillerman shrewdly purchased the two most prominent European festival franchises, providing a more resilient festival model upon which to leverage his access to the U.S. market. The presence of private equity will also bring stability and best practices to the EDM market, reducing risk in the space overall. Finally, through his control of these events, Beatport, and other potential acquisitions, he will rationalize the pay system to the talent and it is my guess that producer/DJs will no longer dictate price in the market for artist services.

Power in the hands of the few is rarely a positive in the long run, however, and the unique and peculiar nature of the EDM market with its inherent oligopolies in the U.S. and Europe have enabled Mr. Sillerman to gain control of the market with only a few shots across the bow. As old-school famous European producer/DJ Ritchie Hawtin and the Wall Street Journal stated on June 7, 2012, "Hawtin lashed out during the EDM biz conference in Las Vegas on June 7, 2012, calling for an end to the mainstreaming of the electronic music scene with the statement, “If you treat this genre like a flash in the pan, it will become one. You have to go into this thinking the music will be around forever.'" Is this Mr. Sillerman's intent? While maverick producer/DJ Deadmau5 stated at the 2013 South by Southwest ("SXSW") festival, "EDM now stands for Event Driven Marketing." It is clear: Mr. Sillerman's intent is to make money, and making money is his fiduciary responsibility to his investors. This is his mandate. His arrival, whether good or bad, will fundamentally change the economics and business model of the industry, and in the short term, will change the EDM market in ways that may be uncomfortable to those that love the music. Mr. Sillerman arrives with one intention: to make money.

It seems, therefore, that the operative question is this: how does he intend to make money in the space and what drivers in his financial model are, frankly, demanding to be rationalized? He is a wise man and I assure you his intent is not driven by continued top-line growth in attendance, as evidence suggests that the market is topping. So, why would he purchase businesses in a likely declining market? We have arrived at the fundamental question, and the answer will drive the

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changes in the market, whether Mr. Sillerman executes these changes or the changes come from within the industry. What does the "next phase" of electronic dance music look like? I believe it is actually quite simple and, ironically, these changes are principally caused by the industry itself along with its leading participants, whether they acknowledge it or not. The producer/DJs have been gorging themselves on the backs of festival operators, club owners, and the fans by commanding huge fees. Sadly, this is a fact and, no matter how I've tried to find another answer, intellectual integrity is fundamental to me.

Tiesto, Deadmau5 and Calvin Harris are being paid $425,000 per show at the new Hakkasan Nightclub at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, per Nytehybe.com. In other words, for a two to three hour set, they are compensated approximately $140,000 per hour. As reported by Forbes in its August 2012 issue, Tiesto and Skrillex earn $250,000 and $100,000 per show. Many producer/DJs are reinvesting heavily in the business via new talent and their live productions. Deadmau5 has stated that he only nets $25,000 to $50,000 per show, allocating much of his fees to creating epic live productions, but this still feels outsized relative to historic entertainment barometers. The producer/DJs are economic animals just like Mr. Sillerman.

While the U.S. festivals are already struggling with cash flow challenges, regulatory concerns, and public backlash, the producer/DJs are demanding astronomical fees to play. My best guess is that the large U.S. festivals are struggling financially, even though shows are sold out. Mr. Rotella is a survivor and worth watching, as he works to stabilize his business as the likely number two in the space. He's already proven himself to be highly adaptable and innovative. It seems, however, that industry participants are turning against Ultra, with artists like Deadmau5, stating in the January 2013 issue of Vibe Magazine, "Ultra's weird. I mean every time I say something about fucking Ultra, that fucking dude calls us up, fucking bitches us out - 'Argh, I'm going to sue you.' Whatever I say man. I'm tired of talking about Ultra, even if I had something good to say - Ultra is the same thing every fucking year. And so is Lollapalooza. I haven't really noticed a change, and if they have changed then maybe I have my head too far up my own ass. When is it going to be played out?" Well, change is the only guarantee we have.

It is important to note, however, that Deadmau5 still appeared at Ultra 2013, despite these sentiments. Stating via Twitter on December 21, 2012, "well, I caved in… There was just too many of you guys asking me to play at ultra this year, so im doin it for you guys! :)”. Later that same day, he further stated, "I guess if you want something to change… you gotta change it yourself. Day 1 of the Ultra show production prep starts today." Joel, what did you change? To the rational, reasonable mind, does this feel right? Doesn't it often feel -- fans -- like there's something we don't get… about how this all works? We always hear, and often personally say, "it's about the music," right?

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The second phase of the EDM market's development, ignited by Mr. Sillerman's entrance, will be defined by the commoditization of the producer. Technology's power to upend every industry in a continual and compounding way, will drive the prices that producer/DJs can demand at festivals and clubs to near zero. This will likely happen within Mr. Sillerman's investment horizon, which is typically 5 to 7 years in the private equity industry. The most sophisticated producer/DJs are aware of this sea-change and are thus grabbing every nickel they can before the paradigm shift.

Stop for a moment and think about technology and the world's youth. Much like the 20-year-old computer science student from Stanford I met on the plane, there are 12-year-old kids around the globe who have downloaded Ableton Live for free on torrent sites --underwear-clad in their bedrooms -- and are making music, beautiful music, while mom is downstairs making dinner. Historically, as I know from personal experience, aspiring kids would buy guitars and dream of being rockstars. It takes years to fundamentally learn an instrument well enough before one is facile enough to truly play the damn thing. Now think: instead, the elasticity and malleability of the young brain is spending this time learning music software and commanding virtual orchestras -- as well as anything else that he maverick grey matter can dream up. Any sound, any song, any noise... anything the mind can think, it will create. Say, plus or minus, there are seven billion people on the planet. Now allow me to make an assumption: assume five million of these seven billion will master DAWs at 12 years old. Five million children will grow into 20-year-old musical powerhouses.

The winners, therefore, will be those with the capital to brand and market these talents, and not the artist. The current and peculiar EDM business model will revert back to the music industry’s historic economic model in which large corporate entities dictate terms to the talent. The line item in Mr. Sillerman's financial model that principally drives his return is a reduction in the cost of talent. He owns the distribution channel and has the capital. As the great Warren Buffett and Charlie Munger say, “the greatest investors are marked by two principal character traits: extreme patience coupled with extreme decisiveness.” With one shot across the bow, Mr. Sillerman and Island Records, et. al., have finally struck and won the day.

Again, we've learned to never underestimate the power of technology. The internet can topple governments, thus it can surely topple new entrants into a market. But the most beautiful thing of all is that we can finally dream of finding the next Mozart. Mozart 2.0 Cometh. His mom is making him dinner right now somewhere on the globe. Will the Mozart(s) of the world be paid and make money? Fist in the air, I say yes. Of course. Talent, beauty and the imaginative mind of the child will perpetually stand alone at times and refuse the powers that be. They will refuse

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to sell through corporate channels, refuse to play at their festivals. The fans of these genius mavericks, no matter how many artists the “big guys” manufacture in their plants, will still pay to see Mozart 2.0 perform The Magic Flute.

It is up to us how this goes, in the end. We are the customers. We are the fans. It is our attention they seek, at great costs, and it is our belief in the music that resonates through time.

Fist in the air, long live house music. Fist in the air, I love house music.

By: Contributors:

John D. Langdon Jennifer C. Lai, Chairman, Massive Enterprises, LLC CEO, Massive Enterprises, LLC DJ SlingR, Kalm Kaoz Nathan L. Filby Creative Director, Massive Enterprises, LLC DJ Filby, Kalm Kaoz

Press/Media Inquiries: Anneli Werner President, The Jake Group 3214 O Street, NW Washington, DC 20007 t. 202.333.2850 f. 202.333.2851 [email protected]

www.massive-enterprises.com

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