Red Bull Music Academy
Encyclopedia
The Red Bull Music Academy (RBMA) is an annual international music event where up and coming producers, singers, arrangers, DJs and musicians get the opportunity to learn from top industry professionals.
Initiated in 1998 in Berlin
and taking place in a different city every year since then, the Academy works as follows: applicants must prepare a demo CD of their work, be it original productions, songs, DJ sets and whatnot, along with completing an application questionnaire, and mail it to central RBMA offices in Cologne
, Germany. From there, each application is taken in consideration, with no quota on country or musical genre. From these applications, 60 are selected and broken down into two groups of 30, which are then flown in to the location of the respective year's event for two fortnightly “terms” each.
For two weeks, the participants get to work in up to twelve studios specially set up for every edition of the RBMA, and equipped with the latest gear for music production and performance. Furthermore, they are tutored by the Academy’s "Studio Team", all experienced music producers in various fields, and take part in lectures executed by guest speakers which range from composers, sound engineers and technological pioneers, to rappers, to industry executives.
The RBMA also publishes a yearly double-CD compilation of music produced at the respective last edition entitled 'Various Assets – Not For Sale'. Since 2004, those compilations have featured original music from more than 300 artists, including Flying Lotus
, Lusine
, Theo Parrish
, Aloe Blacc
, Mark Pritchard
, XXXchange
, Om’Mas Keith of Sa-Ra
, Tony Allen
, Mr Hudson, Dennis Coffey
, Hudson Mohawke
, DJ Zinc
, Wally Badarou
, Benga, Phonte
, Jake One
, Steve Spacek of Spacek
, and Natalia Lafourcade
.
During its application phase, the RBMA hosts local workshop session in about 50 countries every year. These events resemble the actual Academy in consisting of couch conversations, hands-on production workshops, studio sessions, art exhibitions, and night time activities such as concerts and club events, but are usually open to the general public and have a strong focus on local topics as well as an international perspective.
The next edition is set to take place in Madrid
in fall 2011. Initially the location was set to be Tokyo
, but after the earthquake and tsunami hits in early 2011, the move was inevitable.
, Movement: Detroit's Electronic Music Festival
, Melt!
, St Jerome's Laneway Festival
, Notting Hill Carnival
, Oxegen
, Meltdown, Monegros Desert Festival and the Winter Music Conference
.
In 2005, the RBMA launched the Internet radio
station Red Bull Music Academy Radio that broadcasts interviews, live recordings and DJ mixes from more than 50 countries, via a 24/7 live stream and on-demand
. Red Bull Music Academy Radio is syndicated to terrestrial radio stations in over 30 countries.
|- style="background:#efefef;"
!| Year !! No. !! Host city
|-
| 1998 || 1 ||
Berlin
, Germany
|- style="background:#efefef;"
|1999 || 2 || Berlin
, Germany
|-
|| 2000 || 3 ||
Dublin, Ireland
|- style="background:#efefef;"
|2001 || 4 || London
, UK/
New York
, USA
|-
|2002 || 5 ||
São Paulo
, Brazil
|- style="background:#efefef;"
|| 2003 || 6 ||
Cape Town
, South Africa
|-
|2004 || 7 ||
Rome
, Italy
|- style="background:#efefef;"
|2005 || 8 || Seattle, USA
|-
|| 2006 || 9 ||
Melbourne
, Australia
|- style="background:#efefef;"
|2007 || 10 ||
Toronto
, Canada
|-
|2008 || 11 ||
Barcelona
, Spain
|- style="background:#efefef;"
|| 2009 || 12 || Berlin
, Germany
|- style="background:#efefef;"
|| 2010 || 13 || London
, UK
|- style="background:#efefef;"
|| 2011 || 14 || Madrid
, Spain
|}
approached Yadastar about implementing some method of fostering discourse about underground dance culture.
History
Contrary to popular belief, the RBMA is not a 'DJ event’, despite having originated as such. It has since expanded to accommodate all genres and aspects of the musical spectrum.Initiated in 1998 in Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
and taking place in a different city every year since then, the Academy works as follows: applicants must prepare a demo CD of their work, be it original productions, songs, DJ sets and whatnot, along with completing an application questionnaire, and mail it to central RBMA offices in Cologne
Cologne
Cologne is Germany's fourth-largest city , and is the largest city both in the Germany Federal State of North Rhine-Westphalia and within the Rhine-Ruhr Metropolitan Area, one of the major European metropolitan areas with more than ten million inhabitants.Cologne is located on both sides of the...
, Germany. From there, each application is taken in consideration, with no quota on country or musical genre. From these applications, 60 are selected and broken down into two groups of 30, which are then flown in to the location of the respective year's event for two fortnightly “terms” each.
For two weeks, the participants get to work in up to twelve studios specially set up for every edition of the RBMA, and equipped with the latest gear for music production and performance. Furthermore, they are tutored by the Academy’s "Studio Team", all experienced music producers in various fields, and take part in lectures executed by guest speakers which range from composers, sound engineers and technological pioneers, to rappers, to industry executives.
The RBMA also publishes a yearly double-CD compilation of music produced at the respective last edition entitled 'Various Assets – Not For Sale'. Since 2004, those compilations have featured original music from more than 300 artists, including Flying Lotus
Flying Lotus
Flying Lotus, is an experimental multi-genre music producer from Winnetka, California. His debut album, 1983, was released on Plug Research Records in 2006...
, Lusine
Lusine
Lusine is Texan Jeff McIlwain, an ambient/IDM musician. Originally a Texas native, Jeff now resides in Seattle. In 1998, he attended California Institute of the Arts to study 20th century electronic music and sound design for music and film...
, Theo Parrish
Theo Parrish
Theo Parrish is a techno/house musician based in Detroit, Michigan. He was born in Washington, DC. He grew up in Chicago, Illinois listening to jazz musicians like Miles Davis, Nina Simone, and George Gershwin. He graduated from the Chicago Academy of the Arts and went to study at the Kansas City...
, Aloe Blacc
Aloe Blacc
Aloe Blacc is an American soul singer, rapper, and musician.-Early career and Shine Through :...
, Mark Pritchard
Mark Pritchard (music producer)
Mark Pritchard is an electronic music producer and DJ from Sydney, Australia. Born in Yeovil, United Kingdom, he has released music on the labels Warp Records, Hyperdub, Dedicated and Sonar Kollektiv amongst others...
, XXXchange
Xxxchange
Alex Brady Epton, better known as XXXChange, is a Brooklyn-based musician, record producer, remixer and DJ. He is mostly known for his work with the musical group Spank Rock, whose debut album YoYoYoYoYo he produced.-2006:*Spank Rock - "YoYoYoYoYo"...
, Om’Mas Keith of Sa-Ra
Sa-Ra
Sa-Ra is a hip-hop group based in Los Angeles, California, also known by its full name, The Sa-Ra Creative Partners. The group is composed of Om'Mas Keith, Taz Arnold, and Shafiq Husayn...
, Tony Allen
Tony Allen (musician)
Tony Oladipo Allen is aNigerian drummer, composer, and songwriter who currently lives and works in Paris. He is currently writing his autobiography "Tony Allen: Master Drummer of Afrobeat" with author/musician Michael E...
, Mr Hudson, Dennis Coffey
Dennis Coffey
Dennis Coffey is an American guitarist. He was a studio musician for many soul and R&B recordings.-Biography:Coffey learned to play guitar at the age of thirteen, in the Michigan Upper Peninsula town of Copper City...
, Hudson Mohawke
Hudson Mohawke
Hudson Mohawke, also known as Hudson Mo or HudMo, is an electronic music producer/DJ from Glasgow, Scotland, affiliated with the LuckyMe collective. He is signed to Warp Records and released his debut album on Warp, called Butter in October 2009...
, DJ Zinc
DJ Zinc
Benjamin Pettit, better known by his stage name DJ Zinc, is a drum and bass / breakstep DJ from the United Kingdom. Zinc is well known for 1995's "Super Sharp Shooter", a hip hop / jungle fusion.-Biography:...
, Wally Badarou
Wally Badarou
Wally Badarou is a musician from Benin.-Biography:A synthesiser specialist, Badarou was the longtime associate of the British band Level 42, known for its blend of funk, pop, soul and rock...
, Benga, Phonte
Phonte
Phonte Coleman, better known as Phonte, is a Grammy nominated American rapper, formerly of the now defunct North Carolina trio Little Brother and one-half of the duo The Foreign Exchange. He has also recorded R&B-flavored output as a singer...
, Jake One
Jake One
Jacob Dutton, better known as Jake One, is an American hip hop record producer from Seattle, Washington.-Biography:Dutton grew up in Capitol Hill and moved to the North End of Seattle when he was 15. He started making music on a Casio keyboard in 1992. He attended the University of Washington and...
, Steve Spacek of Spacek
Spacek
Špaček is a common Czech surname:* Jaroslav Špaček, hockey player* Sissy Spacek, American actress- Spatzek : , Austrian actres , Austrian actorSpacek may also refer to:...
, and Natalia Lafourcade
Natalia Lafourcade
Natalia Lafourcade is a Mexican pop-rock singer and songwriter. Her band's name is Natalia y La Forquetina.-Biography:...
.
During its application phase, the RBMA hosts local workshop session in about 50 countries every year. These events resemble the actual Academy in consisting of couch conversations, hands-on production workshops, studio sessions, art exhibitions, and night time activities such as concerts and club events, but are usually open to the general public and have a strong focus on local topics as well as an international perspective.
The next edition is set to take place in Madrid
Madrid
Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan...
in fall 2011. Initially the location was set to be Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
, but after the earthquake and tsunami hits in early 2011, the move was inevitable.
Further Activities
Also, the RBMA hosts stages and workshops at some of the most prominent music festivals, such as SónarSónar
Sónar is an annual three-day music festival held in Barcelona, Spain. It is described officially as a festival of Advanced Music and Multimedia Art. Music is by far the main aspect of the festival....
, Movement: Detroit's Electronic Music Festival
Detroit Electronic Music Festival
The Detroit Electronic Music Festival , and its successors comprise an annual series of electronic dance music showcases held in Detroit each Memorial Day weekend since 2000...
, Melt!
Melt! festival
The Melt! Festival is a music festival in Germany. The music that is played is described by the organizers as Electronic meets Rock.-Location:Since 1999 the festival is held in Ferropolis, Gräfenhainichen Germany....
, St Jerome's Laneway Festival
St Jerome's Laneway Festival
Known simply as the Laneway or St. Jerome's Festival, the music festival began in Caledonian Lane in Melbourne in 2004. Emerging as an indie music event, the Laneway Festival has grown rapidly in popularity, receiving favourable reviews in music press....
, Notting Hill Carnival
Notting Hill Carnival
The Notting Hill Carnival is an annual event which since 1964 has taken place on the streets of Notting Hill, Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea , London, UK each August, over two days...
, Oxegen
Oxegen
Oxegen is an annual music festival in Ireland held since 2004, sponsored by Heineken. As of 2007, 2008, 2009, the festival has been cited as Ireland's biggest music festival. And by 2009, the festival is cited as the greenest festival, being a 100% carbon neutral event in Ireland. It was previously...
, Meltdown, Monegros Desert Festival and the Winter Music Conference
Winter Music Conference
The Winter Music Conference is a weeklong electronic music conference, held every March since the mid-1980s in Miami, Florida, United States. Venues are hosted primarily in Downtown Miami and Miami's South Beach...
.
In 2005, the RBMA launched the Internet radio
Internet radio
Internet radio is an audio service transmitted via the Internet...
station Red Bull Music Academy Radio that broadcasts interviews, live recordings and DJ mixes from more than 50 countries, via a 24/7 live stream and on-demand
Video on demand
Video on Demand or Audio and Video On Demand are systems which allow users to select and watch/listen to video or audio content on demand...
. Red Bull Music Academy Radio is syndicated to terrestrial radio stations in over 30 countries.
Red Bull Music Academy host cities
{| class="wikitable"{| class="wikitable"|- style="background:#efefef;"
!| Year !! No. !! Host city
|-
| 1998 || 1 ||
BerlinBerlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
|- style="background:#efefef;"
|1999 || 2 ||
BerlinBerlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
|-
|| 2000 || 3 ||
Dublin, IrelandRepublic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
|- style="background:#efefef;"
|2001 || 4 || London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, UK/
New YorkNew York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, USA
|-
|2002 || 5 ||
São PauloSão Paulo
São Paulo is the largest city in Brazil, the largest city in the southern hemisphere and South America, and the world's seventh largest city by population. The metropolis is anchor to the São Paulo metropolitan area, ranked as the second-most populous metropolitan area in the Americas and among...
, Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
|- style="background:#efefef;"
|| 2003 || 6 ||
Cape TownCape Town
Cape Town is the second-most populous city in South Africa, and the provincial capital and primate city of the Western Cape. As the seat of the National Parliament, it is also the legislative capital of the country. It forms part of the City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality...
, South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
|-
|2004 || 7 ||
RomeRome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
|- style="background:#efefef;"
|2005 || 8 ||
Seattle, USA|-
|| 2006 || 9 ||
MelbourneMelbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
|- style="background:#efefef;"
|2007 || 10 ||
TorontoToronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
|-
|2008 || 11 ||
BarcelonaBarcelona
Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain after Madrid, and the capital of Catalonia, with a population of 1,621,537 within its administrative limits on a land area of...
, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
|- style="background:#efefef;"
|| 2009 || 12 ||
BerlinBerlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
|- style="background:#efefef;"
|| 2010 || 13 || London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, UK
|- style="background:#efefef;"
|| 2011 || 14 ||
MadridMadrid
Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan...
, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
|}
Corporate Structure
The RBMA was co-founded by Many Ameri, Christopher Romberg and Torsten Schmidt, who run a consultancy company called Yadastar. In 1997, energy boosting beverage manufacturer Red BullRed Bull
Red Bull is an energy drink sold by the Austrian Red Bull GmbH, created in 1987 by the Austrian entrepreneur Dietrich Mateschitz. In terms of market share, Red Bull is the most popular energy drink in the world, with 3 billion cans sold each year. Dietrich Mateschitz was inspired by an already...
approached Yadastar about implementing some method of fostering discourse about underground dance culture.