• Launch clients Include Abercrombie & Fitch, Universal Records, Atlantic Records, rising star Clare Maguire and Festival Awards’ Best Major Festival 2010, Bestival
• Uses Social Networking Prowess To Tap Into The UK’s Youth Market
• Board includes Chris Palengat, Worldwide Director, Saatchi & Saatchi Fallon Group

21-year-old youth lifestyle entrepreneur Callum Negus-Fancey has announced a new company built around brand advocacy – Youth Army.

The company offers clients an expansive social networking service to manage, grow and legitimise and expand the presence of brands and products. Launch clients include:

• Record labels Universal and Asylum
• Music stars Clare Maguire and Chase & Status
• Leading fashion retailer Abercrombie & Fitch, the National Health Service and clothing company OnePiece

Youth Army sees Callum build on the expertise perfected via running Let’s Go Crazy, his events company that promotes forward-thinking music events for fashionable 16+ audiences across the country. LGC has a guerrilla mentality and uses a potent mix of social and physical networking to message and mobilise the youth of Britain. LGC and now Youth Army engage with over half a million subscribers across social networks. In 2009, Callum teamed up with award-winning Graphite Media owner Ben Turner to help develop LGC from music events to marketing and business initiatives. The LGC and Youth Army team has since expanded further with the addition to the board of a new non-executive strategic advisor Chris Palengat, who is a Worldwide Director of the Saatchi & Saatchi Fallon Group.

The young and already successful artist manager Charlie Gavins has also joined Let’s Go Holdings full-time. He is a leading example of a new-breed of forward-thinking managers and helped launch the career of Nero, and helped set-up the US operation for Three Six Zero Group.

Ed Howard of Asylum Records commented on the company’s work, “Youth Army offers a clever and quick way of directing an act’s potential online audience towards it, generating buzz in the short term but crucially also creating long-lasting, engaged fans.”

Blasting onto the promotion scene aged just 17 without even having completed his A-Levels, young visionary Callum Negus-Fancey launched his age 16-plus club nights promising no alcohol and no parents – but an amazing time.  Held in ‘adult venues’ such as Matter, Brixton Academy and Ministry of Sound, with the latest acts – having worked with the likes of grime star Tinchy Stryder, DJs Chase & Status, Aussie DnB band Pendulum, Bestival/Radio1’s Rob da Bank and dance legends Faithless – the events struck a chord with young fans across the country.  EMI released the first Let’s Go Crazy compilation in October 2009 and LGC has hosted a tent at Bestival and Camp Bestival in 2009/10.

Having used Callum’s expertise in the promotion of his artists’ events before the launch of Youth Army, Manager of Pendulum and Chase & Status, Jho Oakley said that “Let’s Go Crazy’s online presence and understanding of how young people use social media has really helped Chase & Status to reach out to the youth market, and promote their music to a wider audience.”

Youth Army are able to offer clients a complete, fully integrated package which allows brands to legitimately access and create traction within the UK youth market via social networking, thereby optimising their use of social networks (online and physical) to increase brand loyalty and sales within the youth market.

Chris Palengat, recently inspired by his introduction to the work of Callum and his team, states: “Marketers around the world today are just beginning to grapple with the enormous challenge that connecting with Generation Y represents. Every usable brand-building model of the last 60 years is under review right now. Youth Army was created by a smaller Youth Army (Callum and his key aides) and is already proven in the space of creating brand advocacy for a wide variety of businesses. Brand advocacy will be one of the most critical ‘go forward’ models this century, and Youth Army is already delivering tangible sales results to support the theory.”

This army is certainly marching to a sweet tune.

• To Feature Chart Rundown, Interviews From Independent Label Icons, New Music And Acoustic Sessions
• First Guests Include Daniel Miller From Mute Records And A Beardyman Session And Interview

14h February 2011, London:-  BBC Radio 1 broadcaster Rob da Bank is to launch a brand new, free, monthly podcast based around the UK’s Official Independent Charts.

Content will include guest appearances from iconic independent label bosses for interviews and song picks, live acoustic performances from the latest indie acts, profiling the best interesting new music as well as a monthly round up of the Official Independent Charts (as compiled by the Official Charts Company), highlighting key new entries and interesting stats.

Confirmed for the first instalment are music producer and Mute Records founder, Daniel Miller, an exclusive performance from British beatbox extraordinaire, Beardyman. Plus a live acoustic performance by the incredible Connan Mockasin, who is signed to Erol Alkan’s label.

The podcasts will be available from www.theofficialindependentcharts.com with the first one available on Tuesday 15th February.  The podcast will be partnered exclusively by The Guardian at www.guardian.co.uk/music and supported through their twitter feed, as well as being supported by Music Week, which publishes the Official Independent Charts every week.

Video content from the performances and interviews will also appear alongside the main podcast. The show plans to go fortnightly within six months.

Rob da Bank, who also founded and runs his own independent label, Sunday Best Recordings and the Bestival family of festivals, has pioneered the project with his manager Ben Turner, who felt there was an opportunity to shine a light on this valuable content and property owned by OCC. It has been produced by Karen P and the team at Folded Wing, to bring focus back to the Official Independent Chart.  The free podcast will be a celebration of the indie sector’s vital part in the UK music industry.

Rob da Bank, said: “Looking back over the last 30 years of the Independent Chart makes me very nearly weep with how much good music I’ve lived through… and the most fantastic part is that it’s still going, we’ve all just forgotten it’s there, so I’m very proud to be drawing attention back to what I’ve always passionately believed in – independent music made by independent musicians for an independent label! Long live the Independent Chart!”

Official Charts Company Managing Director Martin Talbot commented: “More than 30 years after their launch, the Official Independent Charts remain the barometer of success for the smallest and most creative labels in the UK – and this new podcast is a fantastic way of highlighting the big new artists who feature in them every week. As a leader of independent festivals and one of Radio One’s most cutting edge DJs, Rob da Bank is the perfect face (and voice) for this.”

Alison Wenham, Chairman and Chief Executive of AIM, the trade body representing independent music companies said: “The independent chart is where you are going to find the newest, the brightest and the best musical talent. Rob’s passion for our music is much appreciated, and his championing of the independent chart is great news for the companies and artists who live and work in the independent sector”.

Julian Wall, BPI Director Independent Member Services, said: “The indie chart has always been an influential showcase for alternative and non mainstream music and the podcast is a great vehicle to carry it.”

Starting his career at weekly music paper Melody Maker, Turner soon made a name for himself launching the influential dance music magazine Muzik in 1995, aged just 21. Today Turner owns music and media company Graphite, which represents the likes of Richie Hawtin Rob da Bank and Tom Middleton and acts as a broker between the music industry and some of the world’s leading consumer brands.

In 2008 he co-founded the Ibiza International Music Summit with a number of partners including Pete Tong, an annual event that has swiftly established itself as the must attend event for the dance music community. It’s been dubbed “the Ted (conference) for electronic music”. Held in May, IMS’s three days of debates, panels, workshops and label showcases has become the de-facto launch of the Ibiza season.

A director of Rob da Bank’s Bestival and Camp Bestival festivals, one of the UK’s leading independent music festivals, in 2008 Turner co-founded and is deputy chair of the UK’sAssociation of Independent Festivals, whose members include Creamfields, Get Loaded in the Park, WOMAD, Green Man and Field Day. Turner also works closely with influential music properties such as the aspirational global clubbing institution Pacha and youth lifestyle brand Let’s Go Crazy.

Said Ben Turner “I’m honoured to receive this award for Outstanding Dedication from my peers in the electronic music industry. I’ve attended this event for many years, and run electronic awards shows myself over the years, so its an honour to be on the receiving end. It’s 20 years in 2010 since I first worked at Melody Maker, so it’s a special year for me to get this when you also consider all that is happening to electronic music culture around the world.”

Now in its 13th year The DJ Awards was created to recognise and celebrate both the world’s best DJs and those behind the scenes who have contributed to the continued success of the electronic dance music scene. This annual event is the only international DJ awards ceremony to be held in Ibiza which, during the summer months, is the dance music capital of the world.

Graphite will assist in delivering W Hotels as an iconic brand  on the edge of  the newest and  coolest music and to further its commitment to artist relationships. The first part of this deal will be an association with the Ibiza International Music Summit, the industry conference-cum-festival of which Graphite founder Ben Turner is a partner alongside Pete Tong.

The partnership kicks off with a press launch at the opening party of the new poolside Wet Deck at the fabulous W Barcelona hotel. Heralding the start of this year’s International Music Summit in Ibiza the following day, W Barcelona welcomes dance music legends Pete Tong (an IMS partner) and Tom Middleton to kick-start the party, spinning one of the first sets of the summer.

W hotels Global Music Director Michelangelo L’ Acqua, will present at IMS Ibiza 2010 (May 26-28), to a delegation of leaders in electronic music and supporting brands, under the banner: “Lifestyle hotel music direction and programming to global jetset”.

The W Hotels brand is focused on music, design, architecture, fashion and entertainment as key “passion points”. These touch points regularly come to life within spectacular W Happenings – insider events charged by the brand’s passion for creating credible and unique links to leaders within these creative fields, which take place throughout their 36 global hotels.

Ben Turner, Graphite founder and partner in IMS said: “This is a dream association for Graphite and IMS. Graphite and its clients represent the sophisticated end of electronic music, so to work with W Hotels so closely is a really inspiring scenario for me and my team. Electronic music has taken our scene to every corner of the globe, and hotels like W are an intrinsic part of our enjoyed experience. So much networking, creative thinking and socialising takes place in W Hotels, so we look forward to dreaming up unique music partnerships that complement both their hotel experience and our global industry.”

Robyn Pratt, Vice President for Design and Luxury Brands for Starwood EAMEl said: We are delighted to work with IMS and Graphite on our Wet Deck opening event at W Barcelona to launch what will be the hot spot  over the summer season and playing host to a range of legendary figures in dance music.

About Graphite
Graphite is a management and music brand partnerships company, founded and owned by music industry pioneer Ben Turner. Formed in London in 2001, Graphite is a stamp of authority and quality in the music, brand and lifestyle world. It operates globally, managing artists and brand relationships worldwide. Turner has 20 years experience in music across all media, events and brand partnerships. Graphite have managed the career of Rob da Bank from his early days as a teaboy at Muzik Magazine, a publication Turner co-founded and edited. Graphite work across all his projects, including being directors of both Bestival and Camp Bestival, and also the Sunday Best Record label. Graphite also manage Tom Middleton and represent Richie Hawtin / Plastikman. Graphite are experts in the curation and delivery of brand and music partnerships, having worked closely with Smirnoff Experience, Orange, Sony Ericsson, Sony Playstation, Budweiser, Jack Daniels, Vauxhall Corsa and many others. Graphite are also partners in leading under-age brand Let’s Go Crazy, and the International Musc Summit in Ibiza.

About W Hotels Worldwide®
W Hotels is an innovative, contemporary, design-led lifestyle brand and the hotel category buster with 36 hotels and retreats in the most vibrant cities and exotic destinations around the world. Inspiring, iconic, innovative and influential, W Hotels provides the ultimate in insider access to a world of “Wow.” Each hotel offers a unique mix of innovative design and passions around fashion, music and entertainment.  W Hotels offers a holistic lifestyle experience that is integrated into the brand’s sensibility through contemporary restaurant concepts, glamorous nightlife experiences, stylish retail concepts and signature spas.  With more than 10 years of proven success, W Hotels is on track to more than double its footprint by 2011. W Hotels and W Retreats have been announced for Downtown New York, London, Paris, St. Petersburg, Guangzhou, Shanghai, Bali, Vieques Island, Koh Samui, and Verbier, among other international destinations. For more information, visit www.whotels.com

Graphite today announced the appointment of AEG sponsorship manager Matt Glover to fill the newly created post of Brand Director.

Joining during a burgeoning period for music and brand partnerships, Matt will work to develop brand relationships across Graphite’s list of clients and properties. These range from artist management of all things Rob da Bank and commercial representation of iconic DJ and producer Richie Hawtin, through to their innovative work in the music and brand space (most recently with Orange RockCorps, Lloyds TSB, Sony Ericsson, Smirnoff Experience, Vauxhall Corsa) and development of the UK’s most aspirational and influential under-age clubbing brand, Let’s Go Crazy.

Matt brings to Graphite more than a decade’s experience working in high-profile music and marketing businesses. Since helping to launch the Ministry of Sound’s nascent digital business in the early ‘90s, he has worked at THE Distribution, the BPI (where he managed the launch of British Music Week in Germany), and most recently at AEG Europe, where he was in charge of the commercialisation of a range of AEG properties at The O2 and for managing the new British Music Experience venue from launch.

Graphite, established by Ben Turner in 2001, manages the careers of internationally renowned DJs and producers Tom Middleton and Rob da Bank and represents techno pioneer Richie Hawtin for brand and commercial development. Graphite helps run properties that include Bestival, Sunday Best, the International Music Summit in Ibiza and the UK’s hottest under-age club night Let’s Go Crazy.

Ben Turner, MD of Graphite said, “Matt’s appointment represents a huge opportunity for us to engage our company and artists with more brands, and vice versa. He’s got the experience and the contacts to take our properties into exciting new areas, and will help amplify the great work we’ve done in this space to date.”

Matt Glover commented,“I admire what Ben has done with Graphite – credible music and credible artists sit at the core of everything that the company does, but what makes its initiatives so commercially exciting is that these artists are interested in so much beyond the music itself – whether it’s Rob’s unique approach to events, Richie’s fascination with location based technology, Tom’s obsession with product design or Callum of Lets-Go-Crazy’s likeness to a young Richard Branson, they are all flexible, intelligent, positive and open to a myriad of opportunities. That provides the basis for incredibly exciting and unique deals to be done.”

www.graphitemedia.net

-ends-

ABOUT GRAPHITE

Graphite Media is a music and media company owned wholly by Ben Turner. Formed in London in 2001, Graphite Media is a stamp of authority and quality in the music, brand and lifestyle world. It operates globally, managing artists and brand relationships worldwide. Turner has 19 years’ experience in music across all media, events and brand partnerships.