BMC27 PROGRAMME TBA
THEATRE 3
DJ / PRODUCER
HORIZON
214 Kings Rd, Brighton, Brighton BN1 1NB
Sponsored by
THURS 21st MAY 2026
10.00am: REPRESENTATION
When was the last time you signed a female produced dance record?
Consistently throughout the electronic music industry it is felt that women are not given as many opportunities as men. When it comes to female produced records how many are being signed, released and supported by DJ’s and record labels?
This year I received three female produced tracks amongst 126 male produced tracks. If the music is not being made how can labels sign and support and why is the volume difference so vast do we think?
This panel will discuss if there is a subconscious bias from A&R’s or if women are simply not producing as much as men.
This discussion will also explore how we can increase non male produced records and artists from communities and backgrounds that are under represented.
Moderator: Arielle Free
Just Her
Madame Electrifie
Sophia Wardman
11.00am VOCALS
An in-depth conversation exploring the full journey of vocal creation and release.
From recording yourself at home and developing your sound, to working with producers in professional studio environments, this panel unpacks the creative and technical process behind great vocals.
It also dives into building successful collaborations with other artists, navigating relationships with managers and agents, and understanding how to approach labels and A&Rs.
Learn about the different types of deals available, what to watch out for in contracts, and how to ensure you’re properly collecting royalties from your work.
Moderator: Leon La Rosa (Select Radio)
Abigail Bailey
Bobbie Johnson
Nikki Belle (Mousse T ‘Horny’)
PEYTON (Milk & Sugar / Revival Records)
12.00pm: ORIGINS: DISCO
Origins: DISCO is a vibrant panel celebrating the roots, evolution, and enduring cultural impact of disco music.
From its underground beginnings in marginalised communities to its global influence on dance floors and modern electronic music, this session explores the sound, style, and spirit that defined a generation.
Join us for an engaging conversation on disco’s legacy, its pioneers, and how its energy continues to shape music and culture today.
Moderator: Jules Cameron (Bad JuJu)
Kate Wildblood
Irvine Welsh
Jemma Bolt (DISCOLISCIOUS)
The Shapeshifters
1.00pm: 30 YEARS OF HOSPITAL RECORDS
Hospital Records is an independent drum & bass label based in East London. The label was founded in 1996 by Tony Colman (London Elektricity) and Chris Goss, and has since grown into one of the most prolific imprints within UK dance music.
From an unknown High Contrast handing Chris Goss his first-ever mini disc at a record shop during the early 2000s, to a bedroom producer named Netsky posting CD-R demos and becoming the label’s first artist to go platinum – the history of Hospital Records is long & storied.
Now, celebrating three decades in the game, they continue to stand tall as the world’s largest independent D&B label, carrying that stature with strength and integrity.
Artist development has always been part of its DNA – discovering and bringing through names such as Logistics, Fred V & Grafix and Camo & Krooked. More recently, the label is home to artists including the likes of Metrik, P Money & Whiney, Flava D, Hoax and Gabriella Bongo.
Moderator: Keira EOC
Chris Goss (CEO / Co-founder)
Matt Lally (Label Manager)
Solah (Artist)
Treasa Hayes (Label Marketing Coordinator)
2.00pm: PRODUCER Q&A
A deep-dive session with producers spanning the full spectrum of electronic music spanning rave, house, UKG and downtempo.
This open conversation explores creative process, sound design, and how different scenes and styles influence each other and how to bring ideas from sketch to finished track.
Hear how different producers approach drums, groove, bass, and atmosphere across genres, as well as their preferred tools, techniques, and studio setups.
A chance to dig into the creative decisions, technical processes, and subtle details that shape distinctive electronic music.
Moderator: Seamus Haji (Big Love)
AAndy Barlow (Lamb)
Danny Briottet (Renegade Soundwave)
Eddie Craig (Wideboys)
Lizzie Curious
Nickelle (Nervous Records)
3.00pm: ORBITAL KEYNOTE
Orbital are one of the most important and influential acts in dance music ever.
After breaking through in the rave era with ‘Chime’ in 1989, and wearing Anti-Poll Tax t-shirts on Top Of The Pops, they astutely signed a five album deal and went on to ably demonstrate that techno could be a serious musical artform and not just a series of throwaway DJ tools.
Their subsequent 1994 Glastonbury set is credited with turning a generation of indie kids onto the wonders of dance music.
The Hartnoll brothers Phil and Paul are now ten albums in, and have rocked more festivals with their epic live shows than you’ve had hot dinners.
Anyone who’s heard one of their illuminative cuts like ‘Halcyon (+ On + On)’, ‘Lush’, or ‘Belfast’ in the middle of a rave will testify to their amazing brilliance.
This BMC keynote is a rare chance to hear the brothers talking together about their working relationship, what makes them tick, and whether they are techno’s answer to the Gallagher brothers!
Moderator: Carl Loben (Editor, DJ Mag)
Paul Hartnoll
Phil Hartnoll
4.00pm: ARTIST DEVELOPMENT
Artist Development explores what it really takes to build a sustainable, long-term career in today’s music industry.
From crafting a clear artistic identity and growing an audience to navigating releases, branding, live performance, and industry relationships, this panel brings together experienced professionals and artists to share the realities behind developing talent in a fast-moving landscape.
Designed for emerging and established artists alike, the session offers practical insight into turning creative vision into a lasting career, focusing not just on breaking through, but on building something with longevity and purpose.
Moderator: Maria Picard (Noux)
Bizzle Osikoya (The Plug)
Grace Theokritoff (IDOL)
Justine Taylor (DnB Allstars)
Kameron Addington-Dzenyo (Duetti)
Rhys Baker (Tru Thoughts)
5.00pm: PROMOTER Q&A
Behind the Dancefloor.
An inside look at what it takes to build and sustain events in today’s electronic music landscape.
This panel explores the realities of promoting. From booking talent and curating line ups to marketing, ticketing, and creating a strong identity for your night.
Hear how promoters manage budgets, venues, and partnerships, adapt to shifting audiences, and keep events financially viable while maintaining credibility.
The session will also touch on grassroots promotion, growing a community, and the challenges and rewards of running events at every scale.
Moderator: LOLA (SIZE)
Ben Gill (Block Events)
DJ MJ (Back2House Events)
Marvin Aloys (Addicted Room / Sound Escape)
Mikee Hollywood (HW Events)
Seb Fowkes (Concorde2)
FRI 22nd MAY 2026
10.00am: SONG WRITING CAMPS
Songwriting camps: how to run one, how to get on one, how they actually work?
Everyone’s heard of writing camps. Far fewer know how to get into one or what actually happens behind the studio doors. This panel pulls the curtain back.
Bringing together experienced A&Rs, publishers, and creative leads, the session explores how camps really work: who selects the writers, how rooms are built, what briefs look like, and who owns what at the end. It also covers the unwritten rules, from collaboration etiquette and toplining to what A&Rs are really listening for.
Featuring insights from:
A mix of A&Rs, publishers, and creative executives across labels, streaming, and songwriter platforms, with hands on experience in running camps, developing talent, and turning sessions into real world releases.
You’ll learn how to get invited and invited back, navigate splits and demo politics, and turn a camp session into more than just a credit.
Moderator: Radu Munteanu (OnlyGoodPeople + Tileyard Music)
Abbie Humphries (Tileyard)
Bobby Harvey (Armada / Skint / Universal-Island)
Joshua “Satch” Satchell (SongTeller/Transpose)
Kit Rice (Kar Records / Tidal)
Molly Johnson (Believe / Sentric)
11.00am A&R – GET SIGNED
A&R: What We’re Looking For (and why your Demo got ignored!).
The most-asked question in music, answered by the people who actually decide. Five A&Rs. Five very different labels. One room.
On the panel: A&R boss at one of drum & bass’s most respected institutions, a label that’s been pushing the underground since 2002.
An A&R from Armada Music, Armin van Buuren’s empire and one of the biggest independent dance labels in the world. VP A&R at Ninja Tune, the legendary UK independent home to Bonobo, Bicep, Black Country New Road, Little Dragon and a roster that’s defined leftfield electronic music for 30+ years. The head of Overview Music, the genre-spanning home for forward-thinking DnB. Plus the man behind Big Love and until recently long time A&R at Defected.
Five A&Rs, five rosters, five wildly different filters, but they all sit on the other side of the inbox you’re trying to break into.
Expect honest answers on:
⚡ what gets opened, what gets binned, and why
⚡ the difference between ‘good’ and ‘signable”‘
⚡ how they actually find new artists in 2026 (it’s not your demo email)
⚡ what makes a label say yes… beyond the music
⚡ the red flags, the green lights, and the myths that need to die
Whether you’re sending demos, running a label, or just nosey about how the gate actually keeps!
pull up a chair this one’s for you
Moderator: Lizzie Curious
Badger (Critical Music)
Jamie Unknown (Armada Music)
Maddy Salvage (VP A&R Ninja Tune)
Peter Piper (Overview Music)
Seamus Haji (Big Love)
12.00pm: DIY: HOW TO SELF-RELEASE YOUR MUSIC
Gatekeepers? Pah! This one’s for the artists building it themselves.
No labels. No middlemen. No waiting for someone else to say yes. Self-releasing is how a generation of artists are taking back control and this panel pulls together the people doing it, and the people powering it.
Our moderator has spent two decades releasing his own music on his own terms, running his own imprint and carving his own lane in house music. He’s joined by a London producer who’s just torn up the rulebook to launch his own label and run a hugely successful kickstarter campaign to release his latest album.
Plus we have a Brighton techno and breakbeat original who’s been running labels, throwing parties and shaping his own scene since the 90s.
Backing them up: two of the sharpest minds in independent distribution.
On one side from LabelWorx (the engine behind 4,000+ electronic labels worldwide) whose own path runs deep through D&B.
On the other, a senior marketing lead from Redeye Worldwide whose CV spans label management and marketing at Rough Trade, event work with Coachella, and years running campaigns for independent artists across every genre 🎧
Distribution. Strategy. Getting heard. Getting paid. Building something that’s actually yours.
Moderator: Scott Diaz
Amy Jayne (LabelWorx)
Chris Hampshire (Recoverworld Label Group)
Jill Wheeler (Redeye Worldwide)
POoK (Red Giant Recordings)
1.00pm: UKG
We dive into the rich history and cultural impact of UK Garage, a genre that reshaped the UK’s dance music landscape.
From its roots in US house and jungle to the rise of pirate radio, MC culture, and iconic club nights, this panel explores how UKG defined a generation and influenced everything from grime to modern bass music.
Join us as we unpack the sound, style, and community behind one of the UK’s most vital musical movements.
Moderator: Eddie Craig (Wideboys)
DEED
Lisa Maffia
Matt Jam Lamont
Scott Diaz
2.00pm: 50 YEARS OF GREG WILSON
Celebrating 50 years of DJing, Greg Wilson is living bridge between the birth of UK club culture and where it is headed.
Greg Wilson is a DJ, Label Boss, Curator, and Innovator widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in the evolution of UK club culture. Emerging in the late 1970s, he became a trailblazer during the disco and electro-funk era, introducing cutting-edge sounds from the US to British audiences and becoming the first DJ to mix live on national television.
His pioneering work in Manchester’s club scene, particularly at venues like Legend and The Hacienda helped shape the foundations of modern dance music culture. After stepping back in the late ’80s, Wilson returned in the 2000s with renewed acclaim, earning respect from a new generation through his special DJ edits, productions, and storytelling sets using his signature 8 track tape machines.
Now celebrating this incredible milestone including his label Super Weird Substance making this anniversary talk an unmissable event for anyone passionate about UK dance music culture. Interviewed by Juliet Cromwell – Global Commercial Director Clash Music Group
Hosted by Juliet Cromwell (Global Commercial Director, Clash Music Group)
Greg Wilson
3.00pm: RADIO
Radio still has the power to break records, build communities and shape culture, but in a world driven by algorithms, streaming and AI-generated recommendations, what role does human curation play today?
Join moderator Ellie Talebian alongside Booker T, Coco Cole, Emily Dust, Jess Bays and Mickey Jukes for a conversation exploring how music gets discovered, championed and played on radio today.
From playlisting and pluggers to storytelling, community-building and supporting emerging artists, this panel will unpack how presenters and stations choose music, what makes an artist stand out, and why radio continues to matter in an increasingly automated landscape.
The discussion will also explore how radio exposure can translate into real-world opportunities for music creators from growing audiences and live bookings to streams, syncs and long-term careers.
Whether you’re an artist, DJ, producer, presenter or simply passionate about music discovery, this discussion offers an honest look into the realities of modern broadcasting and where radio goes next.
Moderator: Ellie Talebian (DJ / Radio Presenter)
Anna Cee
Coco Cole (Universe Language)
Emily Dust (Bandcamp Electronic Radio)
Jess Bays (Select FM)
Mickey Jukes (1BTN)
4.00pm: SELADOR KEYNOTE WITH DAVE SEAMAN
A very special keynote conversation with legendary DJ, producer, label owner, and dance music pioneer Dave Seaman, interviewed by Carl Loben of DJ Mag.
From becoming one of the defining figures of progressive house through his iconic Global Underground and Renaissance compilations, to co-founding Selador Recordings and shaping underground electronic music for a new generation, Dave Seaman’s influence spans more than three decades.
As one half of Brothers in Rhythm, he also produced and remixed for artists including David Bowie, Pet Shop Boys, Kylie Minogue, and U2.
This keynote offers a rare insight into the evolution of global dance culture through the eyes of one of its true architects — covering the rise of rave, the art of DJing, the changing music industry, and the stories behind some of electronic music’s most influential moments.
Hosted by Carl Loben
Dave Seaman
5.00pm: PODCASTS (in association with OpenDAW)
Long Play: Building Real Audiences in a Short-Form World
TikTok told us attention spans were dead. Podcasting proved otherwise. In an era of 15-second clips and algorithmic feeds, a growing movement of artists, labels and music media is betting big on long-form – and winning.
As music culture fragments across platforms chasing the next scroll, intimate, unfiltered conversation has quietly become one of the most powerful tools for building the kind of trust, community and longevity that no viral moment can replicate.
Featuring Anja Schneider’s perspective from the heart of Berlin’s electronic music scene, the House Culture media insight of Matt Rouse, and the content craft of Christabel Heasman-Cossins and Chris Bailey (The Boy In The Corner) – moderated by broadcaster, producer and OpenDAW founder Lex Luca – this panel gets into the craft, strategy and real talk behind making content that actually matters.
Moderator: Lex Luca (OpenDAW)
Anja Schneider
Christabel Heasman-Cossins
Chris Bailey (The Boy in the Corner)
Matt Rouse (House Culture)
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