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 🫵
#BMC26 #A&R #AnR #NinjaTune #ArmadaMusic
Very much enjoyed playing at @concorde2 for the first time.
Mostly in Brighton I’m doing 6am sets at Volks, so it was cool to roll out to a crowd like this in the city. Everyone very receptive to my chin stroker nonsense and occasional silly banger.
Big up @iyre_dnb for the unexpected videos!
Supporting @camokrooked this Saturday at Concorde2
This is the first time I’ve ever properly played this venue and I’ll be on from 11pm with a special 90 minute set..
5 days in Japan 🇯🇵
Tokyo >> Kyoto >> Osaka
A real honour to take Overview to this country, counting my blessings.
This music thing can be alright sometimes…
96 hours in Hong Kong 🇭🇰
A full throttle few days in a mad city. Truly where east meets west, and it was a beautiful thing to see.
Always appreciative of where this label takes us, but this one was special.
多謝香港
Gig dates B2B New press shots 🕺🏼
Here, there and everywhere next couple of months to play music for drunk people.
This also includes heading out to Asia for the first time ever (which is a bit mental)
Inside. The. Ride.
📸 @shotbytia
jumping on the 2016 trend, here’s me at my very first photo shoot 😅
lifestyle was just starting to take off, but i was still living at home, pot washing and hadn’t properly cut my hair yet.
mad to think everything that would happen over the next 10 years. if only 26 year old pete could see me now.
finally have enough shows to do another post.
few ones coming upppp.
sat 17 jan - bristol
fri 6 feb - manchester
fri 13 feb - shanghai
sat 14 feb - hong kong
sat 21 feb - osaka
sun 22 feb - tokyo
sat 7 march - brighton
fri 20 march - copenhagen
