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ZZK reCords
Building the future of
Contemporary Latin American
Music & Culture
OUR MISSION
We are in the business of creating and inspiring.
Creating music, films, and experiences.
Creating a platform for artists to grow, stories to be shared, and people to discover.
Creating opportunities for dreams to come true.
Inspiring those who tune in and connect with our music, stories, and ideas.
Inspiration-- along with a healthy dose of risk-taking, high aiming, goal
attaining, and non-stop hustling-- has been our fuel from the beginning.
In our first 8 years of existence, we’ve helped some very special,
talented, and relatively unknown artists obtain what every artist needs:
A platform on which to showcase their talents. We’ve gone from being
an underground party and artist collective in Buenos Aires to a premier
independent record label with a multilingual staff on three continents
and a roster of 20 artists from six different Latin American countries.
We’ve established ourselves as a vital part of the industry and culture
representing a region that has so much to say. Now, as we look into
the future we are expanding our vision to encompass not just artist
development, but also booking, touring, managing, directing, assisting,
film-making, producing, and creating.
From day one at ZZK we’ve aimed as high as possible. Ambitious much?
Naaa, life is too short to not shoot for the stars.
THE ZZK W RLD
Original record label
focused on Latin
American electronic
music and audiovisual experiences
New imprint focused
on contemporary
Latin American
bands and musical
expressions
Documentaries that
tell the story of Latin
American art, music
and culture from
behind the eye of the
camera
Zizek Club and ZZK Records “are essential to understanding Latin American electronic music
of the last decade.”
La Nación (Argentina)
“This is not formulaic. It is music created by people who creatively and successfully push and
blur the boundaries in Latin American folk and electronic music.”
Sound and Colours (UK)
“There’s really nothing like ZZK Records anywhere in the world: the avant Argentinian label
releases experimental, digital cumbias and other unique interpretations traditional Latin
genres; acts as a family, collective and nightclub in Buenos Aires; and, of course,
travels the globe.”
The Fader (USA)
«... one of the most influential Latin-based electronic labels currently in existence, ZZK
Records. Born out of the Zizek Club nights in Buenos Aires, Argentina, ZZK has been a
massive influence on the Latin electronic underground.»
Complex (USA)
QUICK FACTS
The only label of its kind in South America,
ZZK has helped a number of artists build
their music careers. The label has been
instrumental in creating worldwide
recognition for Latin American electronic
music and culture.
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Played more than 200 cities on 5 continents
Shows at Coachella, SXSW, Sonar, Mutek, Roskilde and
cutting edge festivals around the world
Signed 20 artists from 6 countries
Released 44 albums
Music featured in Breaking Bad, Sons of Anarchy, and
iPhone 6 commercial
2015-2016 results
In 2015 we put out the call for those who love cutting edge Latin American music
and culture to support ZZK Records, and our community responded in spades.
With their support, we met and exceeded our goals for 2016:
• Catapulted Nicola Cruz into the world with the release of
his debut album, Prender el Alma. Nicola now has agents
in USA, France & Germany and is criss crossing the globe
bringing his music to audiences everywhere.
• Signed three new artists on ZZK, including our first audiovisual artist, Fidel Eljuri.
• Launched a new imprint, AYA Records with the signing of
3 new bands, representing another for their booking
in Latin America.
• Put ZZK Films in 5th gear, releasing our first feature length
documentary, A Musical Journey, our first full length
episode for The Nu LatAm Sound and pre-producing
and developing 2 more full length documentaries, The
Sound of Change and Analogue Memories
This year’s goals
• On the label side, we have three distinct and exciting releases planned for this
year. We will also continue to provide support to the new artists we’ve signed,
set up their marketing and promotional campaigns, help them launch their
international careers, and steer them along a path toward long-term success.
We also aim to capitalize on this new and innovative music by securing licensing
opportunities around the world.
• On the live side, we now represent 2 of Latin America’s most exciting artists, the
Puerto Rican band ÌFÉ and the Ecuadorian audio-visual artist Fidel Eljuri. We aim
to provide a solid service to each of these artists, helping them get their music
and art to audiences far and wide. ZZK artists have a long history of performing
around the world and we plan to continue this tradition with the incorporation
of these 2 acts.
• On the ZZK Films side, we will be continuing to develop the two full length
documentary projects we have in production, develop new episodes of The Nu
LatAm Sound, and find partners for these projects, whether they be commercial,
governmental or private.
ZZK Artists on film, television and in commercials
One of the keys to growth and sustainability for an indie label in the current music industry is to secure sync
licenses for our growing library of music. ZZK has a long history of success licensing music to brands, television,
video games and movies. We plan on expanding our depth in this field and continuing to build a solid platform
for these opportunities.
Apple “Shot on iPhone 6”
Breaking Bad s05e10
Song: “Caracol” by Tremor
Song: “Quimey Neuquen” Chancha Via Circuito Remix
Notable Brand Syncs include:
Red Bull, Smirnoff, Kmart, Clarks, iRobot, Coca Cola, Apple, Nike, Arcor, UFC, ESPN, Aerolíneas Argentinas
TV and Movie Syncs include:
Sons of Anarchy, Breaking Bad, Runner Runner, VICE
ZZK ARTISTS
NICOLA CRUZ
FRIKSTAILERS
LA YEGROS
KING COYA
ANIMAL CHUKI
CHANCHA VIA CIRCUITO
TREMOR
EL REMOLON
AYA RECORDS ARTISTS
RIO MIRA
EVHA
MATEO KINGMAN
ÌFÉ
Marimba Supergroup
- What happens you
combine the best
Afro-Ecuadorian and
Colombian musicians
with prestigious superproducers.
Sonic exploration
of Ecuadorian
soundscapes.
Reworking, mutating,
remaking traditional
songs with electronic
elements.
Traditional Latin
American music with
Hip-Hop and Pop.
“Respira” is his first
release, combining
electronic and organic
elements to create a
musical oxymoron:
chaotic harmony.
A progressive and
powerful synthesis
of electronic sounds
and Afro-Caribbean
language. ÌFÉ is the
new musical project of
Otura Mun, a producer
DJ African-American
drummer based in
Puerto Rico.
www.ayarecords.net
* Booking client Latin America
ARTIST CASE STUDY 1:
NICOLA CRUZ
In October 2015 ZZK released Nicola
Cruz’s debut album, Prender El Alma.
Nicola Cruz is an artist that labels love to work with.
Extremely talented, completely focused and inherently
ready for what comes next. Mixing elements of Latin
American folklore with contemporary electronic music,
not only has Nicola spearheaded a cultural renaissance
in his home country of Ecuador, he’s taken this musical
and cultural movement faster around the world than
any previous ZZK artist. Nicola’s music resonates with
audiences and it touches the soul.
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1.5 million streams
More than 1000 vinyl units sold
Signed with booking agents in USA, France & Germany
Featured on KEXP, KCRW, FIP
Played 50+ shows in Europe, North and South America
including spots at Sonar, Ibiza, Symbiosis
Licensed tracks on Vice, HBO, multiple documentaries
Released Prender El Alma Remixed in June 2016
INTRODUCING
FIDEL ELJURI
A record label signing a visual artist? When you see Fidel Eljuri’s work,
you’ll understand why.
At ZZK we’ve always believed ourselves to be more than just a record label. We’re not just about selling
music, we’re about showing the world the beauty and talent that Latin America has to offer, and supporting
individual artists and their communities so that the entire artistic ecosystem can thrive. In this vein, ZZK has
thought outside the box and added Fidel Eljuri to our roster.
Fidel’s exploration of indigenous traditions in a modern, vanguard format is what caught our eye. A longtime
collaborator of Nicola Cruz, Fidel creates immersive experiences that explore the relationship between the
cosmology of man and the natural environment over time.
We are extremely excited to break new ground and help Fidel take his stunning art and performances around
the world.
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Fidel Eljuri is an audiovisual artist living and working in Quito, Ecuador. He creates
immersive experiences that explore the relationship between the cosmology of
man and the natural environment over time
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Fidel is also a highly regarded music selector and creator of live visuals in collaboration
with musical projects such as Nicola Cruz and Quixosis
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ZZK has signed Fidel as a management & booking client
ARTIST CASE STUDY 2:
MATEO KINGMAN
Mateo Kingman is the 1st artist on
our new imprint AYA Records and a
rising star.
Our first artist at AYA Records, Mateo Kingman is a
singer-songwriter of Ecuadorian Amazonian music that
fuses traditional Latin American sounds with hip-hop,
rock, and pop. His album, over 4 years in the making, is
poised to be a breakout debut album from this young
rising star. AYA’s focus is to break out of the electronic
music niche that ZZK is known for, and with Mateo we’ve
found the perfect artist to get AYA kicked off.
• Released debut album Respira on August 12, 2016
• 250,000 streams of first single Lluvia
• Signed with Charco for booking worldwide
(Nicola Cruz, Chancha Via Circuito, Juana Molina, etc)
• Booked at Fimpro, Hermoso Ruido and festivals
around Latin America
• Summer 2017 European & USA tour under construction
• Has received accolades from Gustavo Santaolalla
& Jorge Drexler
ZZK FILMS
Projects in Development
The Nu LatAm Sound
The Sound of Change
Analogue Memories
The story of contemporary Latin
American electronic-folkloric
music from cities around the
region.
The history of ZZK Records and its
impact on the digital cumbia and
electronic folkloric music scenes
and Latin American culture as a
whole.
In an abandoned office in Quito,
a grandson finds the master
recordings from his grandfather’s
lost record label and discovers the
history of the golden age of music
in Ecuador.
*working title
*working title
FUNDRAISING goals
We need to meet our fundraising goals in order to continue bringing amazing
music, immersive audio-visual art, and compelling documentaries to the world.
We have a lean, mean operations team,
but there are still costs that must be
covered.
There’s a whole new wave of artists
ready to burst onto the scene, and with
your support we will help them get
there.
PROJECTed COSTs
$3.000
$12.000
$2.000
Overhead
Staff
Marketing / PR
Creative (videos, websites, etc)
Misc
Films
$17.500
$8.000
$7.500
ABOUT GRANT C. DULL
A story teller for the digital age, Grant C. Dull is
the founder and head Buenos Aires based ZZK
Records, ZZK Films, and new ZZK imprint, AYA
Records. He’s been telling stories in various formats
since 2004, first with the bilingual arts and cultural
website, WhatsUpBuenosAires.Com then with
the world-renowned Latin American record label,
ZZK Records. Under Dull’s leadership and artistic
direction, ZZK Records has signed more than 20
artists, released >40 albums, played Coachella,
SXSW and more than 200 cities across 5 continents.
Grant has also been invited to speak at music
conferences in USA, Norway, Canada, Spain, Brazil,
Colombia & Argentina.
In 2015, Dull launched ZZK Films, which released its
first full-length documentary, A Musical Journey,
in January of 2016. Dull studied Interdisciplinary
Humanities with a minor in Business Development
at the University of San Diego, and lived in China,
Spain, & Brazil prior to moving to Buenos Aires
permanently in 2004. More information on Grant
can be found at www.grantcdull.com
TEAM
Grant C. Dull
Founder &
Creative Director
Alexis Rodich
Marketing & Business
Development Consultant
A storyteller for the digital
age, Grant C. Dull («El G») is the
founder and creative director
of Buenos Aires based ZZK
Records. In his 8 years at the
helm of ZZK Records, Grant
has launched the careers of
a number of genre-defining
artists including Chancha Via
Circuito, La Yegros, and most
recently the Ecuadorian Nicola
Cruz. ZZK Films & AYA Records
are his newest (ad)ventures.
Former director of Tour
Marketing at AM Only,
Founding team member at
Bandsintown. Passionate
about live music, artist
development, and music
technology.
IVIS FLIES
Co-Founder AYA Records
Caro Nino
Illustrator / Graphic Designer
Grammy Nominee, cultural
manager, songwriter, bassist,
producer and studio musician
for more than 22 years.
Consultant to the Ecuadorian
Ministry of Culture and music,
co- producer and creator of Rio
Mira, and director and producer
of Summer Arts Quito. In
2010, Flies was named «Smile
Ambassador» by the Vice
Presidency of the Republic.
Graphic artist, color junkie,
obsessed with music, traveler
by nature, Carolina was born
in Colombia and has lived in
several countries including
Spain, Guatemala, Brazil and
currently living in Argentina.
Her sources of inspiration are
nature, animals, geometry,
and the harmony found in
empty spaces. Passion for
color leads her to experiment
with the most subtle color
combinations.
Pablo Mensi
ZZK Films Director & Producer
Justine Perez
ZZK Films Consultant
Matt Mansfield
Label Manager
Emile Turbet Delof
Digital Manager
Pablo Mensi has over 10
years of experience directing
documentary films and
commercials. His most recent
film, A Musical Journey, was
screened in Mexico, Argentina,
and Chile. He graduated with
a degree in ‘Image and Sound
Design’ from the University of
Buenos Aires, and also holds
a postgraduate qualification
in Screenwriting from the
University of Barcelona.
Journalist, producer &
independent music digger.
Focused on Latin-American
sociocultural phenomena.
Foreign correspondent in
Buenos Aires for the French
press. Graduated in Political
Sciences. Contemporary dance
aficionada.
Dub engineer, producer (Piper
Street Sound), musician, and
father. Label management
and jack of all trades at ZZK
Records.
Junior Music Manager, Digital
Folklore Academic Researcher.
Currently finishing degree in
Music Industry from University
of Paris XIII.
Partners:
THANK YOU!
Questions, Feedback, Ideas
Talk to ZZK’s Director
Grant C. Dull
[email protected]