Face to Face with... Massive Music

Massive Music has been the instigator of great parties and huge hangovers for many years in Cannes at their legendary Wednesday night party. However, though they're extremelly good at throwing a cracking knees-up, they also have a pretty decent grasp of great music and its marriage to fantastic visuals. With the opening of Massive Music London the Massive team are looking to further that grasp and tap into a burgeoning London music scene. Here managing director, Paul Reynolds (above left), and creative director, Nico Steiger (above right), discuss the opening of the new office in Shoreditch.

Why did you think now was a good time to open a London office?

Hans Brouwer (MassiveMusic founder and CEO) hadn't met the right people with the Massive DNA until he met us.  Once he had the people there was no question that it would be the right time to open.  The MassiveMusic Amsterdam office had been working on many high profile campaigns from London for a number of year so it makes total sense to have local talent.

And why did you choose East London as the base for the office?

East London has a really vibrant music and creative scene with hugely diverse gigs, shows and pop-up events.  We wanted to be located close to our talent who tend to be in or around East London.  We've got a beautiful space right on Curtain Road.  The vibrant atmosphere here is really inspiring.

What will Massive Music add to the London music scene?

We bring a global music perspective.  With talent based all around the World in local production offices, we are able to offer almost limitless options to every aspect of our clients' musical requirements.  We search, write and produce music for picture by working with scouts, acts and our huge pool of exclusive composers and sound designers.  We develop communication strategies that revolve around music and we help brands to discover their musical DNA.

Do the different Massive offices work independently of each other?

We are a hugely collaborative unit.  Massive offices share talent, ideas and inspiration with each other.  Although we are based all around the world we are all great friends.  The Massive network welcomed the London office with open arms and has been hugely supportive in our endeavours.

Do you think that, on occasion, the music for a commercial can be an overlooked element of a production?

Sure, it can be, and sometimes is easily overlooked.  This is such a shame as music can play a vital role in achieving a more emotional and profound connection between brands and their audiences.  We like to get involved in the creative process as early as possible, to develop a strategy that will help achieve the best possible outcome - an awesome piece of music.

Do the individual offices, first and foremost, try to look for new and exciting music from their respective cities?

We all look for the most exciting local talent and try to match them with the right project, whilst simultaneously promoting them to our Global offices.  Just the other day I was looking for Hollywood blockbuster film composers, when an email popped through from our LA office with... three Hollywood blockbuster film composers!  Music and musical inspiration can come from anywhere.  From Massive staff, our friends in bands, from top record labels big and small, from the web, or from the amazing jukebox in the pub down the road.

The Massive Music party in Cannes is legendary; will the opening party for the London office be a smaller but equally messy affair?

Massive love to throw a party and this one will go down in Massive history as we've teamed up with some great talents to present some of the biggest and dirtiest sounds this side of the Atlantic.