As one of the four international speakers at #MEX23, alongside award-winning composer Dr Trevor Jones, celebrated guitar maestro Stanley Jordon and group CEO and founder of Caldecott Music Group, Meng Ru Kuok, delegates are assured of a weekend of great immersive edification.
When Marot takes to the stage at GrandWest Casino & Entertainment World, Goodwood, Cape Town, he will address the old versus the new when signing musical talent.
"While running Island Records in the 1990s, a small team and I made every decision," Marot teases from his soon-to-be detailed keynote. "I didn't even let the marketing or promotion department have a say because they would always choose the easy option."
"When I signed PJ Harvey, Pulp, Nine Inch Nails or Elbow, these were decisions made upon the criteria of 'do I love the music, and do I like, trust and respect the people that made it," he continues.
"Using these criteria, we could sign unusual talent that the world wasn't expecting. It made the musical landscape a better place."
Nowadays, you can't get in the record company door unless you've got a huge social media following.
"Social media following is not an indication of talent," Marot warns. "The audience who likes the new artist can be influenced by all sorts of things, including sympathy for them socially or, more likely because they are in an affinity group with many other people who sound the same."
"And it could get worse, he concludes with a warning. "The employment of AI by the music industry to search for talent will only throw up further cases of talentless soundalikes."
"My thesis is that the industry must turn its back on social media and return to signing original and unusual music if we are to push the boundaries forward."
If this doesn't satisfy your curiosity to discover what informs Marot's many music industry hypotheses, then perhaps #MEX23 is not for you. If it does, however, get ready for rock'n'roll in every sense of the word.
Quality music, and future-focused content – delivered by some of the most influential business minds and creatives – that's what #MEX23 assures.
At just R250 for full access to all three days of #MEX23, including free entrance to Jazzathon 2023, the value and the calibre of content, and those delivering it, is unmatched.
Music Exchange 2023 (#MEX23) Conference – 22, 23 and 24 June 2023 at Roxy Hall – GrandWest Casino & Entertainment World, Goodwood, Cape Town.
Tickets are on sale now at Quicket.
For additional information, contact MEX founder and convener, Martin Myers - moc.liamg@sreymtram.
