RICHIE HAWTIN TO RECEIVE OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTION TO MUSIC AWARD

21 August 2014 - Press release

RICHIE HAWTIN TO RECEIVE OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTION TO MUSIC AWARD
Sponsored by eMusic 

2014 AIM INDEPENDENT MUSIC AWARDS 
THE BREWERY, CLERKENWELL – 2^nd SEPTEMBER 2014
www.musicindie.com/awards

 Sponsored by eMusic, AIM’s Outstanding Contribution to Music award celebrates one of the independent sector’s finest artists; someone with an incredible body of work who continues to shape their genre and be a source of inspiration to new artists. As a DJ, producer, record label owner and above all else, revered pioneer of electronic music, Richie Hawtin will be the worthy recipient of this years award, presented at the AIM Independent Music Awards on 2nd September.

The mogul behind acclaimed techno imprints Plus 8 and Minus, Richie Hawtin will forever be associated with placing the Detroit techno scene firmly on the global map.

Nick DeCosemo - editor of dance music bible MixMag - praised a leading light of the scene, "It's amazing that Richie has been making music, spinning records or running labels since the late 80s. He still remains way ahead of the field today. Much more than just a DJ or producer, he is a true futurist to whom spotting or starting trends in music, art or technology is second nature."

A deeply artistic approach to repetitive beat craft, Hawtin evolved from his Plastikman persona, delivering ruthlessly minimal albums of dark, skeletal beauty. Exploding from 1993‘s psychotropic ‘Sheet One’ he infested dark, legendary Detroit warehouse parties with his sound before spawning festival live sets at Glastonbury and Tribal Gathering now credited with the invention of stadium ready techno.

From Ibiza residencies to multimedia installations, his relentless drive to innovate raised it’s head again this year with new Plastikman album ‘Ex’, his first since 2003’s ‘Closer.’ Seven new tracks recorded live at New York’s Guggenheim museum, the record dropped on Mute Records.

Mute Records founder Daniel Miller commented, "As an artist, DJ, curator and label owner, Richie has never failed to be an innovator with the clearest vision and a remarkable ability to realise his ideas with spectacular results."

Richie will receive the award alongside Pioneer Award winner Martin Mills, Hyperdub founder Steve Goodman winner of the Innovator Award and other award recipients at The Brewery in Clerkenwell on September 2. The health of the current independent music scene is writ large with a total of 37 artists in the running for 8 artist awards. London Grammar lead the way with an impressive 4 nominations including ‘Best Live Act’ and ‘Independent Breakthrough of The Year’ while Arctic Monkeys, Bonobo, Dan Le Sac VS Scroobius Pip, FKA Twigs, Future Islands and tUnE-yArDs all receive 2 nods.

The awards are voted for by an expert panel of judges from across the media and music industry, with representatives from; Radio 1 and 1Xtra, 6Music, the NME, The Quietus, Drowned In Sound, Music Week, The Independent, Radio 2, XFM, Kerrang!, Metal Hammer, VICE and Mixmag. 

 

The judging panel for the AIM Awards 2014 is:

Mike Walsh (XFM)

Sean Adams (DrownedInSound)

Tom Robinson (BBC 6music)

Ben Patashnik (Journalist)

Luke Turner (The Quietus)

Pete Paphides (Journalist)

Ralph Moore (Mixmag)

Ryan Newman (BBC 1Xtra)

Elisa Bray (The Independent)

John Kennedy (XFM)

Tim Ingham (Music Week)

DJ Target (1Xtra)

Danielle Perry (XFM)

Dan Stubbs (NME)

Janice Long (BBC R2)

Huw Stephens (BBC R1)

Steve Lamacq (BBC 6Music)

Jen Walker (Kerrang!)

Alexander Milas (Metal Hammer)

Joe Muggs (Journalist)

Alice Levine (BBC R1)

Mistajam (BBC 1Xtra)

Lauren Martin (journalist, Vice, The Guardian)

Alex Baker (Kerrang! Radio)

 

Categories for the 2014 Awards:

Best Live Act - in association with Songkick

Independent Breakthrough of the Year - In association with 7digital

Hardest Working Band or Artist - in association with Jack Daniel’s

Best Small Label – in association with Disc Manufacturing Services

Special Catalogue Release of the Year – in association with Amazon Music

Golden Welly Award for Best Independent Festival – in association with DIY Magazine

Independent Video of the Year – in association with Vevo

Indie Champion Award – in association with C.I

Best 'Difficult' Second Album – in association with XFM

Independent Track of the Year – in association with Spotify

PPL Award for Most Played New Act

Independent Album of the Year – in association with MixRadio

Independent Label of the Year – in association with Believe Digital

Innovator Award – in association with The Orchard

Pioneer Award

Outstanding Contribution to Music – in association with eMusic