The record label manager profession with Yann from Thrills & Beats Records

The music industry is full of careers that are as exciting as they are sometimes unknown. That's why we decided to launch a series of interviews to shine a light on the jobs and professionals who work in the music industry.

To kick off this series, we chose to shine a light on the role of label manager through the journey of Yann Dulché, founder of the label Thrills & Beats Records. 

Hey Yann. Thanks for taking the time to answer a few questions for our blog! You founded the label Thrills & Beats in London in 2011. Originally, it was a very personal project to release your own music. At what point did you want to evolve your label into one that was open to other artists? 

I did indeed set up my label for myself: I wanted to release my own work, and since I didn't know anyone in the industry, I figured it out on my own as a self-taught person… Just a few months after releasing my 1st EP "Together", I fell in love with an artist, R3SET (a genius of synthwave), whose tracks were only available on YouTube. Since I had just set everything up for myself, I offered to release his EP "Runaway" on platforms through my structure. Then other artists came to me…

How do you choose the groups and artists you work with? What absolutely needs to be there for you to want to invest in a project? 

I operate purely on gut feeling. I'm drawn to singular projects that don't sound like anything else, but whose common thread is often a cinematic dimension — passionate creators who immerse you in their world. Authenticity is the key.

I can also tell you what is not a factor: commercial success potential. If I fall in love with something, I need to help the project come to life. I don't ask myself whether "it's going to work." Money and fame are not the motivation (otherwise I would have quit a long time ago!) It's passion that drives me.

The label's name reflects two facets of your music: piano and electronic. How does this "Thrills" / "Beats" duality still shape the identity of the label today?

I'm a pianist / composer at heart, who became a DJ / electronic music producer. My entire repertoire and that of the label spans from acoustic (piano, strings, narrative music) to electronic (house, club...), and everything in between (ambient, trip-hop, breakbeat, deep house, French touch…) These 2 worlds — "Thrills" (representing the acoustic) and "Beats" (representing the electronic) — and their infinite intersections are what spark my interest and that of the label.

In 2017, Thrills & Beats left London to settle near Paris. What did this change of country alter in your way of working and in the development of the label? 

My reasons for leaving London for Paris were first and foremost personal, but I also have to acknowledge that the majority of my activity was in France, even with my label based in the UK! I think my repertoire resonates more with French audiences (that famous "French touch"?) and led to the majority of bookings & opportunities being in France. "Coming back home" (after 7 years in London) seemed like a logical next step, and it clearly boosted the label's activity. People complain a lot in France, but our structures are amazing: I'm a member of SACEM, ADAMI, SCPP, and FELIN — these various organizations arrange meetings, support projects through grants… It's great in France, and especially in Paris, where everything is right at your fingertips!

Concretely, as a label manager, what are your responsibilities? 

Producing records — whether they're mine or by other artists, or compilations — the idea is to contribute to the great music industry by adding authentic projects that deserve to be discovered. This involves discovering the artist, guiding them through the production of an EP / album (what tools / artistic direction for the creative process, helping find collaborators, vocalists, musicians, songwriters, all the way through to mastering and creating visuals…), the artist's communication: art direction for their universe / consistency with their music / social media presence, all the administrative side: SACEM, SCPP and contracts (publishing agreements, licensing deals, remix contracts...) It's very broad!

Looking back, what is your fondest memory since founding the label? On the flip side, what has been the most significant challenge you had to face, and how did you manage to overcome it? 

Reading a press article that supports a project, or seeing a DJ play a track from the label, brings an incredibly valuable form of validation for us who create this music. 

For my part, there are a ton of great memories: one of my tracks selected for the famous Café Del Mar compilation, an article in DJ Mag, or even a LIVE set on the Eiffel Tower… Artists I admire who agreed to collaborate, such as Télépopmusik, DJ Cam, Anoraak, Fred Falke, Superfunk, Baltra… 

Difficulties are also inevitable along the way: legendary collaborations that were almost a done deal only to fall through, collaborators who no longer want to work together, events cancelled at the last minute. You also have to balance "musician life" with "personal life" — not always easy when you have a family. 

I'm not sure I have one major difficulty, except perhaps disappointment, which can come back regularly from always hoping for more — but you have to push through it, learn to appreciate what you've already accomplished, and draw energy from what drives you in order to keep moving forward.

What are, in your opinion, the essential qualities needed to run a label? 

It sounds obvious, but being nice to everyone, all the time, seems like a good start. One example: a guy I was friendly with in London 15 years ago booked me in Saudi Arabia for my biggest gig ever 10 years later. Being nice is good for your karma :) 

Otherwise, being organized, knowing how to separate "artist" time from "entrepreneur" time (for me, it's literally 2 different desks). Keep backups of everything: all the Logic projects from the earliest tracks — they might break through 10 years later, justifying a new mix… Be demanding! Pay for good mastering, a good artwork, so that it always sounds great and always looks beautiful in 50 years. Be curious — there are plenty of great things that happen unexpectedly, whether in music or through the people you meet… And of course, be passionate! Because when you're neither rich nor famous, that's what keeps you going lol.

What advice would you give to someone who dreams of opening their own independent label today? 

Listen only to yourself and don't let anyone discourage you. If you have a vision, do everything to bring it to life. Mistakes become experience that makes you stronger. You only regret the things you don't do. 

To wrap up this interview, we'll let you tell us about the next big news from Thrills & Beats! 

My biggest project to date is my new personal album: LA DULCHÉ VITA. Almost 2 years of work, polished production, great collabs, a better-prepared release than ever. Come listen or discover it LIVE here: https://linktr.ee/YannDulche

And otherwise, it's probably time I put together a label compilation to celebrate 15 years of existence! That will likely be the next project :) 

THANK YOU DISTROLUTION!