Presented by EMC, AIR and Cirrus Audio, CONNECT is a free community event designed to bring together electronic music artists, DJs, labels, promoters and wider music community members from across Muloobinba/Newcastle and surrounding areas.

Held at The Lounge, Clyde St Arts on Sunday 3 May from 6pm to 9pm, CONNECT is a space for conversation, networking and shared insight, featuring a social mixer, two in-conversations and practical resources to support independent artists and labels across creation, release and revenue pathways.

The first in-conversation brings together two of Newcastle’s most successful independent label stories: Elefant Traks, rooted in hip hop activism and 26 years of community building, and International Chrome, a younger but globally resonant electronic music imprint punching well above its weight on the international stage.

Together, Tim Levinson (Elefant Traks) and Brendan Zacharias (International Chrome) offer a rare dual lens on what it means to build a label from scratch in Australia and reach the world on your own terms. The conversation will also explore what labels look for when signing artists, what artists can realistically expect when they do sign to a label, and the opportunities and challenges that come with navigating those relationships.

The second conversation sees Jane Slingo (EMC) in discussion with Maria Amato (AIR) about the realities of running an independent record label, from the triumphs to the challenges, alongside the launch of new AIR video resources available free for AIR members.

Whether you’re an emerging artist or label, an established operator or simply looking to meet others shaping electronic music in the region, CONNECT is open, accessible and free to attend.

EMC and its initiatives and programs are supported by the Australian Government through Music Australia and the NSW Government through Sound NSW. The CONNECT program is also supported by Australian Independent Record Labels Association(AIR) . Extra thanks to Clyde St Arts for hosting the CONNECT program.