Jeeni Blog

Helping the next generation of talent to build a global fanbase

Greetings from Kelli Richards, Jeeni's USA MD

/ By Andie Jeenius
Greetings from Kelli Richards, Jeeni's USA MD
Kelli Richards


Greetings from Kelli Richards, Jeeni's USA Managing Director, former A&R Executive EMI Music and an artist superconnector. Mentored by Steve Jobs at Apple, she launched and managed the music and entertainment division, resulting in the birth of global music online, now known as Apple Music. Here she sends greetings for 2021 and an update on her plans and ideas for shaping a path through this, another possibly unusual year.

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Hi, Greetings! 
It's our first newsletter of 2021 and I want to wish each of you a happy and healthy 2021! 
This past year has been a tough one for everyone. I don't know about you but I'm looking forward to a fresh start, exploring new opportunities and renewing my passion for the possible. Be sure to scroll down and read my recent articles which may help you make 2021 the best year ever. Yes, it's possible. Even with the "new normal" we're living in.


It's about having the courage to ask for what you want, and the willingness to make changes and adjustments that will support the habits and behaviors that work towards your success not against it. It's about defining what success looks like for you and setting your intentions for the year. It's time to take life off of "pause" and start re-shaping your future. In my work as a trusted advisor, I'm all about working with my clients to transform the quality of their lives. If you need some guidance or support in navigating what's next, reach out and let me know.


And, be sure to read the current Client Spotlight article featuring a start-up I've been working with and super excited about, MultiView Media. This platform enables content owners in music and sports to stream historic video content or livestream shows in a multi-camera angle format and has been described as technology that lets the fan be their own director.
Stay safe and well,
~Kelli

The Magic of Asking for What You Want
Do you believe you can have virtually anything you want? I do. We all have a magic wand that can help us achieve our desires, but we forget that we do and overlook the power at our disposal to dramatically increase the odds of having what we say we most want in our lives...

Client Spotlight: MultiView Media
I'm excited to share that one of the start-ups I've been working with over the past couple of years, Multiview Media, led by founder/CEO Ray Meadham has launched our multi-camera angle streaming platform...

Nine Steps to Making Change Easier
Change doesn't have to be hard; here are some tips to make it a smoother process...

www.jeeni.com

www.kellirichards.com

07
Feb

Ace Bermuda - ‘WTF is Ace Bermuda?’ (Feat. Jada Freeman & Profiiit) Single Review

If the elusive, grand and electrifying Ace Bermuda were a TV show, ‘WTF Is Ace Bermuda’ would be their theme song. The collective’s first official release perfectly encapsulates the group’s innovative intentions and collaborative nature.  The first official emergence of Ace Bermuda has been literally years in the making and although they took their sweet time to release a track, the debut has smashed all expectations. Brand new to Jeeni, we’re so lucky to catch this group at the genesis of their refreshing and wild style of alt hip-hop/electronic fusion.  This act consists of a core partnership of Jake Thomas and Jacob Richardson, two evil-genius producers, who work overtime for the chief himself, Mr. Ace Bermuda. The semi-retired industry legend watches from a distance and nods his approval as the two do his creative bidding.  ‘WTF Is Bermuda’ is a living, breathing organism which shifts and morphs around whoever takes to the mic at any given time. Where other electronic based producers might copy and paste chunks of identical audio to flesh out a track, the Bermuda beat-makers give each bar attention, care and detail. Similarly, neither feature steals the show, but instead are balanced and work together incredibly well.   American rapper, Profiiit brings a stone-cold iciness to the middle section of the track. His second verse is accompanied by a harsh, yet distant synth that snakes alongside his un-faltering bars and propels the part even higher. East London’s Jada Freeman sing/raps her smooth, and captivating featured verse as the track begins to peak and wind down. The reverb settings and panning given to her vocalisations brings an ethereality to her voice which adorns the outro with charm and beauty.  A potential reason behind Ace Bermuda's ambiguous sense of identity is also subtly addressed here on the group's debut single, another reason why this track is important to the act's timeline and history. A repeating verse heard at the beginning of the track and throughout, criticises those who value their image above a message that they could be expressing, "Look, another self promoter, spread your face, not your voice". This ideology was infamously held by the late MF DOOM; the masked rapper was known for occasionally sending imposters in his stead at live shows to outline the unimportance of his actual identity. This is an interesting stance in the music industry, which luckily has been continued with acts like Ace Bermuda. Check out Ace Bermuda’s showcase on Jeeni: https://jeeni.com/showcase/AceBermuda/   The Ace Bermuda masterminds have a lot more up their sleeve. Follow the group on socials:  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ace.bermuda/   Twitter: https://twitter.com/ace_bermuda  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ace.bermuda.927   They also have an upcomming live show with ‘Naytiive’ at Fiddler’s Elbow, Camden on the 12th of February: https://www.ticketweb.uk/event/limited-tickets-naytiive-support-the-fiddlers-elbow-tickets/11537915?pl=hotvox&edpPlParam=%3Fpl%3Dhotvox   How can Jeeni support artists like Ace Bermuda?   JEENI is a multi-channel platform for original entertainment on demand. We’re a direct service between creatives and the global audience.   • We give creatives, independent artists and performers a showcase for their talent and services. And they keep 100% of everything they make.  • We empower our audience and reward them every step of the way.  • We promise to treat our members ethically, fairly, honestly and with respect.  • Access to artist liaison and a supportive marketing team. 

12
Oct

Jeeni crowdfunder success!

Fantastic news! Jeeni has reached its funding target and is now fully funded. Thank you to all our investors for helping fund the wonderful artists! We are delighted that so many investors share our vision. It's been a very happy, valuable experience, and our heartfelt thanks goes out to every one of our investors for making it such a success. You have been brilliant. Thanks too to Crowdcube for all their help. As for Team Jeeni, we've been working seven days a week since the start of the campaign, so tomorrow is a day of rest. First thing Monday morning our expansion and scaling up begins, on plan, on budget and on schedule. Thank you all for your enthusiasm, your sanity checks, your due diligence, your discussions, your pledges and your support in helping us make it happen! Here’s to a better future for online entertainment, Mel Croucher and Shena Mitchell, Co-Founders, Jeeni

07
Mar

Julience - ‘Love Lies Cold’ Single Review

Julience’s continues his one-man effort in keeping rock alive with this impactful hard rock ballad, ‘Love Lies Cold’.  Hailing from The Netherlands, Julience moved to Manchester to pursue his dream in music where he has been harking back to the golden age of rock ever since. This single is the multi-instrumentalist and singer-songwriter's second single and Jeeni is excited to be able to feature Julience’s fantastic throw-back tracks on our rock and guitar channels as they release. Check out Jeeni’s rock channel here, https://jeeni.com/channel/all-channels/rock/. And check out Julience’s Jeeni showcase here, https://jeeni.com/showcase/julience/?view=about.  Rock music is very robust; time and time again, it has come so close to disappearing only to revive itself and evolve to fit better into modern music climates. The difference with Julience is that he refuses to dilute the music he loves to conform to fit anything other than himself. Even in the infancy of his discography, he’s gained recognition and respect for keeping an older form of rock alive in the present day. Julience has been featured on over 30 playlists on streaming platforms with titles like ‘Punk Goes Pop’, ‘Retro Now Rock’ and ‘Rock ‘n Roll isn’t Dead’.  The only modernisation Julience grants himself is the clarity and up-to-date standard in his production and performances. Something specific that separates Julience from other modern rock groups is his truly guitar-centric compositions. It can sometimes feel as though the art of the guitar solo is slowly getting lost and becoming something of an artifact but Julience’s electric interjections teased from the very beginning eventually come to fruition as a finger-tapping, string-bending celebration of musicianship that ties the entire piece up.  Among the rock n roll hall of fame legends that Julience clearly looks up to, specific inspirations that come to mind from 'Love Lies Cold’ include Billy Idol, Guns N’ Roses and most notably, Iron Maiden. This 80s era is where rock was at its most mainstream and so Julience’s decision to honour that time is a lot of fun. It’s also so satisfying to see him fill in a market for those that weren't quite ready to say goodbye to those days.  Check out ‘Love Lies Cold’ here: https://jeeni.com/love-lies-cold-julience/.  How can Jeeni support artists like Julience?   JEENI is a multi-channel platform for original entertainment on demand. We’re a direct service between creatives and the global audience.  album review album review album review • We give creatives, independent artists and performers a showcase for their talent and services. And they keep 100% of everything they make.  • We empower our audience and reward them every step of the way.  • We promise to treat our members ethically, fairly, honestly and with respect.  • Access to artist liaison and a supportive marketing team.