Music/sound house opens Venice, Calif. office
Alanda, parent company of, Fluid, Butter, Mr. Bronx and Scout, has launched Butter Music and Sound in Venice. Mirroring its Soho, NY studio, Alanda has brought its award-winning music company to the West Coast in a fittingly laid-back and stylish Venice Beach location. The studio will be led by Butter’s West Coast executive producer Marcus Nelson, along with creative director Joel Dean and sr. producer Annick Mayer, who have both relocated from the New York office to complete the team. Nelson will also serve as acting EP for Fluid and Scout projects on the West Coast.
Recent Butter original music projects out of the Venice studio include the music-driven Samsung “Accolades” spot out of 72andSunny as well as a radio campaign for Charmin and continued work for Dunkin’ Donuts out of Hill Holiday. Upcoming work includes Honda out of RPA and another Mitsubishi campaign for 180LA. The studio also handles music supervision, licensing, and representation of indie artists such as Son Lux, Raekwon, and Kishi Bashi. Butter has been recognized by the industry through multiple recent awards, including a Cannes Gold Lion, One Show Gold Pencil, and Clio Gold for Ragu’s “Long Day of Childhood,” out of Barton F. Graf 9000.
Alanda CEO Marc Schwartz noted, “We’ve been exploring the idea of a staffing a West Coast studio for some time, and once Marcus got on board, it fell perfectly into place. LA quickly became an extension of our New York studio, with the vibe and energy that we hoped for.”
Butter managing director and NY EP Ian Jeffreys added, “On top of building a new network of friends and clients on the West Coast, we’ve been able to work more closely with our New York and Chicago clients in town for their LA productions.”
Nelson’s background spans such roles as actor, casting director and commercial director rep.
Oscar and Emmy-Winning Composer Kris Bowers Joins Barking Owl For Advertising, Branded Content
Music, audio post and sonic branding house Barking Owl has taken on exclusive representation of Oscar and Emmy-winning composer Kris Bowers for advertising and branded content.
Bowers’ recent film scores include The Wild Robot and Bob Marley: One Love, alongside acclaimed past works such as The Color Purple (2023), King Richard and Green Book. His contributions to television are equally impressive, with scores for hit series like Bridgerton, When They See Us, Dear White People, and his Daytime Emmy Award-winning score for The Snowy Day.
In addition to his work as a composer, Bowers is a visionary director. He recently took home the Academy Award for Best Documentary Short Subject for his directorial work on The Last Repair Shop. The emotionally touching short film spotlights four of the people responsible for repairing the musical instruments used by students in the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD). The Last Repair Shop reflects the positive influence that musical instruments have on the youngsters who play them, and the adults in the LAUSD free repair service who keep them working and in tune.
Barking Owl CEO Kirkland Alexander Lynch said of Bowers, “His artistry, diversity of style and depth of storytelling bring an unparalleled edge to the work we create for global brands. His presence on our roster reflects our continued commitment to pushing the boundaries of sound and music in advertising.”
Johanna Cranitch, creative director, Barking Owl, added, “Kris first caught my attention when he released his record ‘Heroes + Misfits’ where he fused together his jazz sensibility with a deeply ingrained aptitude for melody, so beautifully.... Read More