The DAD Power 20: The Most Influential People in Dance Music Right Now

If you follow the EDM scene, you know that we're in interesting times. Dance music in America specifically is going through a change, with those who control the dollars looking to invest in EDM for the long haul. The seeds for this recent influx of interest have been sown over the last four years or so, but 2013 is the year that everything is coming to a head, and major power moves are being made. Behind those moves are people who hold the keys to the future of the EDM scene, and wield all kinds of influence over the recording industry, the raver community, and the investors.

Today, we look at the individuals that are in control of the dance music community, primarily in America. From the label heads and concert promoters to the radio broadcasters and A&Rs, we wanted to provide you with the people who are truly in control, and have the power to mold and shape the EDM scene in their image. They have a passion for this scene, and have the ability to create stars (and revenue streams) with whomever they choose. This is the DAD Power 20, highlighting the most influential people in dance music right now.

Position(s): CEO, OneBeat

To survive, EDM will need to start working on its visual aspect, matching perfectly with its aural excellence. EDM needs stories for those who might not be just into the beat to latch on to, and with the creation of OneBeat, Mikhail LaPushner holds the keys to telling those tales. OneBeat plans on being a place to display the multi-faceted EDM scene to the masses, and they've already made a key partnership: Microsoft has already inked a deal with OneBeat to bring their programming to XBOX Live, which means that over 40 million subscribers will already have access to their programming. The revolution will have to be televised if EDM wants to truly be monetized, and lucky OneBeat has already made that headway.

Position(s): Publicist, Rephlektor Inkorporated

EDM is as just a vibrant on the Internets as it is in the club, and for any artist to get ahead, they need the proper person in place to bring their music to the people who need it: the writers and owners of your favorite EDM blogs and websites (present company included). Justin Kleinfeld's Rephlektor is at the forefront of the industry, honing his skills to bring the latest from Tiesto, Steve Angello, Laidback Luke, Paul Oakenfold, Rusko, Alesso, LTJ Bukem, and ID&T's Sensation USA, among others. He's the silent gatekeeper who can bring you the access you need, and the horsemen that presents the information to the masses with ease.

Position(s): Founder and CEO, HARD Events

Gary Richards has been involved in the music scene since the 1990s, both as a concert promoter and A&R as well as a producer/DJ under the name Destructo. He was picked by Rick Rubin to A&R the electronic division of Def American, bringing in Lords of Acid and other electronic acts of the day, and even formed Nitrus Records and 1500 Records. It was when he left the music industry to return to his roots at concert promotion that he struck gold, forming HARD Events in 2007. By 2010, HARD was holding three major festivals, and averaging around 100,000 attending their events. In 2012, Live Nation acquired HARD, giving them another outlet to cash-in on the EDM buzz. It was a win-win, as HARD gets that official backing and the opportunity to puff out their chest and let the world know that it took five years for them to get certified. With over 35,000 attending their HARD "Day of the Dead" party in 2012 alone, we have a feeling this new partnership will put Gary and HARD in a class above the rest of the promotions in the U.S.

Position(s): Founder and CEO, SoundCloud

Do you want to know how powerful SoundCloud is? Whenever the music-sharing service is down, or makes a change, our Twitter timelines become inundated with a plethora of praise... or scorn. It's become such an involved part of our consumption of music that, as bloggers, we're astonished if a producer isn't utilizing the service. Built with a great sense of community, SoundCloud's initial aim was to share music, but it has become so much more than that, giving artists the power to reach out to their social circles with the upload of a track. Their widgets have helped revolutionize the way music is displayed on blogs, and their innovation earned them the Schroders Innovation Award at the 2011 European Tech Tour Awards Dinner. The service is as vital to an artist's online presence as Twitter and Facebook, and gives many up-and-coming EDM producers a level playing field when trying to outreach to their fanbases. Anytime someone is making money off of selling SoundCloud plays, you know you're doing something right.

Position(s): Founder and Owner, Red Light Management

Coran Capshaw brings a lot to the table; he's the founder and owner of Red Light Management, managing the careers of Dave Matthews Band, Alicia Keys, and Phish, and has a solid electronic division that oversees the movements of Steve Angello, Borgore, Photek, and Roni Size. Sounds good, right? Waves were made when Tiesto left Complete Control to join Red Light, although it made sense for him to do so. Tiesto had already been making moves outside of music, parlaying his celebrity into deals with Heineken, Acer, GUESS, and other entities. His move to Red Light was more of a statement than anything, showing that he's ready to be treated in the same breath as major artists from genres outside of the music scene. Capshaw acquiring Tiesto just put him in the big leagues when it comes to representing artists in this growing EDM age.

Position(s): Publicist, Biz 3; Founder, OWSLA

Biz 3 has a stranglehold on the music industry, and anyone who runs a website devoted to music understands that. With a diverse roster of talent that features Daft Punk, Skrillex, El-P, Fool's Gold Records, Flux Pavilion, Flosstradamus, araabMUZIK, Disclosure, and others, Biz 3 is a one-stop shop for press, management, and more. Outside of Biz 3, Blaha (along with Biz 3 owner Kathryn Frazier) run OWSLA, which is co-owned by Skrillex and Tim Smith and oversees the output of a number of talented artists. To put it mildly, Blaha not only cares for the careers of established electronic acts, but he helps nurture a number of new acts with the guidance of Skrillex. That's a double-whammy that can turn into a threat if he gets his hands on the "right" artist.

Position(s): Director of Programming, Wynn Las Vegas nightclubs

Jonathan Shecter has had one of those storybook careers that, no matter where he ends up, he's always making some kind of move. His initial work within the music industry was in 1988 as one of the founders of The Source, which carried the moniker of being "the Bible of Hip-Hop" proudly. He left The Source in 1995 to start a number of hip-hop-related ventures, including the Game Recordings imprint and the Hip Hop Honeys video series. In the 2000s, Shecter moved his focus out to Las Vegas, where he was instrumental in the nightclub scene that saw the likes of DJ AM, Mark Ronson, and others flourishing. He's currently Director of Programming for Wynn Las Vegas nightclubs, which finds him overseeing the talent that flows through XS, Surrender, Tryst, and Encore, all of which are seeing a solid list of resident DJs that include Diplo, Avicii, Knife Party, Porter Robinson, Madeon, and plenty more. Basically, he's the man making sure that the freshest talent is being pumped through these multi-million dollar establishments, at a time where a true boom in the EDM period is running through Las Vegas, one of the modern meccas of the EDM landscape. That's a serious grip of power for Shecter, but one he's running with like a real boss would.

Position(s): Founder, The Windish Agency

Tom Windish took his love for music and knowledge of the importance of an agent in the career of an artist and build The Windish Agency, which went from 50 bands in 2004 to one of the premier talent-booking agencies in the world. Boasting a serious roster of EDM acts including A-Trak, Diplo, Flosstradamus, Dillon Francis, Rusko, Kavinsky, Gent & Jawns, Joker, and many others. 2012 was Windish's most successful year in terms of revenue and tickets sold, and with EDM continuing to boom (and focus on the importance of the live show), agencies like Windish will continue to grow.

Position(s): President of Electronic Music, Live Nation

Live Nation is at heart an events promoter, but the deals they sign are next level. Instead of gobbling up a number of OK artists, they work out deals with top-tier performers like Jay Z, U2, Madonna, and Shakira, with deals working in different ways depending on the performer; some do more intense deals that may include the actual music, while others are strictly looking for the promotions aspect. Live Nation also acquired the House of Blues chain, which has premier venues in Las Vegas, West Hollywood, Chicago, Atlantic City, and many other destination locations. In an odd chain of events, it was Robert Sillerman's previous incarnation of SFX Entertainment that was purchased by Clear Channel in 2000 that got the ball rolling for Live Nation, which is the Clear Channel portion of SFX Entertainment that was spun off and formulated in 2005.

Live Nation set their dance music game in motion in 2012 by purchasing the historic Cream brand in the UK, adding its managing director James Barton to the Live Nation roster as President of electronic music. Barton says that the Live Nation-helmed "One Last Tour" from Swedish House Mafia was the biggest electronic music tour that traveled worldwide. He's also the man who oversaw the purchasing of HARD Events, and we imagine he was very instrumental in forging a partnership with Insomniac Events. Essentially, Live Nation is cornering the American market by purchasing the upper-echelon of EDM promotion companies. It lets the world know that they're serious and dedicated to creating successful dance music events by linking up with proven entities, which in turn should help create more opportunities for acts in the near future.

Position(s): producer, DJ, head of OWSLA

Skrillex is one of those polarizing artists that, hate him or love him, has an undeniable track records. You have to respect the moves he's made, especially when you consider that, to coin a phrase from Drake, Skrilly has truly started from the bottom. Not too many in the dance music scene can say they went from MySpace to sweeping the EDM Grammy categories two years in a row. Nor can they say they've collaborated with The Doors, had cameos in animated Disney films, or scored critically-lauded Hollywood films like Spring Breakers. Add all of those accolades (many of which only came to be in the last few years) to the fact that he's maintained the same crew the entire way through, to the point where many of his partners are folks behind OWSLA, his successful imprint. Some may dismiss Skrillex for the sound he became popular with, but his label has ran the gamut of EDM, with releases from Skream, David Heartbreak, Alvin Risk, Rusko, The M Machine, and many others. OWSLA is being looked at as one of the labels on the forefront of dance music, with the likes of Bromance aligning with OWSLA to help them start Bromance US, or Noisia and Foreign Beggars linking with OWSLA to help push their I Am Legion project. That's nothing to sneeze at, and for a man to wear so many hats, Skrillex is as humble as can be. True power, loads of influence, and a guy who just loves electronic music.

Position(s): Organizers, Ultra Music Festival

While the EDC has been running things in the US, it's only recently started hitting cities outside of America. The Ultra Music Festival, which celebrated its 15th anniversary earlier this year by bookending the historic Miami Music Week with two weekends full of music, has already branched out worldwide, with UMF events being held in Korea, Argentina, Brazil, South Korea, and Ibiza. It's so important that the Swedish House Mafia held their final gig at the 2013 UMF before splitting up. So smart that they formed an alliance with Ultra Music, which just makes perfect sense. So vital that, above many other EDM festivals, it is seen as the dance music event to attend every year. During a time where much of the dance music scene is already in Miami, collaborating and networking, they have the Ultra Music Festival to look towards as a beacon. It might sound spiritual, but the impact of the Ultra Music Festival, both for ravers and artists, is paramount, and has helped establish Miami as a mecca for dance music fans within the States. Russell Faibisch and Adam Russakoff are the creative geniuses behind the Festival, and wield immense power when it comes to who's there; an Ultra Music Festival gig on your resume can be as good as gold for certifying you as an artist that matters.

Position(s): DJ, radio personality (BBC Radio 1, Evolution Radio)

When it comes to dance music radio, you don't get much more important than Pete Tong. He started out in the late 1970s, but the world-renowned DJ's tenure with Radio 1 has been in place since early 1991, and has birthed a pair of vital pieces of dance music programming: "The Essential Selection," which finds Pete bringing the world the best in dance music, and "The Essential Mix," the iconic two-hour select DJ series that represents the cream of the crop in dance music. So important was Pete Tong's impact in the UK that when Evolution Radio started to embark on a terrestrial takeover of American radio, they made sure to rope in Pete Tong to present a version of the Essential Selection for American audiences to digest. EDM's flourishing in the United States, and just like Pete did for British audiences, he's making sure that he mixes the important with the up-and-coming for America.

Position(s): President, AM Only

AM Only doesn't play games. Paul Morris' agency started in 1996, and has grown to an entity that boasts a roster that acts like Carl Cox, Skrillex, Madeon, David Heartbreak, Nicky Romero, and Tommie Sunshine call home. Their plan is to build long-lasting relationships with artists, so while some agencies might try to get as much money as they can in a short time frame, AM Only's looking to place you in situations that can help nurture your career over the long-haul. That alone puts them heads above a number of entities out there.

Position(s): Founder, At Night Management; manger, Avicii

That thing where Ash Pournouri's At Night group only manages two artists: Avicii and Cazzette. Cazzette are the darlings behind the revamped 4th & B'Way imprint, while Avicii is, well, Avicii! Ash practically pushed (then molded) Avicii into one of the biggest acts in the modern EDM era, overseeing everything from his DJ gigs to the production of his music. The hard work paid off, as Ash now has inroads with Island Records, and given his success with the two acts under him, he's on the fast track to making even more artists pop.

Position(s): A&R representative, Interscope

Dave Rene is no stranger to the remix; before attaining the position of A&R representative at Interscope, he worked in the remix commissioning department, which we imagine meant he had to keep his ear to the ground and figure out which acts matter. It makes sense that in his latest position as A&R rep, he's brought in the likes of Zedd, Nero, and Sebastian Ingrosso, showcasing that he's looking for more than big names, but for true artists that can last in the industry. The deal with Zedd was unique, as they not only released the critically-acclaimed Clarity, but they have Zedd producing on Lady Gaga's forthcoming Artpop LP (as is EDM phenom Madeon). As more labels are looking for artists they can sign as producers and main attractions, Rene's job will only get harder, but his movements so far have us believing he can handle it with ease.

Position(s): DJ, producer, Founder of Mad Decent

Diplo's rolodex (or Blackberry contacts list) has to be serious. While he started out as a DJ based in Philly who dabbled in beats that became an album for Ninja Tune back in 2004, he's grown into so much more. He's established Mad Decent, and imprint that's helped curate the catalogs of producers like Dillon Francis, Baauer, and Zeds Dead. He's never stopped produced, and his crew Major Lazer has helped bring forth the sounds of dancehall and EDM to the mainstream in some off-beat ways. His production credits have also extended into the mainstream realm, with works for Usher, Justin Bieber, and Chris Brown helping further the connection between the underground and what's doing well on pop radio. Maybe that's the many years spent as a DJ that didn't have a defined genre or style, just a love for many forms of music. He's helped connect dots in exciting ways, to the point where we don't really trip if he works with Snoop Dogg on a reggae/dancehall album. He's helped push the sounds of moombahton and trap into the collective consciousness, and even has a weekly Diplo & Friends radio show on BBC Radio 1 that has helped push some of the most exciting artists that are in the dance music scene today. Promoters, agencies, and record label heads are cool, but when it comes to power and influence with the people? There aren't many that hold a candle to Diplo.

Position(s): CEO, Beatport

As CEO of Beatport, Matthew Adell has an important job, as he's part of SFX Entertainment's vision to further consolidate the idea of a one-stop shop for purchasing music, gathering news about artists, then bringing that info to making decisions about shows. Beatport has practically become the iTunes for EDM, with just as many artists gaining Beatport-exclusive releases sometimes weeks ahead of distribution among "regular" channels, and you can't imagine how many acts utilize the idea of "charting on Beatport" as part of their resumes... in bold letters. All caps. It's become the prime destination for DJs in need of high quality music for their sets, and will only continue to grow as people grow hungry for EDM music. We're not sure if they'll replace iTunes altogether for dance music, but it's damn close.

Position(s): Founder, Ultra Music

Patrick Moxey started Ultra Music in 1995, and has turned this imprint into one of the most dominant dance music labels in the world, as well as the most important dance music imprint in the United States today. Just look past the fact that acts inked to Ultra include Steve Aoki, Kaskade, Benny Benassi, Calvin Harris, Axwell, TOKiMONSTA, Wolfgang Gartner, and Congorock. Calmly walk past the fact that the official Ultra Music YouTube page has clocked over two billion views with 1.5 million subscribers. Shimmy past the Grammy Award wins and nominations that Ultra artists have raked in over the years, among many other achievements. In this day and age, with the mainstream music industry looking towards dance music as the next beacon of hope, you have to direct your attention to the fact that earlier this year, Patrick Moxey, who has become one of the most important men in dance music through Ultra Music, now holds a seat at Sony Music as president of Sony's dance/electronic music division in a deal that brought Ultra Music under the Sony umbrella... all while Moxey retained ownership. Not only is that a boss move, but it puts him in a place that can utilize Sony's reach to bring more fresh dance music talent to even more ears.

Position(s): Founder, SFX Entertainment

Robert Sillerman has been around since the late 1970s, where after almost two decades he personally netted $250 million dollars in the radio broadcasting business and rolled that into SFX Entertainment, a company that became the world's largest producer, promoter, and presenter of live entertainment. In 2000, the company was sold to Clear Channel for $4.4 billion. After spending almost a decade dabbling in other arenas, Sillerman revamped SFX Entertainment in 2012 to focus on, what else, EDM.

In the summer of 2012, Sillerman's plan of action was simple: acquire the biggest entities in dance music today and fold them under the SFX umbrella. Disco Donnie Productions and the Life in Color tour were early acquisitions, finding the company automatically placing a solid foothold in the promotion side of EDM. 2013 saw SFX align with Dutch promotion company ID&T (which puts on the Sensation parties, as well as TomorrowLand) to handle bringing more North American parties to the United States, including September's TomorrowLand spin-off, TomorrowWorld. Possibly their most noteworthy purchase for today's EDM lover would be Beatport, the premier music retailer for digital dance music releases. Word is that SFX has even more entities they're eyeing, and from what Sillerman has said over the past seven months, he plans on integrating all of these acquisitions into one experience, where you can get news on a particular side of EDM, then go ahead and purchase music or tickets to shows in the same hub. We'll see how that manifests itself, but if it works out the way he's describing? It will revolutionize the way EDM is being consumed and purchased in the future.

Position(s): CEO, Insomniac Events

The Insomniac Events CEO has one major trump card over every other entity: the Electric Daisy Carnival. We're not sure if Insomniac thought that 1997's EDC would turn into a massive event that's gone from being a staple in the Los Angeles rave scene to spawning parties in Chicago, the New York Area, London, and Las Vegas, where over 300,000 people attended in 2012. It is America's largest electronic music festival, and one of the few true "destination" events on American soil for EDM fans. 2013 showed how massive the EDC could be, especially when you consider that their debut in London found the UK crowd rocking just as hard to Tiesto as they did to their homegrown talent. With the growing success that the Electric Daisy Carnival has been achieving (as well as the other events that Insomniac puts on, including Electric Forest), their movements into expanding the dance music genre (including this year's EDMBiz conference, partnership with Live Nation, and the highly anticipated EDM awards show in 2014) are set to live up to EDM's most recent rise, and help establish dance music as a huge force within the American music scene.