Grammy-winning duo Stargate enter into creative joint venture with PULSE Music Group – Music Business Worldwide

PULSE Music Group has signed a creative joint venture with hit production and songwriting duo Stargate,

The news was announced on Wednesday (May 10) by Josh Abraham and Scott Cutler, co-CEO’s of PULSE Music Group and Ashley Calhoun, President/Head of Creative, PULSE Music Group.

Stargate, comprised by Mikkel Eriksen and Tor E. Hermanson (Tor), have produced or written for artists including Beyoncé, Mariah Carey, Rihanna, Selena Gomez, Celine Dion, Janet Jackson, Shakira, Jennifer Lopez, Sam Smith, Mary J. Blige, Ne-Yo, Katy Perry, Coldplay, Pink, Sia, Whitney Houston, Chris Brown, Nas, and others. The multi-Platinum, Grammy-winning production duo are the hit-makers behind 10 No.1 singles.

Their first No.1 was So Sick (produced and co-written by the team and recorded by Ne-Yo). They had a worldwide hit with Beyoncé’s Irreplaceable (produced and co-written by the team and topped the Billboard Hot 100 for 10 consecutive weeks).

The duo also co-wrote and co-produced the 12X Platinum hit Firework for Katy Perry (written by Perry, Stargate, Sandy Wilhelm, and Ester Dean while produced by Stargate and Sandy Vee).

Stargate have also worked extensively with Rihanna, writing and producing four consecutive Billboard Hot 100 No.1 singles.

In 2021, Eriksen and Hermansen launched the Los Angeles Academy for Artists and Music Production (LAAMP), described as “an intensive, high-level music program for songwriters, recording artists and music producers”.

Based in Santa Monica, the program mentors include the likes of Emily Warren, Ne-Yo, Benny Blanco, Justin Trantor, Cirkut, Jozzy Dopebyaccident and Diplo.

Through Stargate’s joint venture with PULSE Music Group, the companies will form LAAMP Music, led by creative executive Andy Steinway, to offer a publishing platform for select LAAMP program participants and a new generation of talent.

The first four signings to LAAMP Music are Natalię Sawicki, Kyla McMillian, Hunter Nay, and Lucas Goncalves.

“Andy, Mikkel and I are excited to partner with Scott, Josh, Ashley and the whole PULSE Music Group team to create opportunities for a whole new wave of talent.”

Tor Hermansen, Stargate

“Investing in the future has long been a winning recipe in music. LAAMP was created to help young creators take their music to the next level, which is exactly what PULSE Music Group has been doing for their songwriters for years,” said Tor Hermansen of Stargate.

“Andy, Mikkel and I are excited to partner with Scott, Josh, Ashley and the whole PULSE Music Group team to create opportunities for a whole new wave of talent.”

“It makes perfect sense to team up with Stargate to help light the torches of a whole new wave of talent.”

Josh Abraham, Scott Cutler, and Ashley Calhoun, PULSE

Josh Abraham, Scott Cutler, and Ashley Calhoun, said: “We couldn’t be happier to be in business with Stargate and to form the LAAMP Music creative joint venture. People come to work with PULSE Music Group when they want a high level of creative community to surround themselves with – exactly the same ethos and purpose of creative culture that Tor, Mikkel and Andy have with LAAMP.

“It makes perfect sense to team up with Stargate to help light the torches of a whole new wave of talent.”

In addition to the company’s joint venture with Stargate, PULSE Music Group has established creative JVs with Rick Rubin’s American Songs, Creative Nation, the music publishing and management company created by Luke and Beth Laird; and Wide Eyed Entertainment, the management and publishing company founded by Beka Tischker; long-time Ariana Grande collaborator, TBHits; and Mike Dean (producer of hits by Jay-Z, 2Pac, Beyoncé, Nas, Travis Scott, 2 Chainz, Migos, Kid Cudi, Justin Bieber, Big Sean, Snoop Dogg, John Legend, A$AP Rocky, Madonna, The Weeknd, Young Thug, Christina Aguilera, and Kendrick Lamar).

Back in 2018, Los Angeles-based investment firm Shamrock Capital, via its Entertainment IP Fund, acquired Stargate’s music publishing catalog.

According to a report from Billboard, ‘Shamrock bought the writer’s share and the co-publishing stakes of two different catalogs of Hermansen and Eriksen that are still under – and will remain under administration – by Sony/ATV Music Publishing (now Sony Music Publishing), which owns the remaining co-publishing stake in the catalog.’]

MBW’s World’s Greatest Producers series interviewed Stargate in April 2023.Music Business Worldwide