Elefant Traks, Australian Hip-Hop Label Formed out of ‘Activism,’ to Close In 2024
Elefant Traks, the award-winning independent Australian label and artist management company, is calling time.
Established by Kenny Sabir and a group of multicultural friends back in 1998, Elefant Traks is the “champion of the underdogs,” forged out of “activism” and a DIY mentality, explains Tim Levinson (aka Urthboy), managing director and artist manager at the Sydney hip-hop specialist.
As the music firm hit its straps, so too did its roster which has included Australian Music Prize 2013 winners Hermitude, L-Fresh The Lion, The Herd, Joelistics, Horrorshow and others.
The independent music community took notice, announcing Elefant Traks as best independent label at the 2012 AIR Awards.
“Just as we celebrate 26 years of independent music, we are also officially calling it a day,” comments Levinson, who has led the business since 2002, taking the helm along with members of the Herd including Kaho Cheung, Richard Tamplenizza and Dale Harrison.
“It’s sad but it’s also a cause for celebration as we look back on all the accomplishments of our artists,” Levinson continues. “So many friendships were made and relationships developed and songs were written. So many cultural stories were told.”
Elefant Traks’ ethos was then as it is now: its artists and team “didn’t want to hang around or wait for any corporation to give us permission, to do the things that we love on our own terms,” he explains.
Today, “the challenges that face artists and the businesses that revolve around them are greater than ever before,” he explains. But while the “adversities that face artists might seem insurmountable, the future will be written by those who innovate and come up with new ideas in much the same way that Elefant Traks did back in 1998.”
Staff at the indie music business include Dale Harrison (production manager), Jannah Beth (A&R, project manager), Carolina De La Piedra (A&R, artist manager) and Sofia Nicotra (communications coordinator).
Before the doors close sometime later in 2024, Elefant Traks will host a round of finale parties, details of which will be announced shortly.
Lars Brandle
Billboard
