Bart Cools to lead WMG’s global electronic dance music strategy
Warner Music Group Corp. has tapped Bart Cools to lead its electronic dance music strategy as it pushes to take advantage of the growing EDM genre.
Cools, a key architect of EDM star David Guetta’s dramatic rise, will hold the newly created position of executive vice president for global A&R; and marketing for dance music at Warner Recorded Music.
Cools, who will report to Atlantic Records Chairman and Chief Executive Craig Kallman, came to Warner when the record company closed its acquisition of Parlophone Label Group from Universal Music Group in July.
“This is a dynamic genre that breaks many of the rules of traditional artist development, and Bart’s unique insight ... will be invaluable as we continue to transform our capabilities,” Kallman said in a statement.
Most recently, Cools led EMI Dance Network as it was launching campaigns for artists such as Guetta, Swedish House Mafia and Deadmau5. He has worked with dance music acts including the Chemical Brothers, Massive Attack and St. Germain.
Kallman’s Big Beat Records, which Warner relaunched in 2010, is the label behind electronic acts such as Skrillex, Chromeo and Icona Pop.
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