Eastern Margins Co-Founder David Zhou on building a label championing East and Southeast Asian music

In episode five, Nico is joined by David Zhou, the Co-Founder and Director of Eastern Margins. A collective for alternative East and Southeast Asian (ESEA) culture, Eastern Margins was launched in 2018 and is a record label and event series bringing the musical stories of the Asian continent and diaspora to the forefront.

In 2024, the platform launched Margins United - the first music festival of its kind in Europe - celebrating the diversity and vibrancy of ESEA music, food and art.

They cover:

2:07 David’s musical journey and identity

6:58 The birth of Eastern Margins

11:19 Creating and managing the Eastern Margins record label

22:04 Music licensing in East and Southeast Asia

30:10 The economics of running a record label

35:20 Predicting cultural trends in music

43:01 Championing local music scenes in Asia

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