In a dark kitchen in the middle of a sweaty night in Las Vegas, all 6’4” of Dan Reynolds is hunched over a laptop, slapping beats on the table and crooning lyrics into a tiny microphone. Before long, he and the other three members of indie rock band Imagine Dragons would be playing “It’s Time,” that same laptop-demo-turned-supersized-anthem, from the roof of a parking garage to a wave of thousands of screaming fans. This song title to the single from their 2012 debut KidInaKorner/Interscope release “Continued Silence EP” is an all too apt descriptor of the band’s hard-earned success—but it’s also emblematic of the deep-seated anxiety Reynolds and the rest of the band experienced leaving behind any realistic expectation of a normal job to do the thing they love most.

A third-generation Las Vegas native, Reynolds is no stranger to the adage “the house always wins,” choosing to pave his musical career with a near obsessive work ethic and hundreds of unused demos rather than roll the dice with the first songs that sprung from his mouth. It’s no surprise, then, that he was drawn to guitarist Wayne Sermon, another founding member of Imagine Dragons. Having practically grown up in a recording studio and graduated Berklee College of Music, Wayne had been practicing his guitar through meals and other socially inappropriate situations as long as he could remember; he challenged Dan in a way that was both uncomfortable and exactly what they both needed. When they began writing songs together and recognized something special was happening, Wayne called up his Berklee friend Ben McKee, who promptly dropped out of school with only a few credits left, moving across the country to play bass for the band. This sort of reckless/genius behavior is typical for Ben, who has an uncanny penchant for spicy food and a suitcase full of unbelievable road stories. More recently, the band was joined by drummer Daniel Platzman, another Bostonian schoolmate who seems way too nice to be playing rock and roll until you actually see him in action.

Several tours and three self-released EPs later, Imagine Dragons had made a serious name for itself, particularly in the west coast circuit. Although their songs vary from nearly whimsical and light to brooding and powerful, listeners are drawn to the inherent honesty in the music. The only rule of thumb for the band, it seems, is to write from a true place; the result is songs that literally run the spectrum of human emotion. Attend a concert, and it becomes clear that the live performance of deeply personal songs has a real effect on people. And the band itself is not immune, as demonstrated when Dan literally passed out into the drum set during a finale song, sending cymbals and drum stands crashing while the rest of the band played on until the close.

Great songwriting is bound to be noticed eventually. As proof that the harder you work, the luckier you get, one of those people who noticed was Grammy winning producer Alex da Kid (Eminem, Rihanna). Alex and Dan began collaborating on projects, and soon the band had developed a relationship with Alex and his team. The alchemy resulting from Alex’s hip hop sensibilities and Imagine Dragons’ anthemic rock is nothing short of explosive. The byproduct of this creative collision is “Continued Silence,” a six song in-your-face sonic grenade that breaks musical boundaries and yet is strangely relatable by its improbably diverse audience.

Despite it all, on any given day when they aren’t on the road playing shows, you can still find Imagine Dragons huddled away in a rehearsal room somewhere, banging out song after song in search of the next perfect track. Like most things in Vegas, the band is angled at going big or going bust. For the sake of those who love great music, we hope it’s the former.

KM074 is out now
https://ffm.to/km074

Keinemusik is a network with the label as the pulse pumping centre. Driven particularly by the spirit that moves the collective behind the imprint. The spirit to find your own agenda and let nobody get in the way. The spirit of refining House and Techno off the beaten path. Be it within their own tracks, within productions of other sorts or DJ-sets. The spirit of recall value within record- and flyer-artworks and everything intermediate in word and image surrounding releases and parties. And the spirit of diversification – Rampa’s effect-gadget-venture TEILE being one example. Keinemusik’s own booking department ‘Worldwide Dancing Club’, established in 2018, being another.

Keinemusik has been around since 2009. It has been naming an existing friendship and linked interests of the four members – &ME, Adam Port, Rampa and Reznik. A more or less constant count of five releases per year have been released ever since, solely laid down by members of the crew. And a considerable count of label-parties went down, not only in Berlin, but around all international focal points for electronic music. And surely, there’s plenty more where those came from. So see you soon in a record store or on a dancefloor in your area!

Psychedelics And Fat Beats !

Send Demos to - demos@collectingdots.com 

USA / Latin America / Canada : 

tal@strangetalent.agency
soann@strangetalent.agency

ROTW : 

Booking@ritual-artists.com

MANAGEMENT / GENERAL REQUESTS
silvi@chaosinorder.de

BOOKING REQUESTS 
amelielens@WMEAgency.com

BOOKING REQUESTS North/South America
ferry.rais@CAA.com

NEWS:
https://linktr.ee/amelie.lens

Amelie Lens has taken the techno scene to another level, with her unrelenting passion for the genre, with a strong message that she always was, and always will be a raver at heart.

Amelie‘s debut release in 2016 marked the beginning of her distinguished career. Since then, she has released music on many of the industry‘s leading labels and contributed to the prestigious Global Underground City mix series. Amelie is a regular headliner at major festivals such as Awakenings, Sonar, Timewarp, and Tomorrowland’s mainstage. Additionally, she performs at renowned club venues across the globe.

Fast forward to 2024 and Amelie is heading her labels Lenske and EXHALE Records, running her party series EXHALE, holds down an extensive touring schedule and hosts her own radio show. The show now streams online and broadcasts on 34 radio stations across the globe, reaching nearly 5 million listeners with every episode.

Amelie has been focused on her signature sound, emphasised by the use of her own vocals. She wants to capture audiences that may not always be there for techno but feel connected after discovering something new.

shoval gridish is following