As a manager and a marketer, there are few like Ash Pournouri. Discovering a young Tim Bergling online led to the tandem tour de force that catapulted the two Swedes to the upper echelon of international stardom. By collaborating with Tim to create Avicii, Ash revolutionized the music industry, serving as the catalyst to the cultural phenomenon that is contemporary dance music. The visionary manager and entrepreneur sat down for an interview with Swedish news outlet EFN. In just under 30 minutes, Ash succinctly describes his start in the music industry, the importance of marketing in management and the hardships that go hand-in-hand with incredible success along with invaluable insight and advice for anyone trying to carve their own path. We’ve selected Ash’s choice quotes from the interview below; you can check out the full interview in Swedish with English subtitles here.
On creating Avicii with his client Tim Bergling
“It’s about teamwork. I wouldn’t be this successful without Tim.”
On going to law school
“Everyone should know what their rights are.”
On pursuing a career in dance music
“I felt the need to educate people around me how you’re supposed to listen to this music. That was my agenda. That was my mission.”
On crafting a narrative as a manager and marketer
“A trademark requires a story.”
“All of our projects and campaigns have stories that have been created around them.”
On crafting a cultural movement
“We don’t want anyone saying that we’re not producers, that this isn’t music. It’s all about showing people what house is. EDM should precede all preconceptions. It could be anything. It’s like a modern orchestra.”
On the music industry’s evolution
“The music industry constantly reinvents itself in order to survive.”
“Music is the front-runner of change.”
On the intersection of business and art
“Everything we do is based on creativity. According to me, sales and negotiations are art forms.”
On the ethos of his company, At Night Management
“My organization is value-driven. We spend a lot of time and money assisting talented people getting their message across.”
On creating change and moving an industry forward
“There’s hope that you can impact the music industry. We managed to do that, in a short period of time, being nobody in the industry. We were just two guys out of Stockholm. That gives me hope to this day. You can make changes.”
On standing out in today’s music climate
“You have to be creative and have high quality.”
His advice to young entrepreneurs and those with a vision
“From my point of view, everything’s possible. Even though it might seem impossible.”
“Never underestimate hard work. That’s required, no matter what idea you have.”
