Elia shares how GXR Records positions to be at the forefront of independent record labels in the region.
Elia Mssawir

For all the cynicism about money-grabbing majors, independent labels still offer artists the shield they need to build their best work.

The internet has indeed been brilliant for artists in many ways, giving them an alternative path to make the connection with and sell directly to fans, but record labels do much more than distribute to retailers. Musivv recently spoke to Elia Mssawir about the fresh-hot-off-the-grill topic and his new journey with GXR Records.

Elia Mssawir GXR Records Head of Label. Photo supplied.

Please tell us about Galaxy Racer.
Galaxy Racer (GXR) is a Transmedia Powerhouse focused on Esports, Content Creators, Sports, and Music, with over 100 content creators amassing over 500 million followers and generating over 2.5 billion monthly views. Galaxy Racer has a presence in North America, Middle East North Africa (MENA), Southeast Asia (SEA), South Asia and Europe.

Please tell us about GXR Records.
GXR Records is not your typical music label. The main idea is to support artists in the region, rather than selling them empty promises. GXR Records will be bridging the gap between Asia and the Middle East to create a new sound that we think the world is now ready to hear. Our goal is to ensure that Artists from the MENA region are hitting markets that were never previously reachable.  The label is launching offices in India, Pakistan, Australia, Philippines, Thailand and the US to name a few.  This means that every time we release new music, we will be activating our global team to push these records; and with the help of our partner EMPIRE, I believe we will achieve great success.

Head of Label, how did that come about?
Following my successful 15-year career in the music industry, I have been focusing not just on managing artists, but on how I could establish a company with every artist I was working with. This mindset was very appealing to a major company like Galaxy Racer, and with offices in MENA, Asia, Australia and the US, it was easy to pick one person to lead all this. The Head of Label title doesn't stop with having our headquarters here in Dubai; it represents our global reach and the international projects we are working on.

What are your plans for the label? How do you see it in 5 years?
Our first official week has been a massive success for us, and better than we imagined. We have been working in the shadows for 3 months prior to the launch and are happy with what we achieved so far. The next 5 years will be an expansion of this - prioritizing our artists reaching a global audience, collaborating with tier 1 artists and touring the world. On a company level, opening more offices and being present in every continent is something we aim to achieve next.

What are you looking for in artists that the label will sign?
Our biggest requirement is for them to be a music-focused artist aiming to take their career to the next level, rather than just releasing music and hoping to hit numbers. The team at GXR Records has been successful in hunting for talents that we think would represent the region in the most unusual way!  If you're an out-of-the-box artist creating dope music, please hit us up!

Any last message?
Make sure to listen to our releases, follow our artists and stay tuned on what we'll be delivering to the community!

Follow Elia Mssawir:

BACKSTAGE is musivv's segment honoring the men and women behind the successful artist. Features under this segment are eligible for a nomination under this category on The musivv Awards (TMAs) annual recognition.

September 1, 2022

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