Congratulations to producers Bonnie Knight and dameeeela - selected for the 4000 Talents residency.
In partnership with 4000 Studios, the program offers two one-month studio residencies for diverse music creators at the Brisbane, Meanjin-based facility.
Bonnie and dameeeela will have access to a fully-equipped studio, mentoring and creation of professional assets.
We are delighted to announce that Bonnie Knight and Dameila Thompson, who performs as dameeeela, are the first 4000 Talents residents. They were selected from a very talented pool of applicants representing diverse and underrepresented music creators.
Bonnie and dameeeela will each have free access to studios, mentoring and the opportunity to work alongside some of Australia’s leading music creators.
Bonnie is a sound engineer, producer, mixer, masterer and songwriter with extensive live music experience.
"I am so excited to head up to work up in Meanjin producing music by myself and with others. I think things like this are integral to fostering diversity in our music industry. Thanks so much to APRA AMCOS and 4000 Studios for the opportunity!" said Bonnie, who engineered Amyl and the Sniffers' critically acclaimed album Comfort To Me.
dameeeela describes herself as a 'multi-hyphenate DJ, producer, radio host and Yuggera woman.' Raised in Tulmur/Ipswich and now based in Meanjin/Brisbane, dameeeela is one of the city's top selectors and has warmed up stages for Tyler the Creator, Charli XCX, Genesis Owusu and more. She recently released her debut single 'The Shake Up (feat. Tjaka)'.
"I believe there is nothing more motivating than working in a studio, but they can be quite daunting sometimes. To have mentors/professionals at hand, would be the biggest blessing as I strive to learn and share skills with others as a life passion. Working as an Aboriginal woman in an electronic dance scene has been 1000 times more challenging than I could have ever imagined. This is why I am making music to push even further these barriers and walls and lack of representation and diversity," said dameeeela.
Opened in March 2022, 4000 Studios' in-house producers and co-founders include Konstantin Kersting, who has credits with Tones And I, Mallrat and Genesis Owusu and more.
"We're very excited to be partnering up with APRA AMCOS for this amazing opportunity for two incredible music creators. We received a high number of extremely strong and diverse applications, which is a great representation of just how much emerging musical talent there currently is in Meanjin and beyond. We're very much looking forward to welcoming Bonnie and Dameila into the 4000 Studios community and can't wait to see what they create during their time here," said Kon.
4000 Studios is a Meanjin-based music studio complex that aims to be Brisbane’s breeding ground for new talent, lay a foundation for sustainable careers, and boost diversity in music.