Sure, we're all very fond of those DJs and producers who make sure we're constantly being kept on healthy amounts of electronic delight, but it takes more than just a pair of record players to get the message out there. BnB's Andrea Steyn takes us behind the industry's scenes to find out what...

Every artist, every record, every club night is backed up by a dedicated team of evangelists aiming to generate max exposure in what often seems to be an overcrowded industry. But how do these agencies make sure the word gets out there? How did their founders end up in the position they are in today? What have been their most memorable moments? In this feature, we take a look at what goes on beneath the surface...

BnB's South African reporter Andrea Steyn talks to Tim Stark of Stark Profiles+PR, one of the leading agencies in spotlighting the sound of trance and progressive. With his artist roser including big names such as Sied Van Riel, Leon Bolier, Markus Schulz, Cosmic Gate and Richard Durand amongst many others, Tim guides us through his day-to-day routine while also sharing some valuable inside information...

Can you describe the company that you are currently with? What does the company do, and what do you do there?
I own and manage StarkProfilesPR. We're a boutique public relations agency, servicing trance DJ/producers and dabbling from time to time in a wee bit of house!

Where are you based in the globe?
We're based in Oxford in the UK. It's equidistant between London and the UK's second city, Birmingham. So geographically (for the UK at least) we're happy!

Can you provide us with a glimpse down your career path? How did you get where you are today?
Well, publicity and public relations is a curious beast. It's not a job anyone ever really walks into on day one in the music biz. Regardless of the industry, it’s something you have to have had lots of peripheral/build-up experience to tackle. It’s a 'school-of-life' thing. I started in dance music behind the counter of a record store in '94, got into DJing, moved to work as the sales manager for a London-based record distributor (Amato, RIP). Whilst there I started co-producing in the studio with some incredibly talented guys I met and launched the ATCR record label. Around the same time I started writing/reviewing trance for DJ Mag and went on to open a mail-order record store. As a publicist you need a good all-round insight into how the industry system works and that only comes from having experienced it. I always say, the only job that requires more all-round experience than a PR agent, is an artist manager! That is seriously the most previous-experience-mandatory job there is.

Would you say your success is based on luck, or sheer hard work?
Everyone catches a lucky break sometimes. I've had a couple. My most memorable one was when someone overheard a phone call on the way into London early one morning in 1997. I won't bore you with all the details, but after that everything changed. I believe the harder you work, the more involved you are, the more you get yourself out there, then the more lucky moments you're likely to have. Strangely, in this instance, luck actually becomes something of a numbers game!

Do you have any thoughts on us folks wanting to get into a similar line of work? We are often told to rather study a business degree, or do accounting (or like me being pushed into doing a science degree by my parents). 
Hey, I've done plenty of plebby jobs! Hasn't everyone?! In short though, no, I probably didn't think I'd get where I am today. Does anyone? When I first had my head turned by dance music, the industry was a club. The fabled Balearic Mafia. The people who were in that club were (quite rightly) the people who created the scene. If you wanted in you had to have something serious to contribute to it. Quite tough for someone who didn't know one end of a keyboard (or a Technics 1210) from the other! My parents never pushed me in any direction, almost to a fault in fact. It did mean that when 'the door' opened a crack I was unencumbered and more than in a position to throw myself into it.

So, what kind of opportunities exist in the music industry? Is it really a solid life-long career that any person can consider? What specific role do you fulfil in the industry right now?
You often ask yourself if it is a lifelong career. I believe it is. The music industry is ALWAYS changing though and it is about adapting to those changes. That's one of the things I love about it. You're always being kept on your toes. My role is pretty simple on paper. Whatever one of my 24/7 clients do, I take it to all outlets of the media and try to develops as much exposure as possible out of it. These days, in terms of new opportunities, well two words: 'social' and 'media'!

Now, I noticed that your company has such an All Star Cast of some of the most happening performers in electronic dance music. How long did it take to get there?
In 2005 an artist and mate I'd been working for 5 years or so was advised by his DJ agent that he needed a publicist. I'd been in the record label game for 6 years, had some itchy feet, also had some journo experience. So when it was offered, I took the job. It's built from there really and, as a move, it is truly the one I'm happiest with in my career.

"In the genre the trance-dub-step bubble seems to be growing. I thought I was going to hate that..."