Seayou Records, which was founded in 2006 by Ilias Dahimene in Vienna/Austria. Growing up in the 90s and early 2000s DIY Punk and Hardcore Scene, being a touring artist and also a show promoter and later, a European tour booker, he found himself in a dilemma: on one side, he was frustrated  by the perceived mental provincialism and lack of joy of experimentation in the scene, and  on the other, he enjoyed the direct approach to the creation of music, setting up shows, and putting out records through creating an independent infrastructure.

Tell us a little about yourself and your experience.

Hi! I'm Ilias, i founded Seayou Records in 2006. I grew up drumming and touring for punk and hardcore bands but then a friend asked me me if i wanted to release their 7" record. I said yes and now i am blessed to co-manage a small label group consisting of 4 labels (Seayou Records, Futuresfuture, Problembär Records & Assim Records) with a roster over 400 Artists and around 90 releases per year.

What drove you to choose your career path?

I always had a passion for music, not sure why. I have a theory it is because I am not a very visual person and somehow music fulfills all my aestheical needs and fills the world for me.

How did you go about getting your job? What kind of education and experience did you need?

Just trial and error. I have been touring since i was 17, promoted shows and booked tours for other artists since i was 18. when i started the label i was lucky to have a few (on a small level) successful releases that allowed me to experiment which was essentially my music business education.

What do you actually spend the majority of your time doing?

Communicating with artists and their teams, handling business related stuff like taxes, accounting etc. and last but not least refining company strategies.

What misconceptions do people often have about your job?

That labels take from their artists rather than give.

What are your average work hours?

Our work is surprisingly very seasonal. So in summer and during christmas break it is a bit more mellow i would say around 20-30h/weeks but during spring and fall season up to xmas it is 60-70+ hours a week.

What personal tips and shortcuts have made your job easier?

Self care is important, for me it's a good Sauna session, a little bit of Chess, Skateboarding & reading old greek & enlightenment era german philosophy & having friends and discussion partners outside the music business world.

Do you have any advice for people who need to enlist your services?

Yes definitely but they vary strongly on a individual basis.

What's the worst part of the job and how do you deal with it?

Experiencing the not so nice side of human beings (not exclusive to my job i guess)

What's the most enjoyable part of the job?

Creating this infrastructure for recorded music, developing new artists.

What kind of money can one expect to make at your job?

There can be good money in music it is a vital economic force but is distributed (which is not necessarily a bad thing) i am just happy to keep this company running, invest in new artists, pay my employees and have a good time creating something.

How do you move up in your field?

That really depends on your goals, we just want to create a great infrastructure for artists and their recorded music.

What advice would you give to those aspiring to join your profession?

Don't just do it for money or clout, if you don't have a deep passion for music you might get disappointed.

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