Christopher Gutch
- Music Department
Chris been Senior Agent at COOL Music Ltd since 2003. He has represented COOL Music composers on projects
ranging across the finest of UK feature film, serial TV drama, and
commercials. Chris has worked closely with Darrell and COOL Music Ltd
clients to develop composer careers, while at the same time guiding
COOL Music Ltd forward as a composer agency, orchestral fixer, and
sub-publisher. A 'recovering drummer', Chris formed an early deep
interest in all forms of music composition, which led him to forgo
naval academy in order to study music at college. Upon graduation
and after working as a session musician, in the early nineties he
hooked up with a UK rap/rock act that signed to Steve Lamacq's
Deceptive Records. They went on to have a series of top ten hits, the
most successful of which enjoyed a secondary level of usage when it was
licensed to both a major Coca Cola and European Championship Football
commercial campaign. It has subsequently received various forms of
further media licensing placements up to the present day. Chris
continued his session playing while at the same time also concentrating
his efforts as a founding member of a rock band picked up by Trevor
Horn's and Jill Sinclair's label ZTT, and A&R'd by Paul Morley. At the
same time he also took up the position of managing a two Nieve desk forty eight
track-recording studio, rehearsal room, midi suite, tour bus and
equipment storage music production complex in Clerkenwell, London. A
place which became the spiritual and creative home for many bands
including, Coldplay, Primal Scream, Elastica, Bluetones, Boo Radleys,
Kenickie, Placebo, Ash, Fridge/FourTet, Future Sound of London, Dodgy
and The Beta Band. Having at the same time built up his connections
within the world of applied music, in 1998 Chris decided to concentrate
his future ambitions on media composer management, media music
production and score production. As part of the team at Water Music
Ltd, he worked with all of the major advertising agencies in the UK,
Europe and the US on original music production for many award winning
commercials including Levi's, Bacardi, British Airways, Virgin, Lynx,
Mercedes, Orange, The Premiership, Whirlpool, C.O.I, BBC, Volvo, and
Bank Of America. Chris is passionate about, and has a wide knowledge
of, film music, pop/alternative and classical music, as well as film and TV. He is one
hundred percent driven to do the very best for every COOL Music client,
working determinedly on a daily basis to research and source
commissions, tailor show reels, formulate and update all
promotional/web material, negotiate commissioning deals, and
co-ordinate composer sub-publishing. He is always on the lookout for
the next commission. Always endeavoring to promote COOL composers.
Always looking to do everything possible to further each client's
career, while at the same time fully protecting client's interests,
build new connections, and secure working relationships. In 2012 Chris
was honored to receive an Ivor Novello Award on behalf of COOL Music
Ltd and sub publisher Du Vinage Publishing Ltd. Awarded for the BBC
series, The Shadow Line (Starring: Chiewetel Ejiofor, Christopher
Ecclestone, Stephen Rea). Scored by Cool Music Ltd composer client,
Martin Phipps it was a genuine highlight in Chris's career to date
having played the major role in sourcing the commission having
introduced Martin to the show's creator Hugo Blick, and having also
negotiated the deal. He has since walked to the stage to receive 5 further Ivor Novello Awards. It remains a huge privilege to have been
recognized by the British Academy of Songwriters, Composers and Authors, and to have been invited to receive all six awards.