How The Prodigy Got Signed

We've shared all kinds of Prodigy news and stories over the years, without too many long form interviews with the people around them. Here we have Nick Halkes, a veteran music executive, A&R, manager, producer, and DJ in conversation - discussing founding XL Recordings, launching Positiva, signing the Prodigy, and overseeing multiple UK No. 1 albums with them, as well as managing other major electronic artists.

A 30th anniversary releease of Firestarter is coming later this year. Here are the band at Pinkpop 2010, a recently uploaded full set:

Here's more from the video... 

Nick Halkes is one of the most influential A&Rs in UK dance music history. As co-founder of XL Recordings, he was behind the signing of The Prodigy and helped shape the sound of modern club culture. In this conversation, Nick breaks down how that decision actually happened, what he listens for in new artists, and why momentum, resilience and timing matter more than hype.

Timestamps:

00:00 - The Beginning of Nick Halkes Journey

02:08 - Discovering Electronic Music

7:25 - Blagging an Internship

20:01 - Building XL Recordings

25:31 - Liam Howlett's Vision for the Prodigy

43:12 - What Makes a Track Standout

52:00 - The Crucial Role of Momentum

58:00 - Why Finishing and Releasing Music is Key

1:24:00 - Creating Momentum

Here's a link to all the Prodigy stories we've covered over the years: https://sonicstate.com/news/newssearch.cfm?term2=%22the+prodigy%22&search-button=Search

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