Tom Kihl – Director

Tom is a media obsessive. He takes an unusual degree of satisfaction from exploring the latest media channels and their effects on society, culture and business.

He combined this with a passion for electronic music and clubland during 7 years at DJ Magazine, working as Deputy Editor. This involved traveling the world writing about superstar DJs, although mostly it was about working late into the night to meet punishing fortnightly print deadlines.

Always the wild-eyed torchbearer for digital ventures at the magazine, he oversaw the infamous Top 100 DJs Poll getting established online. It was a move which resulted in annual votes rising from under 30,000 to over 200,000, becoming a hugely influential global phenomenon. He also worked on a world first integration between print and digital media with the launch of the DJdownload.com mp3 music store.

Tom developed this analogue/digital media crossover further with US market leaders Beatport before moving fully away from print to become Managing Editor at Ministry of Sound online. There he could indulge his digital leanings completely with the development of a multimedia in-house production arm that included MoS TV, Radio, downloads, news and editorial work with associated brands like Hed Kandi and Global Underground.

He continued to innovate with live video blogging from Miami Winter Music Conference, microblogging from Ibiza, SEO music news feeds and forging strategic partnerships with dynamic web companies including Kyte and Spinvox.

His biggest professional frustration over the years has been trying to convince people to embrace rather than fear new media technologies. He’s now cleverly worked a way around this problem, by setting up his own company to develop and run successful digital content strategies.

Matt Learmouth – Director

Matt provided content for early online e-zines during his teens, including helping to produce the world’s first online club broadcasts back in 1997. Then music magazines like Mixmag, Ministry, Remix, 3Dworld, and beyond while at Sussex University studying English, cultural studies, and politics.

After traveling and working around the world for a year (stints in the Australian civil service, finance marketing, and freelancing in his spare time), Matt began his PR career at Slice, where he rose to Senior Account Manager within his first year. PR clients included EMI, Levis, and Casio, as well as numerous Top 10 acts and No.1 artist campaigns.

He left Slice to create Alchemy PR in 2002. Now based in Chiswick, West London, Alchemy PR’s print and online clients include EMI, Ministry Of Sound, and numerous independent labels, bands and artists. The company has been repeatedly shortlisted in the ‘Record Of The Day PR & Journalism Awards’. Matt was also responsible for the media campaign against chancel law, which resulted in high-impact exposure across The Guardian, Daily Mail, The Times, Daily Telegraph, BBC News, Sky News, Radio 4, This Morning, and beyond.

Matt co-launched Gloss Communications in 2005, an agency specialising in lifestyle and beauty PR, and whose clients regularly appear in Glamour, Marie Claire, Vogue, In Style, OK!, and many more.

With ex-EMI radio plugger, Chris Slade, Matt launched Alchemy Radio in 2007, a national radio plugging company with a roster that includes EMI, Polydor/Geffen, Groove Armada, Bacardi, Sunday Best, One Eskimo, Roots Manuva, and Fabric Records among others.

In 2009, the Alchemy group of companies expanded to include Alchemy Content, co-owned with former journalist and managing editor, Tom Kihl. All agencies work from the same office and have the benefit of drawing on years of experience and understanding across all media sectors.