Today marked one of the most exciting days for all of us music nerds at EMI – our official move into our brand new offices at Surry Hills!

So it’s official! EMI have joined the creative community in Surry Hills after residing for 24 years across the Sydney Harbour Bridge in Cremorne.  It’s a new era for us and a whole new world of possibilities. We all gathered excitedly in the Crown Street park early this morning and walked to our new offices together to mark this occasion in our company’s history. Jaws were seen to drop to the ground as the new office space was revealed to us with a guided tour and explanation of the creative and design process behind our new home. We commissioned design company The World Is Round led by an incredibly talented and flexible creative – Andrew Cliffe. (Andrew you are an honourary member of the EMI Family).

And if you love the earth, like we do, you’ll be happy to note that the new office is more efficient and eco-friendly, and sees lower utility bills & reduced emissions.

Opening day at the office saw our EMI Art Project windows revealed. These are two Flinders Street-facing windows which will be refreshed every 6 weeks or so, and will be a showcase for creative expression from the local art community. EMI is already talking to many of the local art colleges and schools about showcasing more local talent.

The idea is that we are giving back to the creative community, and more broadly that music sits hand in hand with art; it’s an exploration of both forms. The windows are open to all kinds of art, design and fashion – and the idea is for a real mixture of styles and influences … and that eventually people will go out of their way to come and check out the display works as they are unveiled at street level and via our blog.

The first two pieces couldn’t be more of a juxtaposition: An Archibald portrait entry and a 3D street art  installation.

The first window will feature a fine art portrait one of our most important artists: Paul Dempsey, painted by Australian/British artist Stuart Hall and entered in this year’s Archibald Prize. Hall trained at Epsom Art College and then studied Scenic Art at The Central School of Speech and Drama in London. With over 15 years experience in scenic art and mural painting, he has worked in England, Scotland and Australia, as well as having completed a number of group exhibitions in Melbourne. Meanwhile, Paul Dempsey is currently in New York writing a new Something For Kate album for next year.

The second window couldn’t be more different. Local street culture hero, Beastman, has created a 3D street art installation : a counterpoint to Hall’s fine art expression. Beastman’s tightly detailed, often symmetrical paintings explore the darkest of human emotion. One of the most distinctive and prolific emerging artists in Australia, founder and editor of the online art publication [weAREtheIMAGEmakers], and recently named Best Artist at the 2010 Sydney Music, Arts & Culture (SMAC) Awards, his large public mural aerosol works can be found all over Australia and in London, Berlin and New York, and have also been featured in publications such as Empty, Amateur, Kingbrown, Tees, Deadbeat, Oyster, Australian Creative and more.

Our fearless leader and creative head behind the EMI Art Project is Mark Poston, who recently spoke to The Music Network about our exciting move, and our aim to provide an outwardly facing art space:

One of my goals when I started as chairman was for our HQ to be a creative hub that represented who we are. It’s a workplace that exudes and encourages creativity and innovation from our staff. It’s a short walk to (VP of A&R) Scott Horscroft’s infamous BJB studios and it’s strolling distance to various venues. I had this idea to make two of the street-facing windows — named the EMI Art Project — as art installations that showcase local talent. I really believe in the synergies between music and other aesthetic disciplines like design, fashion and art.

Our Flinders Street facing windows are flanked by a selection of EMI’s finest albums (classic and future) featuring everyone from The Sex Pistols to The Beatles to Empire Of The Sun and Bat For Lashes and beyond. The idea is that not only do they remind people of the incredible music that comes from EMI but also many of these albums have iconic and classic artwork styles themselves. From the minimal graphic styles of say Pet Shop Boys to Oh Mercy’s new album cover which was painted by Ken Done.

Then you have the classics, like Gorillaz and The Beatles and Kate Bush. It’s a reminder that it is also all the other elements that make a great collaboration… such as the photography, the designers, stylists and all the other creatives who work with our artists in creating the final work.

So that’s the scoop on the street-facing windows, but the real thrill for us today has been our interior. We’re not normally the ones lost for words but we think the attached photos speak louder than words. A special mention to Dave Homer from Debaser who created and painted one of the amazing wall art murals (Dave made this short film here about the process). His company Debaser are some of the most talented creatives around. Respect Dave. And massive props also to our pal DARKO who we commissioned to paint the other art mural wall. You may have seen his work exhibited around inner city Sydney, he has a great sense of style with a beautiful darkness/edge to his work.

So I hope you can share our excitement at moving to our new H.Q. Check out the gallery below of our stunning installation, and new office below. And if you are a local then come check our windows out in person!