[{"text_idx": "#000001", "text": "Beacons: Focus on Owain Elidir Williams"}, {"text_idx": "#000002", "text": "\"The idea behind Klust is to promote, support, and celebrate Welsh music and I believe with that, there\u2019s huge potential.\" - Owain Elidir Williams of Klust."}, {"text_idx": "#000003", "text": "Owain Elidir Williams is this month's Future Disrupter! His work through Klust is casting a bright beam onto the welsh music scene, aiming to give it the recognition it so rightfully deserves."}, {"text_idx": "#000004", "text": "A quick scroll through Klust, and you see the familiar welsh music staples like Ea\u0308dyth, Greta Isaac, etc. - but also artists that you have never seen before, and that the point isn't it? Finding something new to dive headfirst into!"}, {"text_idx": "#000005", "text": "Klust is a digital-only platform, however Owain aims to expand the platform into a multimedia publication. He elaborated, \"The days of a weekly-printed music publication might sadly be over, but there\u2019s still a special place for end-of-year editions. During the first lockdown, I was inspired by Cocoon\u2019s zines - a collection of short essays from a wide range of writers about the albums that have helped them during the pandemic. It'd be amazing to curate something similar about Welsh music. The main aim is to develop Klust as a reliable place for people to discover new Welsh music, and if that can be sustainably maintained over the next 10 years, I\u2019d be more than happy!\""}, {"text_idx": "#000006", "text": "A band's new track would be safe in Owain's hands. He highlights how important it is to get the PR right when an artist has spent so long getting their music just right. It is only fitting that the promotion gets the same amount of love and attention so the music can get in as many ears as possible. \"I\u2019ve always tried to put myself in the shoes of the artists - they spend hours and hours writing that amazing lyric or that unforgettable riff, so it\u2019s just as important to give the promotional content the same attention to detail.\""}, {"text_idx": "#000007", "text": "When discussing who he thought was doing good work and who he found inspiring he had this to say: \"I admire people like Aled Thomas as he\u2019s been able to sustainably run Beast PR for over 8 years. There are also some amazing people who work tirelessly behind the scenes in facilitating and promoting Welsh music, so people like Gruff (Libertino) and Branwen (I Ka Ching) are big inspirations. I also look up to Neal + Andy of Focus Wales as they give confidence to people like myself to believe in your idea and make it work.\""}, {"text_idx": "#000008", "text": "Owain also recognises Klust's position to unite like-minded people together to excite, experience, and discover new music in an inclusive and progressive space. \"Klust wants to support Welsh artists regardless of their genre, origin, or who they are. The Welsh music scene is probably the most diverse it\u2019s ever been at the moment, and Klust is a platform to reflect that wide range of variety. Representation is key.\""}, {"text_idx": "#000011", "text": "\u201cY syniad tu o\u0302l i Klust yw hyrwyddo, cefnogi, a dathlu cerddoriaeth Gymraeg a dwi\u2019n credu gyda hynny fod yna botensial enfawr.\u201d \u2014 Owain Elidir Williams o Klust."}, {"text_idx": "#000012", "text": "Owain Elidir Williams yw Future Disruptor mis yma! Mae ei waith trwy Klust yn taflu pelydryn llachar ar y sin gerddoriaeth Gymraeg, gan anelu at roi'r gydnabyddiaeth y mae mor haeddiannol yn ei haeddu."}, {"text_idx": "#000014", "text": "Mae Klust yn blatfform digidol yn unig fodd bynnag, mae Owain yn bwriadu ehangu\u2019r platfform i fod yn gyhoeddiad amlgyfrwng. Ymhelaethodd, \"Efallai y bydd dyddiau cyhoeddiad cerddoriaeth argraffedig wythnosol drosodd yn anffodus, ond mae lle arbennig o hyd ar gyfer rhifynnau diwedd blwyddyn. Yn ystod y cloi cyntaf, cefais fy ysbrydoli gan gylchgronau Cocoon - casgliad o draethodau byr o ystod eang o ysgrifenwyr am yr albyms sydd wedi eu helpu yn ystod y pandemig. Byddai'n anhygoel curadu rhywbeth tebyg am gerddoriaeth Gymraeg. Y prif nod yw datblygu Klust fel lle dibynadwy i bobl ddarganfod cerddoriaeth Gymraeg newydd ac os gellir cynnal hynny\u2019n gynaliadwy dros y 10 mlynedd nesaf, byddwn yn fwy na hapus!\u201d"}, {"text_idx": "#000015", "text": "Byddai trac newydd band yn saff yn nwylo Owain. Mae'n amlygu pa mor bwysig yw cael y cysylltiadau cyhoeddus yn iawn pan fydd artist wedi treulio cymaint o amser yn cael ei gerddoriaeth yn gywir. Nid yw ond yn briodol bod yr hyrwyddiad yn cael yr un faint o gariad a sylw fel y gall y gerddoriaeth fynd i mewn i gynifer o glustiau a\u0302 phosib. \u201cRydw i wastad wedi ceisio rhoi fy hun yn esgidiau\u2019r artistiaid \u2013 maen nhw\u2019n treulio oriau ac oriau yn ysgrifennu\u2019r delyneg ryfeddol honno neu\u2019r riff bythgofiadwy hwnnw, felly mae\u2019r un mor bwysig rhoi\u2019r un sylw i fanylion i\u2019r cynnwys hyrwyddo.\u201d"}, {"text_idx": "#000016", "text": "Wrth drafod pwy oedd yn ei feddwl oedd yn gwneud gwaith da a phwy oedd yn ei ysbrydoli, roedd ganddo hyn i'w ddweud, \"Rwy'n edmygu pobl fel Aled Thomas gan ei fod wedi gallu rhedeg Beast PR yn gynaliadwy ers dros 8 mlynedd. Mae yna hefyd rai pobl anhygoel sy'n gweithio'n ddiflino tu o\u0302l i'r llenni wrth hwyluso a hybu cerddoriaeth Gymraeg felly mae pobl fel Gruff (Libertino) a Branwen (Ikaching) yn ysbrydoliaeth fawr.Dwi hefyd yn edrych lan at Neal + Andy o Focus Wales gan eu bod yn rhoi hyder i bobl fel fi gredu yn eich syniad a gwneud iddo weithio.\" Mae Owain hefyd yn cydnabod safle Klust i uno pobl o\u2019r un anian a\u0302\u2019i gilydd i gyffroi, profi, a darganfod cerddoriaeth newydd mewn gofod cynhwysol a blaengar. \"Mae Klust eisiau cefnogi artistiaid Cymreig waeth beth fo'u genre, eu tarddiad, neu pwy ydyn nhw. Mae'n debyg bod y sin gerddoriaeth Gymraeg ar ei mwyaf amrywiol y bu erioed ar hyn o bryd ac mae Klust yn llwyfan i adlewyrchu'r amrywiaeth eang hwnnw o amrywiaeth. Mae cynrychiolaeth yn allwedd.\""}]