We’re excited to share the three artists selected for Year 2 of Pathways, CDR’s long-term artist development programme supporting emerging voices in electronic music.

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Now in its second year, Pathways continues our commitment to investing in artists from the CDR community with time, care and meaningful infrastructure. Supported by the PRS Foundation, the programme brings together tailored mentorship, financial support and hands-on release experience over the course of twelve months, culminating in a release on the CDR label.

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Each Pathways artist receives continuous one-to-one mentorship led by Tony Nwachukwu, founder of CDR, alongside Tom Lea, founder of the award-winning independent record label Local Action. Together, they offer long-term guidance shaped by deep experience in artist development, A&R and independent campaigning. Release campaigns will be co-ordinated by ELEANOR, whose Clasico label was nominated for ‘Best Breakthrough Label’ at the 2024 DJ Mag awards and ‘Best Boutique Label’ at the 2025 AIM awards.

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Artists also receive support from a wider network of industry professionals across legal, PR and marketing, finance, live performance and agency management, business operations, and music production. All artists are paid an advance on their royalties, provided with dedicated production and marketing budgets, and supported through bespoke promotional campaigns tailored to their individual projects.

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Pathways is about more than releasing music. Our aim is to give artists from the CDR community the investment they deserve to take their next steps with confidence, while equipping them with the skills, knowledge and support needed to navigate an increasingly unequal and unsustainable music industry on their own terms.

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There is no application process for Pathways. Artists are hand-picked each year from the CDR community based on their ambition, contribution and dedication. To be in with a chance, get involved — attend our Sessions and submit your music to Open CDR.

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Following last year’s cohort Zar, MJSB and NIIX, we’re proud to welcome Stella Z, NØELLE and PIGMNT as the three artists selected for Pathways Year 2.

Stella Z

Stella Z is a London-based composer and DJ crafting immersive, narrative-driven soundscapes influenced by her upbringing in coastal China. Her work has been featured by Mixmag, The Vinyl Factory, Bandcamp Daily, Resident Advisor and BBC Radio 6 Music, and she has been recognised through programmes including Rhythm Section Future Proof and the AVA Festival Creators Forum.

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NØELLE

Welsh-Ukrainian artist NØELLE is an electronic hyperpop producer and AV artist pushing the boundaries of live electronic performance. Recent projects include introducing 7.1 spatial audio at Cobalt Studios, virtual performances within Fortnite, and multidisciplinary showcases across Mediacity.

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PIGMNT

PIGMNT is an electronic musician, DJ and producer from North-West London, known for a distinctive blend of UK Funky, Gqom, Afro-house and UK Tribal. His music has received support from DJs and tastemakers including Scratchclart, Ikonika and Shy One, with features across Rinse FM, NTS, BBC Radio 1 and BBC Radio 6 Music.

Year One of Pathways focused on Zar, MJSB and NIIX, each of whom released music on the CDR label and took part in a year-long programme of mentorship. We celebrated their work with the recent Pathways remix project, available now via CDR’s Bandcamp.

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