We started as a management agency. We became a bridge.

Seven years on, Holocene is a multi-faceted music consultancy and management agency with a specific centre of gravity: the space between the Western and Chinese music industries. We give artists the tools to build careers at home, and the networks and knowledge to take them somewhere most of their peers can't reach.

Holocene began in 2019 as a management agency working with London-based artists and producers. The “Holocene” is the current geological epoch, the most recent interval of Earth's history; the perfect metaphor for a company built to work with the most forward-thinking artists.

I'm a music industry strategist with a background in law, and I've spent the last nine years in the trenches of artist development — negotiating deals, building careers, and helping artists turn a craft into a long-term business. I'm a musician myself, so I understand the creative side as well as the commercial realities.

Meet the founder

I've spent years working between the UK and China, including living in Shenzhen, which gave me something you can't get from a distance: an on-the-ground understanding of how both markets actually move. I've managed a label's roster in China, product-managed a Chinese artist into Western festivals, and read enough Mainland contracts in both languages to know where the problems hide.

If you're ready to grow, experiment or take a project global, let's talk.

Lewis Cleaver

Meet the Team

  • Lewis Cleaver // Founder

    Music industry strategist with a background in law, artist management and label operations. Having lived and worked between London and Shenzhen, Lewis bring a deep understanding of the Chinese music market and global artist development driven by one mission: helping artists grow, thrive and realise their vision.

  • Dandan Liang // Marketing

    Having previously worked at Universal Music Group China for over eight years in their international team, Dandan has overseen marketing campaigns for the likes of Taylor Swift, Maroon 5, Justin Bieber, Lady Gaga and Rihanna.

  • Sober Chow // Live Events

    Label manager for Noted! as well as a producer and DJ in his own right, based in Xi'an City, Sober provides guidance and support for live events and DSP optimisation.

  • Jinrui shi // Social Media

    With a bachelors degree in Music Business from the University of Miami, Jin is an accomplished A&R and social media expert with a specialism in international licensing and cross-culture artist collaboration.