Company

"Northstar Connection" is the company of music manager, lecturer and music producer Dr. Johannes Ripken. Artistic issues like music productions are gathered with business knowhow and management activities.

In 2001, Johannes started as music producer and released many singles and remixes with several record labels since 2005. The main focus is currently on OverDrive Division, but he publishes a couple of productions as Cosmic Squad and Northstar Beats as well. OverDrive Division may be categorised as Dance/HandsUp music, Cosmic Squad as High Energy Trance / Hardtrance, and Northstar Beats is the alias for the Hiphop productions with the rapper Nuncio and the band Kollektiv 24. 

On the management side, Johannes gained much experience in his studies and during his work for companies over the last couple of years. First, he studied Business Administration at the University of Kiel, but focused his studies at Popakademie Baden-Württemberg with the Bachelor of Music Business course, specialised on artist development and finished with a bachelor thesis on "Images of artist brands within Dance and Trance music genres". After that, he strengthened his focus at the University of Bolton and has recently finished his PhD in Music Business on the topic "Organic Artist Development within the Dance Music Genres", which has been published as book by Nomos Publishing in 2015 as a revised, translated and updated form. Additionally, he worked for Universal Music in a bursary program during his Popakademie studies, and got work experience at the artist management Public Entertainment AG, before he started at Popakademie.

During his PhD studies, Johannes enhanced his activities within music management. Johannes consults the well known High Energy Trance / Hardtrance artist Accuface since 2009 in management issues. Further, Johannes was engaged by the breakthrough Trance artist Dennis Sheperd for a full artist management in August 2010. At the end of 2010, Johannes launched the record labels Pure Energy Records (Trance), Metrophonic Resistance (High Energy Trance, Hardtrance) and Sonic Flash (Dance).

Facts in bullet points Johannes Ripken:

  • until 2001: several musical activities not related to music production
  • since 2001: starting producing music
  • since 2003: Official review editor at the artist portal MyOwnMusic.de
  • since 2003: HipHop productions next to Dance music productions
  • 2002 – 2005: Business Administration studies in Kiel
  • since 2004: OverDrive Division and Cosmic Squad productions
  • 2005: Work experiences at Public Entertainment AG in Osnabrück
  • October 2005 until December 2008: Musikbusiness studies at Popakademie in Mannheim
  • August 2006 until December 2008: Bursary and work experience at Universal Music
  • March 2009 until December 2012: Ph.D. studies Music Business at the University of Bolton
  • since January 2009: Consulting and support Universal Music - Polystar.
  • since 2009: Artist Consulting Accuface
  • August 2010 until January 2013: Artist management Dennis Sheperd
  • since December 2010: Record Labels Pure Energy Records, Metrophonic Resistance, Sonic Flash
  • since April 2013: Coach/Supervisor and lecturer at Popakademie Baden-Württemberg
  • 2013 - 2015: Lecturer at Akademie Deutsche Pop
  • 2013 - 2014: Online promotion for Universal Music Domestic Division
  • since 2014: record label Sonic Art Music
  • 2015: Book "Organic Artist Development", published by Nomos publishing