This news shocked and confused many people, who did not understand what had happened or why Om Cocktail posted a long message announcing the end of his management role at the GeneLab and 19 music labels. This morning, 11 March, he posted the following message on his personal social media.
Hello.
After the large Three Man Down event concluded successfully last weekend, my team at Krueng Kao Co., Ltd., acting as contractors managing the GeneLab label under GMM Music, would like to thank all teams involved, especially IdeaFact and GMM Show, for making the event a valuable journey for the artists. We also sincerely thank the fans and supporters who honored us by being part of the event and continuously supporting our affiliated bands.
"On this occasion, I would like to announce that my team and I are ending our management roles at the GeneLab and 19 labels."
Our management of GeneLab began with the vision of Wichian Rerkpaisan, founder of genie records, who wished to separate artist development units, focusing on younger artists to boost production for GMM Music, which had slowed new artist creation. When assigned, I proposed that if we were to do this, we should create a unit outside the traditional employee hiring system, as building a new framework represented a new marketing knowledge set requiring flexibility. Existing rules might change slowly, and recruiting specialized personnel in large numbers could overburden GMM Music’s staff. My idea was a hypothesis at the time; we intended this model to be an experimental system to develop targeted artists. Thus, it was easier to establish a new legal entity operating independently, focusing on outcomes and allowing ongoing adjustments until the best method was found—hence the "Lab" in the label's name.
However, it must be understood that all GMM Music labels are departments under the same legal entity, GMM Music, and are not subsidiaries (except those under ONE or GMMTV). Our experiment was to create a new legal entity to "contractually manage" GMM Music’s departments and assets independently, without subsidiary status. With support from Phawit Jitkorn, CEO of GMM Music, Krueng Kao was established to perform this role. Over time, Krueng Kao managed the GeneLab and 19 labels for GMM Music, while all assets—including label names, artist contracts, songs, and related intellectual property—remain owned by GMM Music. Krueng Kao received management fees.
The artists we managed include Three Man Down, TaitosmitH, Tilly Birds, The Darkest Romance, Only Monday, ASIA7, Hard Boy, ADORA, Famoso, Par-T, Kong Huayrai, Jigsaw Story, Goki Kwisara, QEETHA, fit aroon, M DAOSAI, AYEJAY, Dena Euprasert, and ossey. Krueng Kao also expanded into managing artists, marketing campaigns, event production, and concert organization (such as COCKTAIL 77 EVER TOUR, COCKTAIL CLASSICS, COCKTAIL Exam, GeneLabCon 2024, Three Man Down 'Basic Tour', and major concerts for TaitosmitH, Tilly Birds, Only Monday, and The Darkest Romance).
We also managed independent labels outside GMM Music, such as MACHg (in partnership with Kong Huayrai and Bank Ratwisit), focusing on luk thung and contemporary Thai music, with artists including Kong Huayrai, Mai Patcharee, and auditioning artists. Ennead (partnered with Pond-Kritsada of Be on Cloud), focused on multi-talented artists who sing, play, dance, and act in films and series. The 9 Asakanya label (partnered with Jai of TaitosmitH), an independent label focusing on new artist development, with artists like LITTLE JOHN, Manaswee, Samarn, and several rock, life, and indie bands.
I have a strong bond with GMM Grammy and GMM Music. This place has been both home and workplace filled with great stories and memories. However, my team and I have a working style aiming to create ideas outside the existing framework. Although we are an independent legal entity, our contract work still has some limitations. This is not a conflict but a matter of differing perspectives and goals. Moreover, our artists have grown knowledgeable and capable of managing themselves well under the solid foundation built by our entire team within GMM Music. We always believe a good organization must be sustainable through systems, not individuals.
My team at Krueng Kao and I want to take this opportunity to pursue our own interests while we still have the energy and clarity of thought. Whatever the outcome, it would be regretful not to try.
Thank you to GMM Music for always being a reliable support. This school of thought began here and will always hold value in my memories. Thank you to all the artists for trusting me and teaching me. How could we manage without trust? To all artists and teams who have journeyed with us, I apologize for not being able to support you to the end, and I deeply appreciate your understanding, support, and listening regarding this decision. It has been an honor to work for you, and I look forward to future collaborations in any capacity. Seeing everyone succeed and stand strong is always our team's happiness. Thank you for all the support given to me and Krueng Kao, who managed GeneLab and 19 over the years.
We may be heading into unknown territory, but it is very exciting.
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