About Strategic Music Management
Strategic Music Management is a specialist artist management company founded in 2014 by Joel Sumerling, a music industry professional whose career spans over three decades, from the 1990s UK dance scene to Platinum-certified global releases in 2025.
Joel Sumerling - Industry Background
Joel’s career began in the early 1990s UK dance scene, where, under the DJ alias Joel Xavier, he quickly became more than a performer.
He built a reputation across record labels, publishing, production, and songwriting within the club and house music world.
Through his labels Whoop! Records and Kinky Vinyl, Joel played a direct role in shaping the progressive house movement, discovering and releasing music from artists including Guy Gerber, Nick Muir, Tarrentella, Redanka, Human Movement, and Wonderland Avenue.
That foundation led naturally into music management, A&R, and senior label roles. Most notably, he served as General Manager at Notting Hill Music and its label arm, Transmission Recordings, where he combined creative insight with commercial strategy across marketing, release planning, and artist development.
'DIRTY CASH' - A GLOBAL DANCE HIT!
Dirty Cash (Money Talks) by Adventures of Stevie V has enjoyed a remarkable resurgence, the kind of story every dance classic dreams of. We have worked with Stevie in a management capacity for over 10 years now, and we always knew Dirty Cash had more potential to fulfil. We found the perfect partnership with Altra Moda Music. Altra Moda know exactly how to unlock the potential of an evergreen dance classic, from streamlining a song’s online presence and digital rights to breathing new life into it to reach new audiences and fans. Bas and his team at Altra Moda are also prepared to take on the challenge financially. Deep pockets and belief in the project are essential.
Originally a chart-smashing anthem of the late ’80s/early ’90s, the track was a Top 2 UK hit and topped the US Billboard Dance Club Play chart. In 2024, it was rediscovered by a whole new audience after being synced in Netflix’s hit drama Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story. That placement sparked a wave of renewed interest, with demand for the sold-out 7-inch reissue and over 100 million new streams on the original recording, introducing the record to a fresh global fanbase.
Momentum also accelerated in summer 2024 when leading tech-house producer PAWSA began road-testing his reimagined version across Ibiza and major global events. The reaction was instant and viral, clips circulated online, fans demanded an official release, and DJs worldwide rallied behind the update. PAWSA agreed to collaborate on a new version and in partnership with Dutch powerhouse Altra Moda Music, the collaboration Dirty Cash (Money Talks) by PAWSA x Adventures of Stevie V officially dropped on 15 November 2024.
Since its release, the track has become one of the standout cross-generational dance hits of 2025/2026:
- UK Official Singles Chart: 9 weeks in the Top 40, peaking at #17
- BBC Radio 1: 7 weeks on the Radio 1 A-List
- Capital FM: 9 weeks playlisted
- Beatport: #1 for multiple weeks across House/Tech House charts
- Pan-European performance: Top 20 chart placements in multiple territories
- Streaming: Over 500 million combined streams worldwide across the versions of Dirty Cash
- Platinum Status in the UK, The Netherlands, and Belgium. Gold Status in Germany, Ireland and Australia
More than three decades after its first success, Dirty Cash is once again at the heart of club culture, proof that when it comes to iconic dance records, money really does talk. It has also been an exercise in how to create a modern dance hit without a Major label.
