Thursday 29 October 2009, 12:43 | By CMU Editorial

Google unveil new music search

Business News Digital Top Stories

Google yesterday confirmed more details about their much touted music search service, at least part of which shall henceforth be known as ‘OneBox’, apparently. As expected, the new service will provide more organised search results for artist or songs searches on a special ‘music’ tab, and offer the facility to preview music directly via the search engine in a Grooveshark/Seeqpod stylee. The new service will also be full of up-sell links, linking people through to relevant streaming services or download platforms.

Google Music will see the search firm enter into a plethora of partnerships with other digital music services. The streaming preview whatnot will be powered by MySpace (via its recent acquisition iLike) and Lala. Which stream a user will be linked to when they search, assuming both have content from the selected artist, will be random. MySpace, though, will also feed video content and tour dates into the player, which will possibly make their preview service more compelling than that of Lala. Which will be a new development, MySpace actually providing a more compelling service than, well, anyone really.

Other partners include Pandora, Imeem and Rhapsody, while Gracenote will power a lyrics search service. The licensing of any content delivered directly through the Google interface will presumably be handled by the relevant music service partner, who will presumably hope to boost their own traffic through their participation.

The more observant among you will notice most of those partners have a definite American bias, because this, people, is initially a service for the US. The music tab should appear on the Google US search engine any time now. But the web firm confirmed yesterday they were in talks to strike similar partnerships elsewhere in the world, and that they hoped to subsequently roll out the Google music flim flam around the globe.

Confirming the new service yesterday, a statement from the Googs said this: “[The new music service] doesn’t just make search better. It also helps people discover new sources of licensed music online while helping artists to discover new generations of fans and reconnect with long time listeners”.

Meanwhile the Product Manger for the new service, who seems to go by the name of RJ, added: “This is pushing search traffic and business opportunities downstream to online partners and artists and labels, so we’re happy to … provide a great music experience and also direct lots of music-seeking traffic … to partners that can take it from there and convert it to great music discovery”.

Some people are very excited about the new Google music search service, while some seem a little underwhelmed by the web giant’s first major music play. I’ve decided to not have an opinion, but look, Universal Music’s Wendy Nussbaum seems happy: “I think this is a game-changing thing Google has done. The key thing for us is you are leading people to legitimate sources of music. Consumers want something easy, and Google gives them that”.

And as for EMI’s Syd Schwartz, well he thinks “it’s amazing”, adding: “Any situation where we can make the process of discovery and helping artist and audience find one another in better ways is something that’s going to help the business”. So that’s all loverly.

Industry responds to Mandelson’s three-strikes commitment

Business News Labels & Publishers Legal Top Stories

Peter Mandelson yesterday told reporters he was confident his previously reported three-strike proposals would slip through parliament on the nod, and would prove effective in reducing the amount of illegal file-sharing that goes on.

As previously reported, the Lord yesterday used the government-organised creative business jolly C&binet to confirm a three-strikes system would be included in the Digital Economy Bill due to go before parliament next month. The deterrent will be net suspension for naughty file-sharers who fail to heed written warnings (or who just can’t read, I suppose), though the suspensions won’t actually happen until Summer 2011. Just on the off chance every single file-sharer stops file-sharing when they get their note from Mandy.

Asked how his proposal compared to three-strikes system being introduced in France, which seems, by all accounts, to be more draconian, not least because they are talking about disconnections rather than suspensions, Mandelson told reporters: “The French approach is based on criminal law, as I understand it, therefore ours is different. Our approaches to this are not identical. But our system will be no less effective for that”.

Needless to say, there was a mixed response to Mandelson’s confirmation that three-strikes was on the British legislative agenda. The boss of record label trade body the BPI, Geoff Taylor, thought it was swell news. He told CMU: “We welcome the government’s vision that the internet should be an environment that rewards British creativity. Music companies are supporting a wide range of new digital services to offer consumers unprecedented choice in accessing music online, in a way that rewards the artists they love. The measures confirmed today by government are a proportionate way of encouraging illegal file-sharers to embrace the new services, and will drive further innovation that will benefit online consumers”.

Over at UK Music Towers Feargal Sharkey proclaimed thus: “The music industry [knows] that it is the market that will prove the ultimate deterrent to piracy. However, for this market to develop and for the UK’s creative industries to meet their goals and aspirations in a digital age, intervention by government is essential. We therefore continue to welcome Lord Mandelson’s commitment and support on this issue. In this context, right holders must also continue to licence, adapt and diversify their business models, while ISPs must evolve beyond a ‘mere conduit’ status and join with us as partners in a shared digital future as we increase our dialogue with fans”.

On the other side of the debate, internet service provider TalkTalk, one of the most vocal opponents to three-strikes, accused Mandelson of proposed a “guilty until proven innocent” system, claiming accused file-sharers would be subject to a “kangaroo court”. Which I’ve always thought was a bit of an offensive term myself, who are we to judge the judicial processes of the kangaroos?

Anyway, TalkTalk’s Andrew Heaney said this: “The approach is based on the principle of ‘guilty until proven innocent’ and substitutes proper judicial process for a kangaroo court. We know this approach will lead to wrongful accusations”. He added that his company might fight any suspension orders in the courts on human rights grounds, telling the Guardian: “If the government moves to stage two we would consider that extra-judicial technical measures and would look to appeal the decision [to the courts] because it infringes human rights. TalkTalk will continue to resist any attempts to make it impose technical measures on its customers unless directed to do so by a court or recognised tribunal”.

Less confrontational, but still critical of the proposals, was We7 boss Steve Purdham. He’s become increasingly vocal of late about the need for record companies to completely overhaul the way they license music to legit music platforms, arguing that only the existence of compelling licensed music services will ultimately combat file-sharing. While a plethora of such services have arrived on the scene in the last eighteen months, he argues those services will only survive long term – ie once the venture capital runs out – if there is a totally new approach to digital music licensing.

Responding to Mandelson’s speech, Purdham told CMU yesterday afternoon: “This is a move which is directed at protecting the media industry and copyright law, but one which entirely misses the heart of the issue. Piracy is a reaction to an unsustainable situation, where reasonable, legitimate access to music has struggled to match demand. File-sharing sites have risen in the gulf between what consumers wanted and what has been available. Internet users don’t want to use P2P networks; most are far from intuitive, full of sub-standard products and leave users’ computers open to attack and infection. In the same way that the vast majority of consumers buy products from reputable retailers and not on the black market, most would rather support artists and their livelihood by consuming licensed music”.

He continues: “Creating a variety of reasonable and sustainable models for providing music to consumers is key to ending rampant piracy. This is the approach that should be taken by the government rather than criminalising consumers and driving pirates further into the undergrowth. At We7, we believe that sustainable ad-funded music is a first step in migrating the pirate to legitimate consumption. In order to keep generating the music we love, artists need to be paid. People want to support the music they care about. But it is not for them to find a way to do that; the onus is on the government and the industry to monetise music instead of demonising and punishing the general public”.

So there you go.

CMU says: Mandelson’s three-strikes commitment

Business News Legal Top Stories

So what, I hear you ask, does CMU think? OK, you probably didn’t ask. And we gave our opinion in a nicely succinct two sentences yesterday. But hey, here it is again, in a slightly more verbose – or detailed – fashion.

I’m not especially anti-three-strikes, particularly when the deterrent is suspension rather than disconnection. And sensational talk of “guilty until proven innocent” is a deliberate misunderstanding of the law. ISPs aren’t the defenders of consumer rights they portray themselves as, they are just terrified of any increased liability for their customers’ actions, mainly because of the financial implications; net providers operate on stupidly small profit margins having all jumped head first into a dumb price war a few years back.

And as a general rule web companies, whether they be ISPs or the Yahoos and Googles of this world, completely underrate the value of good content, and the risks content funders take when investing in new talent. True, record companies and collecting societies totally overrate the value, but whereas content companies have a commercial interest in investing big chunks of their profits in new creative talent, for web firms content is a means to an end.

But will three-strikes stop online piracy? No, of course it won’t. And it’s important the music industry doesn’t let three-strikes become the distraction that digital rights management technology and file-sharer litigation proved to be at the start of the decade. The music industry needs to plough forward with new models – more fostering of artist/fan relationships, more monetising what was previously promotional content, and more reinvention of the way investors and creators work together.

Purdham’s point is also valid. The only reason I’ve come round to newer anti-piracy proposals like three-strikes is because the argument that people file-share because of a lack of compelling legit music services – once a very good argument – no longer stacks up. There’s flippin loads of legit music services, and some of them are marvellous. But most of these services – while paying out to the music companies – are currently funded by venture capital and similar investment money.

That’s not sustainable, and if Purdham is right, that most of these services can’t last long term without a radical overhaul of music licensing, then a radical overhaul there will have to be. Still, the record companies and music publishers have moved several miles in their attitude to new licensing models in the last three yeas, so, Steve, it’ll take time and you’ll need some plasters for all the wall hitting your head will do, but I reckon we’ll get there. And providing we do, the three-strikes deterrent – with a workable appeals process – is probably justified.

Corgan on swine flu

Artist News

Billy Corgan has attacked what he is calling the “propaganda build up” surrounding the H1N1 virus, or swine flu. In a lengthy post on his personal blog, Everything From Here To There, he questioned Barrack Obama’s decision to declare a national emergency as a “preventative measure”, and a law apparently being passed in Massachusetts which he says will force people to be vaccinated against the virus.

He began by questioning how scary the whole swine flu thing actually is, writing: “There is something mighty suspicious about declaring an emergency for something that has yet to show itself to be a grand pandemic. Our American President Obama has declared a national emergency about this virus, which he in his own words said was, at this point, a preventative measure. So, why declare an emergency if there isn’t one?”

Which is all well and good, and he goes on to suggest that the virus is actually manmade, rather than something that has occurred naturally, which may or may not be true. But then he starts suggesting that it will bring about the end of the world and everything gets a bit weird: “Assume this flu is the worst thing to ever hit this planet, worse than the bubonic plague of the middle ages, or worse than any war ever conjured up. Evil itself has come to wreak havoc on the planet. Assume, for the sake of argument, it is The End”.

Okay, I’m assuming. But how will Billy face this, that’s what I want to know. Here’s how: “I for one will not be taking the vaccine. I do not trust those who make the vaccines, or the apparatus behind it all to push it on us through fear. … If the virus comes to take me Home, that is between me and the Lord”.

However, keeping it all on a one-to-one basis with God might be tricky if the government decides to vaccinate you by force. Corgan continues: “The state of Massachusetts here in America is about to sign into law (if it hasn’t already) for a mandatory vaccination. The state will have the power to come into your home and incarcerate you for being unwilling to comply with a vaccination order. Didn’t you hear? Soon, you won’t even have the choice to live OR die as you wish!”

So, make of all that what you will.

Aspiring folk musician killed by coyotes

Obituaries

An aspiring Canadian folk musician from Toronto has died in unusual circumstances, seemingly after being attacked by two coyotes while hiking in a national park.

Taylor Mitchell, who self-released her album ‘For Your Consideration’ in March, and who subsequently appeared at the Winnipeg Folk Festival, was hiking alone at the Cape Breton Park in Nova Scotia. It is unclear how the coyote attack occurred – the animals very rarely attack humans – but rangers were alerted by other walkers who heard the singer’s screams. Bleeding heavily from bite wounds, she was airlifted to Halifax hospital but died from her injuries yesterday.

The rangers saw both coyotes, and shot one of them. A spokesman for the Royal Canadian Mounted Police told Reuters “coyotes are normally afraid of humans, this is a very irregular occurrence”, while adding that the animals seemed “extremely aggressive” to the rangers when they arrived at the scene.

Lisa Weitz, Mitchell’s manager, told the Associated Press last night: “Words can’t begin to express the sadness and tragedy of losing such a sweet, compassionate, vibrant, and phenomenally talented young woman. She just turned nineteen two months ago, and was so excited about the future”.

Mitchell, who was mid-way through a tour of her home region, had only recently been nominated for Young Performer Of The Year at the Canadian Folk Music Awards.

George Michael signs single deal with Island

Business News Deals Labels & Publishers

George Michael has signed to Universal’s Island Records, though only for one single. And not a new one at that. Island will release ‘December Song’, a track Michael originally gave away last year, on 13 Dec. It’s his first proper Christmas release since ‘Last Christmas’. The mini-deal with Island follows Michael’s fulfilment of his recording contract with Sony Music, who will release a live DVD in time for the Christmas market in their final collaboration with the singer.

Guillemots man goes solo

Releases

Guillemots frontman Fyfe Dangerfield has announced that he will release his debut solo album, ‘Fly Yellow Moon’, in January.

Recorded with producer Adam Noble, Dangerfield apparently opted to record as many songs as possible in the short time the pair had in the studio together. As a result, the album features songs that range wildly in style and keep a fun, carefree feeling running throughout. So I’m told.

You can download a track from the album, ‘When You Walk In The Room’, for free from www.fyfedangerfield.com now.

Gabriel planning interesting covers release

Releases

Peter Gabriel will release an interesting new project next year, which sees him collaborate with a string of other artists, in which they cover his songs and he covers there’s. All backed up by a bitchin orchestra.

Composer John Metcalfe, who has helped bring the project together, told 6Music: “I’m not allowed to say who [is involved], just yet, but there are some very, very famous singers and bands involved. It sounds amazing, even though I say it myself. It is literally Peter with an orchestra, sometimes the orchestra is quite large, then there are some more chamber music-style, sparse songs. But the songs are not simply covers, they are quite major reinterpretations of some famous stuff. It’s quite radical and we’re hoping that people really get it and enjoy it”.

Metcalfe added that it was still to be decided how the material will be released – maybe an album of bands covering Gabriel, and then an album of Gabriel covering them, or maybe some sort of series of digital single releases. We’ll let you know once they know.

Alarm man Peters: special gig and webcast

Gigs & Festivals

Welsh rocker Mike Peters, frontman of The Alarm, will play a special gig in Wrexham on Sunday, which will feature a song from each era of his career from the late seventies through to today, including from the various incarnations of The Alarm and Peters’ solo releases.

The gig will be recorded and aired on Wrexham community radio station CalonFM, and then be made available via other community radio stations around Wales and on the net via www.calonfm.com. The gig, at Wrexham’s Catrin Finch Centre, will promote the release of ’21 – The Best Of The Alarm In The 21st Century’, which is out on Monday. Press info from media21c@aol.com

Faith No More plan US tour

Gigs & Festivals

American Faith No More fans feeling a little aggrieved at all the reunion action us Europeans have enjoyed this summer should be pleased to hear that the band are putting a US tour together as we speak. We know this because the band’s bassist, Billy Gould, tweeted the following: “In response to all of our concerned US brethren, yes, we are now actively planning US dates”.

CMU Publisher added to Dubai Sound City line up

Business News Education & Events

The music industry heads to the desert next week for Dubai SoundCity, the most internationally focused music convention I’ve ever been aware of.

And added to the line up of speakers this week – CMU Co-publisher and Business Editor Chris Cooke, who will take part in sessions on social networking and the issue of ‘free’ in the digital music age. Confirming his involvement, Chris told CMU: “The line up of speakers for Dubai SoundCity is remarkable, and I am looking forward to hearing and learning from them. And, of course, I hope to add something to the debate when we tackle the ever faddish social networking phenomenon – where exactly is that all heading? – and on the question of whether the music industry has to accept free is the future. Whatever I say, whatever I hear, look out for my reports on the CMU News-Blog”. Hey look at that, I just quoted myself. Radical.

There’s music galore, of course, at Dubai SoundCity. We’ll be previewing a load of it with a CMU-Tube selection on Monday, and SSQ interviews throughout the rest of next week. Among the bands playing are Wombats, Wave Machines, Echo & The Bunnymen, Alphabeat, Meerkats, Bicycle Thieves and Doves. More at www.dubaisoundcity.com.

Lily and Cheryl want labels

Artist News Labels & Publishers

Lily Allen has told 6Music that she is “in talks” about setting up her own record label.

Asked about chatter she was thinking about quitting music, she told the station: “I’m not retiring from music. I might retire from singing for a bit. I feel like maybe having a bit of a break from doing that and do something else for a while. I love working in music. I like to help other bands so I’m thinking about – well, we’re in talks about – setting up my own label and dedicating the next couple of years to that”.

Cheryl Cole has also revealed she likes the idea of having her own record label, though for her it seems like it may be more of a distant plan. Speaking to Bang Showbiz, the Girl Aloud and ‘X-Factor’ judge said: “I’d love to have my own label in the future. I’d love to be on that side of it, I love hearing new artists, I love choosing songs and developing acts. So that’s something I’ve got planned”.

AEG reportedly buy into US management firm

Business News Deals Live Business Management & Funding

Well, if Live Nation can own an artist management powerhouse (which it might if its merger with Ticketmaster goes ahead, them owning Front Line Management), why not AEG Live? They have reportedly bought half of the Wright Entertainment Group, the US management firm headed up by Johnny Wright, who boast Justin Timberlake, Ciara, Jessie James and the Jonas Brothers on their roster. If the deal has gone ahead, it’s doubly interesting because both Timberlake and the Jonas siblings have exclusive touring deals with Live Nation.

Live Nation appoint comedy guy

Business News Live Business

Talking of Live Nation, the UK division of the live entertainment company, best known for its music output, has announced its intent to expand its comedy operations. To that end they have hired Ian Coburn, currently a promoter with theatre and comedy producers Phil McIntyre Entertainment. Comedy types Coburn has worked with include Peter Kay, Russell Brand, Rob Brydon and the Little Britain guys.

Confirming his move to Live Nation, Coburn told CMU: “I’m really excited at the prospect of working at Live Nation’s London office and expanding both their UK and worldwide comedy roster. Last year I worked with their US comedy division on Russell Brand’s US dates and I’m looking forward to working with them again”.

Rajar round up – Oct 2009

Media

It’s RAJAR day, people. Which means the latest set of radio listening figures are out. Woo. And the big news this time round is that Terry Wogan has widened his lead over Chris Moyles, which is only news because Radio 1’s flagship ego made such a big deal about his audience size getting ever closer to Wogan after recent RAJAR releases.

Wogan lost 174,000 listeners over the summer quarter compared to the previous three months, but Moyles saw his audience slide by 700,000 listeners, meaning Wogan has a pretty safe lead on his BBC colleague, 7.75 million to 7.04 million. Of course all of that is probably irrelevant, because Moyles has his heart set on beating the Radio 2 breakfast slot once Wogan retires and Chris Evans takes over on the nation’s biggest radio show. I secretly hope Evans will further the lead. I’m not sure why I care, but that’s what I hope.

It was a good quarter for Radio 2 in general, which had seen its audience share drop to a three year low in the previous RAJAR report. It is still the nation’s biggest radio station in terms of weekly reach. Radio 1’s audience was down quarter on quarter, but up year on year.

In the commercial radio sector, all eyes are on London, as usual. There Global Radio’s two main London stations – Capital and Heart – swapped places, so that Heart is second biggest, after Bauer Media’s Magic (though, confusingly, Capital was in lead in terms of audience share, while Heart have the biggest breakfast show).

Elsewhere, Global’s talk station LBC’s overall figures were up significantly – 15.2% quarter on quarter, 40.2% year on year – while Bauer’s Kiss 100 saw its listening figures fall from the previous quarter, but they were still up compared to the same quarter last year – and it is now London’s fourth biggest commercial station. Xfm’s weekly audience of 546,000 was down every so slightly on the previous quarter, but was still up 17.9% year on year, which is nice.

UTV chief disses switchover plan, and Global chief Tabor

Media

The head of TalkSport owning UTV Radio, Scott Taunton, has told the Guardian that the government’s target for switching off AM and FM radio services – currently 2015 – is just a little bit loony.

Asked about the government’s aims for turning the UK’s radio listeners over to digital and internet services in six years, Taunton told the paper: “I don’t think there is anyone who genuinely believes 2015 is realistic”, adding that the proposals were “over-ambitious to the point of being farcical”.

Expanding on the point, he explained: “DAB [the primary digital network] is not necessarily a next-generation service. There is already DAB-plus, and in order to launch DAB-plus in the UK you would have to make the vast bulk of DAB sets redundant. The future at the moment is FM – the next generation is about iPhones with FM receivers”.

Taunton added that general commercial radio support for the 2015 deadline was being driven by his biggest competitor, Global Radio. They, he says, are supporting a fast move to DAB because – if digital was to be delayed for a significant time – certain existing FM licences would have to be re-auctioned off as existing franchises run out. Among them the valuable Classic FM licence owned by Global. The big guys of commercial radio, therefore, the UTV man argues, want a quick switch to DAB to ensure they don’t lose one of their most valuable outputs. But a quick switch would, Scott says, “be wrong for the industry and wrong for the taxpayer”.

Taunton’s dislike for Global is no secret, of course, and his recent decision to quit commercial radio trade body RadioCentre was over allegations Global management were too dominant within the cross-industry organisation. Taunton’s professional grievances with Global are at least partly down to a personal dislike for the boss of the relatively young but very big radio firm – Mr Ashley Tabor.

Noting that the Global chief’s sudden elevation to the biggest player in commercial radio was only possible because of his billionaire father’s money, which was used to acquire Chrysalis and GCap, Taunton dismisses Tabor as a “rich man’s son”. He continues: “He is a guy who is used to getting his own way. He isn’t from the same school of business, the same school of negotiation, that I am. Don’t get me wrong, he is a very clever guy but a very stubborn individual when it comes to negotiations. On a day-to-day basis I was not prepared to sit around an industry body with Ashley”.

The Guardian note that Tabor isn’t that keen on Taunton either. His response reads: “We believe it is utterly ridiculous for UTV plc to support an emotive and personal position taken by one of its executives, that must ultimately impact on its profitability. For UTV or any other small radio group not to align themselves with the RadioCentre in the drive to digital is tantamount to commercial suicide”.

Not sure what we should make from all that, though I do like it when rival business execs get bitchy, so let’s hope there’s plenty more briefing and counter-briefing between the two radio firms as the government’s plans for a digital radio future go through parliament.

Girls provide naked video for Lust For Life

And Finally

Well, it’s a novel way of promoting your new song I suppose.

Buzzy San Francisco band Girls (another band of boys using the ‘girl’ word in their name) have put a new version of the video to their track ‘Lust For Life’ online, in which, at one point, a friend of the band (apparently) uses the genitals of another friend of the band (apparently) as a pretend microphone.

As I say, novel. There are other body parts to enjoy if you prefer. Or you could just listen to the song, which is pleasant enough, if not quite as exciting as some of the buzz spreaders are saying. Anyway, here’s your link…

www.mbvmusic.com/2009/10/27/video-girls-lust-for-life-hardcore-xxx-edit/17579

A bit more Kanye vid

And Finally

I suppose it should be expected that a rather weird video would have equally weird behind the scenes clips. For those of you who have now seen Kanye West’s previously reported petal-filled mini-film, directed by Spike Jonze, you can now watch this orchestrated backstage clip. Anyone who finds themselves trying to have conversations with idiots who won’t stop texting/Blackberrying/iPhoning might like the punchline.

vimeo.com/7298787

Q&A: Steve Reid

Artist Interviews

American jazz drummer Steve Reid has played with a wide range of artists including the likes of Miles Davis, Ornette Coleman, James Brown, Four Tet’s Kieran Hebden, Fela Kuti and Sun Ra, and has worked as a session drummer for Motown. He began playing drums at the age of sixteen when his family moved to New York and, before going on to study at Adelphi University, worked at the Apollo Theatre as a musician under the direction of the legendary Quincy Jones. With a re-release to promote, The Steve Reid Ensemble are set to play the Jazz Café on 9 Nov, with support from Sankorfa. We spoke to Steve to ask our Same Six Questions.

Q1 How did you start out making music?
Music is in my blood. My father went to school with Duke Ellington and Chick Webb in Baltimore. I was born in the Bronx and grew up on Lyman Place, across the street from Thelonious Monk (his wife Nellie used to babysit his daughter Ruby and me). Meanwhile, in the flat above my family’s lived Elmo Hope, a true piano giant. The walls had music. Everyone starts to learn an instrument because of some player they liked. But few take the next necessary step, using that as inspiration to develop their own style. I did. I used play on my mother’s furniture (must write a tune called ‘Many Little Dents’), and pots and pans from the kitchen.

Q2 What inspired your latest album?
I’m currently in London to promote Soul Jazz Records’ re-release of ‘Odyssey Of The Oblong Square’, which was originally released on my label Mustevic Sound in the 70s. It was recorded live on NYC radio station WKCR. It’s improvisation at the highest level: no rehearsals, just some heavy musicians letting the music play them.

But I’m also very excited about another upcoming Soul Jazz release – out next year – which is with my ensemble and called ‘Staying In The Rhythms’. That’s a DVD recorded live in NYC early this year, with a CD featuring some new tracks and some new stuff from my recent African sessions.

Inspiration comes from the unseen and is expressed in the seen. It’s like adding a supernatural aspect to the natural aspect. Creativity is about not playing the same thing, the same way each time – that’s called pop (pop in… pop out), and it’s usually a low quality image that’s just money motivated. The quality of all music has slipped away, it’s really quite sad. Everything is image now without substance. That’s why this stuff has a short life. Generally speaking. Did they list Bernard Purdie’s drums on the new re-mastering of the Beatles? I do not think so.

Q3 What process do you go though in creating a track?
The creative process is different for everyone. Music is so wonderful and joyful it should play you. People say “my music” – it’s not theirs, there are no new notes. This music comes through me from somewhere else – a spiritual source. Drummers are special people. We are the holders of the heartbeat, the rhythm of life. We are the gatekeepers.

I usually keep an open mind but have a general idea of the rhythms I want to deal with. All the melodies and harmonies come out of the drums. On none of my own records have we ever rehearsed. There are no second takes because then it gets stale. If you have to do it again and again then it’s not natural. Wynton Marsellis is great trumpet player but does not have enough creativity to bust a paper bag. He once did 20+ takes of the same song. I let the music play me and encourage my partners in crime (beloved musicians) to do the same. You must play every gig or recording like it is your last one. It’s of the moment – do not look back.

Q4 Which artists influence your work?
I am particular, I only like great musicians: known or unknown jazz giants too numerous to name, African cats, Latin masters, James Brown, Sun Ra Hendriks, Leon Thomas, Bird, Trane. I love all great black music – I do what I am. My ego is in the execution of the music, not in the image for presentation. It’s fun. Fun for you. I am extremely happy doing what I do – this comes from doing it. One must plant seeds in order to have something grow and materialise. Hint to younger musicians: more practice, more research, less fronting. Now everyone wants too be famous instead of good or great.

Q5 What would you say to someone experiencing your music for the first time?
I love a new jack listener. New listeners are curious, brave enough to listen to something they have not heard before. I do not care what you call it or think it is. If you dig then I’ve done my job. If it changes your mind, body or soul, then I’ve done my job planting the seed in you. I am always looking for new listeners, venues that do not usually have music that we play. It’s fresh meat for the Ensemble.

Q6 What are your ambitions for your latest album, and for the future?
I do not have ambitions, but my goal is to play and record some meaningful stuff that people will enjoy long after I have left the planet. I do have concerns about what happens when all the dinosaurs are gone. You’ve got to have discipline, concentration on the music not the money. Now one can have their first gig on TV. My offering is the music I play. Joy and fun should be shared with love as a motive.

MORE>> www.steve-reid.com

Approved: The Quietus & Domino’s Halloween special

CMU Approved

The Quietus and Domino Records have teamed up for a series of very cool Halloween features, which will see Domino artists creating special spooky content exclusively for the music website. Over the course of this week, The Quietus will be making available stories, poems and songs from the likes of Wild Beasts, Lightspeed Champion, Eugene McGuinness, King Creosote, James Yorkston, The Kills, and more. At the end of the week, all the original manuscripts will be collected together in a handmade book and given away to one reader. The first to go up is a ghost story by Wild Beasts’ Tom Fleming with the next installment up later today.

thequietus.com/features/a-domino-halloween

Mandelson makes three-strike announcement at C&binet

Business News Legal Top Stories

So, movers and shakers from the content industries are this week enjoying the previously reported government-organised jolly in the countryside – The C&binet Forum – to discuss “access to finance for creative industries, new business models for online content, developing talent and securing creative rights”. The big headline from the shindig so far is Peter Mandelson’s announcement on three-strikes, more on which in a minute.

But first, yesterday one of the main events was EMI Music boss Elio Leoni-Sceti being interviewed by Wall Street Journal hack Patience Wheatcroft. According to Billboard, he admitted that the music industry was suffering “because of the lack of innovation at one end and because of the lack of regulation on the other”.

Dwelling on the latter half of that observation – which made sense, given expectations regarding Mandelson’s speech – he spoke up in support of a three-strike style system for combating online piracy, adding that “[the UK government] needs to legislate, so that there is a very clear reference [to copyright in the digital domain]. This can and should happen as soon as possible to clear the parameters of what is allowed”.

Asked about the carrot that can accompany the big stick of three-strikes, Sceti observed that “as long as legal models are more enjoyable than illegal ones then we’re moving in the right direction”. Which is, of course, a definite truism, though the people behind those enjoyable legal music services might wonder if Sceti therefore plans to completely overhaul his company’s attitude to digital licensing, something some argue is necessary across the record industry if Spotify-style platforms are to survive once the venture capital runs out.

The government’s IP man, David Lammy, was also on hand to give the politician’s take on the need for copyright reform. He waffled a bit about the need to simplify copyright law, to make it accommodate the nature of content consumption in the digital age, and to provide some sort of private copying right to consumers, none of which is especially controversial among either content owners, technology firms or consumer rights groups, and therefore begs the question “yeah Lammy, why you telling us this, why don’t you just do it, you muppet?” Though I’m sure everyone at C&binet was far too polite to say so. You see, this is why I should make the effort to attend these things.

He also talked about the European element of copyright reform, which is fair enough, though you can’t help thinking the line “ah, but, think about the international dimension” is primarily a delaying tactic when used by a politician. Whatever, given Lammy’s initial criticism of the three-strikes system, and the impression it is Mandleson that has led the change of heart on this issue within government, rather than Dave, I’m not sure anyone cares what Lammy’s department is doing just now. Content owners simply hope Mandelson can get three-strikes on the statute book before he, the Lammy man and the rest of their posse are kicked out at next May’s General Election.

And so to Mandleson’s big three-strikes announcement, which came this morning. We’ve all known since August that, despite previous government resistance to the three-strikes proposal, Mandelson would try and get some sort of ‘graduate response’ deterrent through parliament before next year’s Election. ie A new law that would force internet service providers to send out warning letters to those who persistently access and share unlicensed content, and to then suspend the net access of those who still continue to infringe.

A consultation has been ongoing ever since, with most of the content owners, and relevant trade unions, piling in with their support for the proposals, while the trade bodies for featured artists, songwriters, producers and their managers, alongside net firms and consumer rights bodies, expressed their concerns.

This morning Mandelson confirmed a variation of three-strikes would be in the Digital Economy Bill due to be put before parliament next month. It would become law in April 2010, and warning letters would be sent out with immediate effect (presumably to the same people who received letters through the record industry and ISP sector’s voluntary anti-piracy programme last year). If file-sharing doesn’t drop by 70% in a year – which it probably won’t – net suspensions will begin in April 2011. It would take at least three months for net suspensions to actually happen, presumably because some sort of judicial procedure and opportunity to appeal will need to take place.

According to the Guardian, Mandelson told the C&binet: “The British government’s view is that taking people’s work without due payment is wrong and that, as an economy based on creativity, we cannot sit back and do nothing as this happens. [This is] a proportionate measure that will give people ample awareness and opportunity to stop breaking the rules. The threat for persistent individuals is, and has to be, real, or no effective deterrent to breaking the law will be in place”.

As for who will pay for all this, Mandelson said he expects both content owners and net firms to contribute.

Given all the uncertainty there is in political circles at the moment, and the potential for these proposals to be tweaked, changed and loudly objected to as they hit parliament, Mandelson’s timeline – which will probably be too soon for those against three-strikes, and not soon enough for the content owners – may or may not become a reality. What is certain is there is likely to be much more debate on this issue before the year is out.

As we’ve said 4317 times before – copyright law really should be more specific on what rights copyright owners have online, and needs to provide a way to protect those rights other than the totally ineffective option of suing individual consumers. That said, even the more draconian kind of three-strikes is unlikely to actually stop file-sharing – which is increasingly hidden and offline – and the content industries should really think hard about what they have to gain, commercially, before investing too much time and money, and lost public goodwill, into the three-strike system.

Spotify launch TV ad, discount promotion runs out Monday

Business News Digital Marketing & PR Top Stories

There is some confusion as to what the offer is exactly, but Billboard seem to be certain that a price cutting promotion by Spotify, sponsored by Iggy Pop-endorsed insurance firm Swiftcover, will end on Monday.

Spotify have been offering both new and existing premium subscribers the option to reduce their monthly subscription rate from the standard ten pounds a month for a six month period. Special codes have been emailed out which can be redeemed for a discounted subscription. Said subscribers can continue to access the streaming music service without ads, and use the Spotify mobile app, but have to do so knowing that they are beneficiaries of the insurance firm that brought us *that* Iggy Pop ad.

Initial reports suggested a one pound discount, meaning the service would cost £8.99 a month. Billboard has reported a special price of £6.49, while many bloggers say they have received emails offering them a five pound a month subscription. Pocket-Lint.com says it is aware of £9, £8 and £5 offers, though it isn’t clear who is being offered what and why.

The discounts, which have been available since last week, come as both Napster and Sky launch rival services to Spotify, both undercutting Spotify’s ten pounds a month rate, and both bundling some free MP3s into the subscription package.

In related news, Spotify have launched their first TV ad in home country Sweden. The service has, to date, recruited subscribers mainly through word of mouth and the subsequent press coverage, though some reckon more above the line marketing will be needed if it wants to break into the mainstream music market.

Clapton misses Hall Of Fame for surgery

Artist News

Eric Clapton has pulled out of the second of two gigs to celebrate the US Rock N Roll Hall Of Fame’s 25th anniversary, due to take place at New York’s Madison Square Garden on Friday, to have some gallstones removed.

A statement issued by the guitarist’s publicist said that he be “recuperating at home in the UK and is very sorry to disappoint the fans and the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame”.

The two nights of concerts will feature performances by U2, Aretha Franklin, Metallica, Ozzy Osbourne and Annie Lennox, so Clapton’s not exactly going to be missed.

BET Awards honour Ice Cube

Awards

This year’s BET Hip Hop Awards ceremony took place in Atlanta last night to celebrate hip hop’s biggest and best, with the main winner of the night being Jay-Z, who took home four awards, including Hustler Of The Year and, probably more importantly, Lyricist Of The Year. Elsewhere, DJ AM was posthumously awarded DJ Of The Year.

The high point of the evening, however, was an impassioned speech from hip hop veteran Ice Cube, who was given the ‘I Am Hip Hop’ Lifetime Achievement Award, and who urged everyone in the genre to push themselves creatively, before pointing out that he is better than all of them.

He said: “We gotta do what we feel. We can’t be slave to video programmer, radio programmers, or A&Rs. We gotta be slave to our own creative minds. To all the older rappers, keep doing what you doing. Don’t let the industry push you out. As long as you got a tongue, you aint too old to rap. BET, I hope you give out two of these, because I have a whole ‘nother life of work ahead of me”.

Here’s the full list of winners:

Verizon People’s Champ: Fabolous – Throw It In The Bag (feat. The Dream)
Best Hip Hop Collabo: TI & Rihanna – Live Your Life
Best Live Performer: Jay-Z
Lyricist Of The Year: Jay-Z
Video Director: Hype Williams
Producer Of The Year: Kanye West
Track Of The Year: Young Money – Every Girl
CD Of The Year: TI – Paper Trail
Rookie Of The Year: Drake
Best Hip Hop Video: TI & Rihanna – Live Your Life
MVP Of The Year: Jay-Z
DJ Of The Year: DJ AM
Hustler Of The Year: Jay-Z
Made-You-Look: Kanye West
Best Hip Hop Blog: AllHipHop.com

Pulp not reforming

Artist News

Pulp will not be reforming next year, no matter what anyone says. Jarvis Cocker has “categorically” denied rumours that they will be getting back together in 2010.

Cocker was quoted by The People on Sunday as saying: “Glastonbury means an awful lot to me, I would love to play there again. We’ve talked about it, there we go; there’ll be a band reunion”.

However, he told Teletext’s Planet Sound yesterday: “I can categorically tell Teletext that Pulp have no plans to get back together. Someone asked me if I fancied playing at the 40th anniversary of Glastonbury, I said yes, they twisted that into a ‘Pulp reform’ story. It’s not true”.

Cymbals Eat Guitars get new bassist

Artist News

Cymbals Eat Guitars have got a new bassist. Matthew Whipple replaces Neil Berenholz, who apparently left the band because he doesn’t like touring. Coincidentally, their debut album, ‘Why There Are Mountains’, is out via Memphis Industries this week and the band will be in the UK and Ireland for some touring next month.

Limp Bizkit in the studio

Artist News

Limp Bizkit’s new album is apparently nearing completion. But I’m sure I’ve written those words at least once this year already.

Well, whatever, Fred Durst has been talking about it. Here’s what he said: “We have recorded what we feel is our most addictive album yet – instrumentally. I am in process of doing vocals now in my home studio. So far I am four songs deep and moving along with confidence and grace. We haven’t committed to an album title yet, but we know of one we like. [The] release date will be a soon as I am finished. A single and video will be out way before that”.

Cold War Kids announce new EP

Releases

Cold War Kids will release a new EP, called ‘Behave Yourself’, in January. And, just in case anyone thought they were lying, they got director Vern Moen to make a little video trailer for it, which you can view at www.coldwarkids.com.

Here’s what they had to say on the matter: “We will be releasing a four song EP called ‘Behave Yourself’ on 19 Jan. We made a one minute video with our friend Vern to give you a preview of the songs and the video for ‘Audience’ that will come soon. We had a great time filming it in San Pedro; in our rehearsal space, skating on the docks, driving on the bluffs, shaving in the tide pools and being nude in a friend of a friend’s bathroom”.

They added that they are currently working on their third album, which will also be released at some point next year.

An Experiment announce new EP

Releases

An Experiment On A Bird In The Air Pump have announced their latest release, the ‘Silent Hour EP’, via Buy A Life Records on 7 Dec. Make a note of this because they are one of the best new bands around, particularly when placed on a stage in front of people.

The band will play an in-store performance at Rough Trade East on 16 Nov, where you will be able to buy advance vinyl copies of the Steve Albini-produced EP.

You can listen to one track from the EP, ‘Only In Death’, right now on the band’s MySpace page: www.myspace.com/anexperimentonabirdintheairpump

Wall Of Sound celebrate fifteen years

Gigs & Festivals

Wall Of Sound, one of our very favourite record labels, is fifteen years old, and is celebrating with a special Halloween party at The Den, which is the London venue formerly know as The End. Mpho will perform live, while Jon Carter, Propellerhead Will White, Infadels, Shy Child and label chief Mark Jones will all DJ. It takes place this Saturday, obviously.

Elsewhere in the anniversary celebrations, there will be a special ‘Where There’s A Wall… There’s A Way’ iTunes compilation, a re-issue of the seminal Propellerheads album ‘Decksandrumsandrockandroll’, and the aforementioned Jones will takeover a whole chunk of EddyTM’s Remix show on Xfm on 6 Nov.

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