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Wednesday 26 August 2015, 09:59 | By Chris Cooke
Bruce Dickinson to upgrade his plane for next Iron Maiden tour
Artist News Gigs & Festivals
Lots of bands will say that their next tour is going to be bigger and better than their last one, but few mean that their frontman is planning on piloting an even bigger plane next time they tour the world.
But Bruce Dickinson is currently in training for a licence to fly his band, crew and twelve tons of kit to six continents in a Boeing 747-400 next year. And while Iron Maiden frontman and keen pilot Dickinson has flown his band around the world before, please note that this plane is “almost twice the size and over three times the weight of the Boeing 757 used on previous tours”.
Although the aeroplane that will get them there has been confirmed, a full schedule for the band’s The Book Of Souls World Tour is still TBC, though it will kick off in the US next February, and will cover most of the globe, including the Maiden’s first ever shows in China.
Says Dickinson: “When the opportunity arose from my friends at Air Atlanta Icelandic to lease a 747 for The Book Of Souls World Tour, of course we jumped at the chance, who wouldn’t? The greatest benefit of travelling in a 747 is that because of its colossal size and freight capacity we can carry our stage production and all our stage equipment and desks in the cargo hold without having to make any of the immense structural modifications needed to do this on the previous 757, the extent of which fans will have noted on the Flight 666 DVD”. Did you note it? Well, watch more carefully next time.
The tour will promote the band’s sixteenth studio album, ‘The Book Of Souls’, which is out next week.
READ MORE ABOUT: Bruce Dickinson | Iron Maiden
Wednesday 26 August 2015, 09:57 | By Chris Cooke
CMU’s One Liners: Universal Canada, Ole, Velvet Underground and two more
Artist News Business News Industry People Labels & Publishers One Liners Releases
Other notable announcements and developments today…
• Universal Music has a new top man in Canada in the form of Jeffrey Remedios, who you’ll know as co-founder of indie label and management firm Arts & Crafts. He replaces Randy Lennox as CEO of Universal Music Canada, who is heading to a job at Bell Media. “Represents” says Lennox. “Extraordinary” says Remedios. “Fortunate” says overall Universal boss Lucian Grainge. No one was thrilled.
• More Canadian shenanigans now, and Toronto-based independent music publisher Ole has appointed accountant and mergers expert Brian Holdcroft to the new role of VP Acquisitions. So he better start acquiring things. His appointment will help steer Ole’s “aggressive expansion”, says the music rights firm.
• Never able to wait for the big five-oh, it’s become a thing that Velvet Underground celebrate the 45th anniversary of each of their albums will special box set reissues. So no surprise really that a six-disc box set version of their 1970 album ‘Loaded’ is coming out on 30 Oct, complete with the LP remastered in stereo and mono plus demos, mixes and live tracks.
• Remember how Fuck Buttons guy Andrew Hung released a solo EP called ‘Rave Cave’ and performed on a Nintendo Game Boy back in March? Well, here comes ‘Rave Cave 2’ out on 13 Nov. And look, here is a track off it called ‘Repetition vs Time’.
• Calvin Harris brought in a mega-tastic £40 million in the last year according to Forbes, with his heady mix of bleeps, Vegas sets and pants peddling. That puts him at the top of the magazine’s DJ rich list, David Guetta being second with £23 million and Tiësto third with £22 million. Perhaps they could all bung SFX a few quid and keep the corporate EDM dream alive.
READ MORE ABOUT:
Wednesday 26 August 2015, 09:52 | By Chris Cooke
New Daft Punk action figures incoming
And Finally Artist News
Desperately seeking a way to waste a hundred quid next spring?
Well, worry not, a solution is at hand. Daft Punk are releasing a new set of action figures, with the new doll versions of the duo wearing the all-white outfits that they wore at the Grammy Awards earlier this year. And they cost a mere £100 each. Per Daft Punker.
You can order the latest set of Daft Punk action figures (they did this in 2013 too) right now via this Japanese website. Good times.
READ MORE ABOUT: Daft Punk
Tuesday 25 August 2015, 10:27 | By CMU Editorial
From The Fringe: Late Night Phantasmagoria with Jack Lukeman
From The Fringe
Each day this month we are looking at some of the shows, performers and events being championed at the Edinburgh Festival this year by our sister magazine ThreeWeeks.
Today the ‘Late Night Phantasmagoria with Jack Lukeman’ at The Famous Spiegeltent, which is running each night until the end of the month. “It’s difficult for a musician to take me (and the rest of this small, tired crowd) from ready for bed to up and dancing along” notes our reviewer, “but Jack Lukeman has the great voice, high energy, and above all, the stage presence to really warm up an audience”
She goes on: “‘Late Night Phantasmagoria’ is a combination of high-energy blues and soft lullabies, appealing to both the possibilities of an 11pm audience: tipsy and fun, or tired and floppy. He has the versatility for both and makes great song choices, though if pressed I might say that while the more rock-based songs were his natural element, I generally preferred the quieter numbers. But however your evening has gone, Jack Lukeman will provide the perfect nightcap”.
READ MORE ABOUT: Edinburgh Fringe | Phantasmagoria | ThreeWeeks
Tuesday 25 August 2015, 10:24 | By Chris Cooke
Sony Music acquires Century Media Records
Business News Deals Labels & Publishers Top Stories
Sony Music has acquired German metal label Century Media Records. Terms of the deal are not known, though sources have told Billboard it was worth something around $20 million.
As previously reported, the hard rock indie’s co-founder Robert Kampf revealed that he was planning on selling his company to a major back in March, telling Metal Sucks: “I think Century Media, or any indie label – which is going to lose a lot of its sales due to the changes in the industry – will have a much better chance to shine within an organisation like a major. Every music company in the future has this problem: whether it’s Spotify or Beats or whatever comes along, those changes will be difficult”.
At the time he noted that his company had good contacts at all three major labels, though Sony or Universal seemed more likely as possible buyers, because Century already used the label services divisions of both companies, Sony’s RED in the Americas and Universal’s Caroline in Europe and elsewhere. Back in March, Kampf mused that a deal with Universal would probably result in the least change at his company, though seemingly Sony did a better job at wooing him into a deal.
Kamp will continue to head up a Century group within Sony Music, with RED continuing as distributor in America, and Sony units taking over distribution elsewhere in the world too. The deal seemingly covers all of Century’s recorded music assets, but not its publishing catalogues.
Commenting on the deal, RED Distribution President Bob Morelli noted: “Century is one of the best hard rock labels in the business and Robert is an accomplished executive who understands the genre like few others. We are excited to continue working with Century to grow the business for their talented roster of artists”.
Kampf himself added: “The company I founded over 25 years ago is moving into its strongest chapter yet with the best music company in the world, Sony Music”. The deal would, he added, allow Century “to further grow…as a dominant force in rock, prog, alternative and metal”.
READ MORE ABOUT: Bob Morelli | Century Media Records | Robert Kampf | Sony Music
Tuesday 25 August 2015, 10:16 | By Chris Cooke
Another new music venue to open in Edinburgh
Business News Live Business
Closely following the news that one of the Edinburgh Fringe’s main venue operators is planning on opening a year-round music space in the Scottish capital, now a company that runs various pubs in the city has also announced plans to open a new gig venue.
According to the Edinburgh Evening News, Bruce Taverns is promising a 900 capacity live music space within the building known locally as Wilkie House in Edinburgh’s Cowgate. That building has had various guises as a venue before – some great, some God awful – though the space has not been used at all for three years now.
Although a little smaller in terms of capacity, the company hopes the new venue will go someway to filling the hole never really filled ever since MAMA sold its Picturehouse venue in the city at the start of 2014.
READ MORE ABOUT: Bruce Taverns
Tuesday 25 August 2015, 10:14 | By Chris Cooke
Kathryne Chalker joins Inside/Out
Business News Industry People Marketing & PR
Music PR firm Inside/Out has announced the appointment of Kathryne Chalker to the role of Senior Publicist, as relatively recent recruit Frazer Lawton departs the company.
Chalker previously worked at Bang On PR before launching her own agency Chalker PR in 2012. She will now wind down that company, but will bring her existing roster of artists with her to Inside/Out.
Confirming the new appointment, Inside/Out Director Adrian Read told CMU: “We’re delighted that Kathryne has decided to join Inside/Out and flattered that she is bringing the entire Chalker PR roster with her. When we asked journalists for recommendations for the role there was one name that kept coming up, and that was Kathryne”.
READ MORE ABOUT: INSIDE/OUT | Kathryne Chalker
Tuesday 25 August 2015, 10:12 | By Chris Cooke
ITV in talks to buy UTV’s TV business
Business News Media
ITV plc is seemingly in talks to buy the TV assets of UTV Media, which controls the channel three franchise in Northern Ireland.
Following speculation that such talks were underway, the latter company said in a statement: “The board of UTV Media notes the recent media speculation and confirms that it is in discussions regarding a potential sale of its television assets. Discussions are ongoing and may or may not result in such a transaction being agreed. A further announcement will be made when appropriate”.
Back in the olden days, different companies ran the traditionally lucrative channel three TV franchises in each region of the UK, but most of those companies subsequently merged so that ITV plc now operates that channel – as ITV – in all of England and Wales. However, different companies still own the channel three franchises in Scotland and Northern Ireland, STV and UTV respectively.
UTV also has interests in radio in both England and the island of Ireland, which are not part of the ITV talks. UTV was already known to be interested in selling off its local radio stations in England, and did sell Juice in Liverpool to Global, though the company still seems committed to its UK-wide radio operations. That includes TalkSport and the new second national digital radio network in which it is a partner, and via which it intends to relaunch Virgin Radio.
It remains to be seen if the ITV deal goes ahead, but if it does, it will fuel speculation that ITV plc is also interested in STV, finally giving one company control of channel three across the entirety of the United Kingdom.
READ MORE ABOUT: ITV | STV | UTV Media
Tuesday 25 August 2015, 10:06 | By Chris Cooke
Women assaulted by the young Dr Dre respond to his apology
Artist News
Two of the women assaulted by a younger Dr Dre have responded to an apology he issued last weekend to “the women I’ve hurt”.
Dre was responding to discussions instigated by a piece penned by journalist Dee Barnes, a former partner of the rapper and producer, who he assaulted in 1991. Barnes described the incident in quite some detail, after noting how it had been left out of the much hyped NWA biopic ‘Straight Out Compton”.
In a statement to the New York Times, Dre said: “I apologise to the women I’ve hurt. I deeply regret what I did and know that it has forever impacted all of our lives. Twenty-five years ago, I was a young man drinking too much and in over my head with no real structure in my life. However, none of this is an excuse for what I did. I’ve been married for nineteen years and every day I’m working to be a better man for my family, seeking guidance along the way. I’m doing everything I can so I never resemble that man again”.
Dre’s current employer, since its acquisition of his Beats company, Apple, also issued a statement, saying it believed in the sincerity of the regret expressed by the former NWA man now on its staff. The firm said: “Dre has apologised for the mistakes he’s made in the past, and he’s said that he’s not the same person that he was 25 years ago. We believe his sincerity, and after working with him for a year and a half, we have every reason to believe that he has changed”.
But plenty of people online were more critical of Dre, suggesting the statement was just a PR move to counter any controversy around his new movie or, more importantly, his now very corporate business interests. But how did the victims of the younger Dr Dre feel about his very public remarks all these years later?
Barnes said she was in part motivated to write her original piece after the Beats man acknowledged his “fucking horrible mistakes” in a recent Rolling Stone interview, but failed to go into any specifics or to actually apologise. And to that end, she has welcomed Dre’s more explicit statement of regret.
Although still critical of his past actions, she wrote in a new piece for Gawker: “Is this is a PR move by Universal, which released ‘Straight Outta Compton’? After all, the film just crossed the $100 million mark its second weekend in theaters. Is it damage control by Apple, which can no longer ignore that if you take the ‘Beats by Dre’ logo and remove the ‘S’, you get a double entendre describing several woman he just apologised to?”
She went on: “Is Dre himself really remorseful or just saving face? To me, the answers to these questions matter less than the fact that Dre stepped up and performed his social responsibility by finally taking accountability for his actions. Who cares why he apologised? The point is that he did”.
However, Dre’s former fiancée Miche’le Toussaint, who has made a number of allegations against the producer over the years, was less impressed. She told the BBC: “I didn’t ask for a public apology and I think if he is going to apologise he should do it individually. To just group us like we are nothing and nobody – I just don’t think it’s sincere. Treat us like we have names. He’s selling a movie. I just think it’s good PR at the moment”.
READ MORE ABOUT: Dr Dre | NWA
Tuesday 25 August 2015, 10:01 | By Chris Cooke
Raekwon on a possible Wu Tang movie: “Bet your ass it’s gonna be serious”
Artist News
If NWA can have a fucking movie, why the fuck can’t Wu Tang have a fucking movie. Not my words ladies and gentlemen. Well, my words, but not my sentiment. Well, maybe my sentiment. But the point is, the sentiment I express is not original, I’m merely passing on something Raekwon said. Actually, that’s not what Raekwon said at all.
Anyway, the point is, Raekwon off of the Wu Tang Clan has been talking about the possibility of a biopic being made about his group because, in the wake of the box office success of ‘Straight Outta Compton’, people reckon there could now be a flurry of movies based around the lives of rappers.
“When we make a Wu movie, bet your ass it’s gonna be serious”, he told Hot 97, at a shoe-promoting event, I think. I wonder if that will be in the movie. “Because we gotta tell the truth” he went on. “And I think that’s what I love about the ‘Straight Outta Compton’ movie, is that they told the truth. When we do get to that level and it happens, it has to be the real story. It’s gonna be an interesting one, cause I said – RZA hit the lotto one day. He knew who he had, but he didn’t know what he had. So let’s keep it right there”.
So, that’s something to look forward to: a Wu Tang film that is as truthful as ‘Straight Outta Compton’. Though given all the controversy in the last week over how the young Dr Dre assaulting his partners was not portrayed in the NWA film, maybe not the whole truth.
READ MORE ABOUT: Raekwon | RZA | Wu-Tang Clan
Tuesday 25 August 2015, 09:57 | By Chris Cooke
Tyler cancels UK and Ireland shows
Artist News Gigs & Festivals
Tyler, the Creator has cancelled his upcoming mini tour of the UK and Ireland, including his slots at this weekend’s Reading and Leeds festivals. Why? Well, fuck knows, but it sucks and he’s sorry.
Look, Tyler himself held down the shift key and declared: “DUE TO CIRCUMSTANCES I WONT BE PLAYING READING, LEEDS, BELFEST AND OTHER SHOWS IN THE UK. SUCKS AND IM SORRY. I LOVE YOU, SAVE THE HORSES -T”
Just to clarify, he was just playing Belfast, not Belfest, it being a Northern Ireland festival that hasn’t run since 2006. And in case you wondered, the other UK show he refers to was in Dublin. Welcome to our united kingdom, Dublin. And do remember to save the horses.
These gig cancellations follow the axing of Tyler dates in Australia where there was opposition to him playing because of his misogynistic lyrics. On axing those dates the rapper said he’d rather play a tour down under that “isn’t surrounded in controversy”.
Quite what the “circumstances” are this time we don’t know, though if he’s a Spotify user, under their new privacy terms, presumably they could hack into his email for us and find out.
READ MORE ABOUT: Tyler The Creator
Tuesday 25 August 2015, 09:51 | By Chris Cooke
CMU’s One Liners: ASCAP, Rock Band, The Libertines and two more
Artist News Business News Labels & Publishers One Liners Releases Retail
Other notable announcements and developments today…
• US collecting society ASCAP has a brand new SVP Strategy & Business Development in the form of Mark Sperling, formerly of investment bank Allen & Company. He’ll develop business strategy and strategies for business development, I’m sure. “Wealth” said ASCAP boss Elizabeth Matthews. Referring to Sperling’s knowledge, not his banking buddies.
• The Libertines have opened a shop! You know, just in case the new album bombs. Always good to have a back up plan I say. Sited next to the Dublin Castle venue in Camden, where the band will stage a number of events next week, the pop-up store will sell rare memorabilia and coffee in aid of the Rock N Roll Rescue charity, which is actually hosting the thing.
• Arctic Monkeys track ‘Arabella’ will feature on the soundtrack to ‘Rock Band 4’ it has been revealed, because, as I’m sure you all remember, the pretend-to-play gaming phenomenon is coming back this Autumn with new versions of both ‘Rock Band’ and ‘Guitar Hero’. Songs from Soundgarden, Cake, The Black Keys and, even, Mark Ronson, will also appear on the former.
• Megadeath’s Dave Mustaine has said it would be nice to be asked to rejoin the band from which he was famously fired in 1983, Metallica, though he’d still turn them down, down, down. Which I think makes the chances of him being asked even less likely. Though, in a Twitter Q&A with fans, he did call Metallica drummer Lars Ulrich a “friend”.
• Members of One Direction have been busy telling fans what ‘hiatus’ means and that while they will – as The Sun reported – be going on a break next year, they’ll be back. Though 1D fans ought to be told that you only really know a pop group is going to carry on performing forever once they’ve announced their “final ever world tour”.
READ MORE ABOUT: Arctic Monkeys | ASCAP | Dave Mustaine | One Direction | The Libertines
Tuesday 25 August 2015, 09:45 | By Chris Cooke
Bon Jovi depart label with song dissing label
And Finally Artist News Deals
Bon Jovi have fulfilled their contractual commitments to Mercury Records with a song dissing, well, Mercury Records.
The aptly named title track of their new album ‘Burning Bridges’ includes the lines: “After 30 years of loyalty, they let you dig the grave / Now maybe you can learn to sing or strum along / Well I’ll give you half the publishing / You’re why I wrote this song”.
Which isn’t the most explicit of rock disses ever, but Jon Bon Jovi told Billboard: “This hits it right in the head and tells you what happened. Listen to the lyrics because it explains exactly what happened. And that’s that”.
So there you go. As that there lyric states, Bon Jovi had been signed to Mercury Records for thirty years, though Universal Music has been busy winding down the label brand in recent years, merging the UK division in with Virgin EMI, and shifting Mercury-signed artists in the US over to other labels within the group. Which might be what pissed Bon Jovi off.
The slightly slap dash ‘Burning Bridges’ was originally intended as a souvenir CD to be dished out on the band’s tour of south-east Asia, but they seemingly decided to release it proper this week to fulfil their most recent record contract with Universal, so they are free agents when they get round to releasing their next new album proper next year.
READ MORE ABOUT: Bon Jovi | Mercury Records | Universal Music
Monday 24 August 2015, 16:06 | By CMU Editorial
From The Fringe: Japan Marvelous Drummers
From The Fringe
Each day this month we are looking at some of the shows, performers and events being championed at the Edinburgh Festival this year by our sister magazine ThreeWeeks.
And more drumming today. Says our reviewer of these guys: “The description ‘traditional instruments of Japan’ doesn’t quite convey the explosion of raw power and noise that is ‘Japan Marvelous Drummers’. So be prepared: this show is big, loud, and utterly wonderful”.
He goes on: “With astounding skill and stamina, eight musicians work their way through not only drums of all kinds but also Koto harps, flutes and clarinets, presenting everything with charming good humour. The feats of strength are staggering – watching a man struggle to hold up a drum the size of a tumble dryer while two musclebound drummers beat it mercilessly is an image that will stay with you. The drummers deserve to pack out the George Square Theatre before the end of their run, and I sincerely hope they do”
Japan Marvelous Drummers is on at Assembly George Square Theatre in Edinburgh until 30 Aug.
READ MORE ABOUT: Edinburgh Fringe | Japan Marvelous Drummers | ThreeWeeks
Monday 24 August 2015, 16:00 | By Chris Cooke
Spotify apologises for confusion over new privacy terms
Business News Digital Top Stories
So people got a bit nippy after reading Spotify’s new terms and conditions last week, didn’t they?
Just because the Spotify player wanted access to your address book, to see who you’ve been addressing of late. And just because it wanted access to your location information, to see where you’ve been located of late. And just because it wanted access to your sensor data, to see what you’ve been sensing of late.
And just because it wanted access to your media files, to see what you’ve been mediating of late. And just because it wanted access to your photos, to see what you’ve been photographing of late. And just because it wanted access to your home every third weekend, to browse through your CD collection, magazine box and underwear drawer, to see what you’ve been playing, reading and wearing of late.
What’s creepy about any of that? And without all this privileged access to your private life, how is Spotify ever meant to know that that Voice Of The Beehive track has very special memories for you, and should be put onto your personal playlist every seven weeks?
But some people thought these new terms (most of which I didn’t make up) were far from acceptable. Though worry not – angry tweeters and subscription cancellers – because this wasn’t the Spotify massive staging a full-on assault against your article eight rights under the European Convention. No. This was just one of those communication cock-ups that are so fashionable these days
“We are in the middle of rolling out new terms and conditions and privacy policy and they’ve caused a lot of confusion about what kind of information we access and what we do with it”, declared Spotify overlord Daniel Ek. “We apologise for that. We should have done a better job in communicating what these policies mean and how any information you choose to share will – and will not – be used”.
He understands people’s concerns, Ek went on, but Spotify would never nab your photos, or your location information, or your microphone, or your contacts, without asking for your explicit permission first, and they’d never force you to share such things either. Not only that, but “we have heard your concerns loud and clear and we will further update the new privacy policy in the coming weeks to better reflect what we have explained above”.
Phew. And I have to say, I for one am both convinced and relieved. Though Ek writing all this in note he left on my pillow in the middle of the night was a little bit creepy.
READ MORE ABOUT: Daniel Ek | Spotify
Monday 24 August 2015, 15:56 | By Chris Cooke
PIPCU has now requested that domain registrars disable 317 piracy sites
Business News Digital Legal
The City Of London Police’s IP Crime Unit – or PIPCU to its closest allies – has to date requested that domain name registrars suspend 317 pirate sites, according to Torrentfreak, which accessed the stat via a Freedom On Information request.
We knew PIPCU had written to a number of domain registrars explaining how one or another of their customers was running piracy operations using domains that the recipient registrar manages.
Obviously, as a policing unit rather than a court, PIPCU has no actual authority to order those registrars to disable the domains of the offending websites, though the letter sent usually pointed out that – by infringing copyright via their domain – said customers were in breach of the registrar’s own terms and conditions. The implication being that the registrar might like to do something about that.
And some registrars did just that, though some others ignored the letters, stressing that they would – and possibly could – only disable a domain in their control if ordered to do so by a court of law, where the operators of the offending website would, in theory at least, have an opportunity to defend themselves if they so wished. Canadian domain registrar easyDNS was particularly vocal on all this.
Interested to know how prolific PIPCU had been with this letter sending campaign ever since the specialist IP crime unit was established just under two years ago, Torrentfreak posted an FoI request. And the website reports that: “In total, PIPCU has sent out suspension requests for 317 domain names, up from 75 around the same time last year”.
In addition to targeting domain registrars, PIPCU also told Torrentfreak that it had sent warning letters directly to the operators of 377 piracy websites, all of which had been referred to the policing unit by entertainment industry trade groups.
What PIPCU wasn’t able to tell Torrentfreak is how successful these letter sending initiatives have been, in terms of how many websites have voluntarily shut down their copyright infringing operations, and how many registrars have disabled offending domains.
Given the police unit recently had a good brag about the success of its work to deter big brands from advertising on piracy sites, the fact it was less willing to share about the success of its letter sending initiatives may mean they haven’t been as effective, though not necessarily.
READ MORE ABOUT: City Of London Police | PIPCU | Torrentfreak
Monday 24 August 2015, 15:50 | By Chris Cooke
EFF responds to server firm seeking to delete lost MegaUpload files
Business News Digital Legal MegaUpload Timeline
The Electronic Frontier Foundation has re-entered the debate over the lost MegaUpload files after the new owners of hosting company Carpathia requested permission to delete the data it is still storing from the long defunct file-transfer platform.
As much previously reported, Carpathia was one of the key providers of server space to MegaUpload before it was shutdown by the US authorities in 2012, amidst allegations of rampant copyright infringement. Ever since then, the server firm has been holding on to all the data MegaUpload customers had uploaded to its platform before the shutdown. But earlier this month the company’s new owner said it now wanted to wipe all that data, because of the cost of storing servers it is not actually able to use.
However, on those servers, in amongst all the copyright infringing music and movie files that definitely were distributed via MegaUpload, is plenty of content legitimately uploaded by users, some of whom lost access to their files – without back-ups – and without warning, all the way back in 2012.
The EFF has been representing one of those people, sports journalist Kyle Goodwin, ever since, as he desperately tries to get his content back. The judge overseeing all this has been sympathetic to Goodwin in the past, though the US authorities who instigated the MegaUpload shutdown have generally just pointed out that, under the defunct company’s terms, customers were advised to keep local back ups of files.
Meanwhile the feds – and the music and movie industries – didn’t just want MegaUpload turned back on to allow the likes of Goodwin to reclaim their files, because other users could have used that time to download all the unlicensed content stored on the servers. But no other solution for reconnecting users with legit files has ever been forthcoming from the authorities or the entertainment industry’s trade groups.
Responding to the news that Carpathia was now looking to delete all the files on the old MegaUpload servers, the EFF said on Friday: “When the government seized Megaupload’s assets and servers in January 2012, Mr Goodwin lost access to video files containing months of his professional work. Today, EFF filed a brief on behalf of Mr Goodwin asking, once again, for the return of the files”.
It went on: “Recently a new company took control of Carpathia. This new company, QTS Realty Trust, took the opportunity to remind the court that it’s still paying to store and preserve the servers that it can’t dispose of. So EFF and the firm of Williams Mullen, on behalf of Mr Goodwin, took this opportunity to remind the court that Mr Goodwin, and those like him, still need to get their files back”.
Concluding, the EFF said: “Kyle Goodwin, and others like him, did nothing but legitimately use a cloud storage service to house legal files. In Kyle’s case, it was business files, but many others lost access to personal and private information as well. We believe the time has come for those folks to get their data back. We hope the court agrees”.
READ MORE ABOUT: Carpathia Hosting | Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) | MegaUpload
Monday 24 August 2015, 15:44 | By Chris Cooke
PRS announces a new deal with Spotify
Business News Deals Digital
So, I agreed to the new terms and conditions on Spotify the other day, and when I opened up my CMU Daily template this morning this announcement had just been plonked here. Thanks Dan!
No, not really. Though if there’s one thing that can drown out the moaning of privacy geeks obsessing about the new Spotify t+cs, it’s the moaning of any songwriters you’ve just managed to bamboozle into a conversation about streaming royalties. “Unsustainable! Unworkable! Unfair!”, they’ll almost certainly declare. With a nice little rhyme thrown in for good measure. Like what I did there, just for your pleasure.
But none of that is stopping the UK publishing sector’s collecting society PRS For Music from signing up to a new two-year multi-territory deal with the Spotifys. The new arrangement covers a wide-ranging repertoire, with a big slice of the works controlled by PRS in the UK and IMRO in Ireland licensed on a pan-European basis. And in the UK and Ireland itself, songs from 100+ other affiliated societies around the globe are included too.
What about the hub, you ask? What about the SPVs, you ask? I don’t know. Let’s just accept a new deal has been done giving Spotify access to a significant catalogue of songs, and we’ll get into the specifics another day. Agreed? Good. Now you can get on with reading these quality quotes. Or moaning about Spotify’s new privacy terms. Or worrying about the impact of streaming income on the songwriting community. Whichever you prefer really.
PRS For Music’s Head Of Online Ben McEwen: “We are excited to continue working with Spotify, a relationship that allows millions of users across the globe to enjoy our members’ repertoire. The prodigious growth of Spotify is helping to shape a strong future for dynamic, legitimate streaming services, and we support this thriving online market that recognises and remunerates the works of the creator”.
Spotify’s Global Head Of Publisher Relations James Duffett-Smith: “We are very happy to be able to announce the continuation of our successful relationship with PRS For Music. We very much appreciate the ongoing support of PRS For Music and the fantastic publishers and songwriters they represent, and look forward to continuing to build a sustainable future for the creators at the heart of the music industry”.
READ MORE ABOUT: Ben McEwen | James Duffett-Smith | PRS For Music | Spotify
Monday 24 August 2015, 15:40 | By Chris Cooke
Neil Young wants a business leader to take Pono further forward
Business News Digital
Whilst making that previously reported Pono Promise last week, Neil Young also posted a long update on this super high quality download store to Facebook, in which he reviewed the progress his digital music venture has made to date, bigged up his business partners and financial backers, and then declared the search is still on for someone to lead this business on his behalf.
Young wrote: “We are a little company doing what only one giant corporation has been able to do before. And we are doing some things they have not done. We are serving hi res master files of your favourite music. We have an engaged and thriving online community. With no advertising we have put tens of thousands of players and hundreds of thousands of tracks in the ears of music lovers. We do this by working with many companies who help us to provide the quality we serve”.
On his backers, he wrote: “Investors who support Pono with resources come partly from the music industry. Some are musicians, others are entrepreneurs who love music, and some are just good folk who love music and have the resources to support us. We have a few friends with resources from their successful businesses. These music-loving friends have graciously supported us, and helped us to avoid some costly mistakes with their sage advice. We have only one venture capitalist behind us. We greatly appreciate all of these supporters, as well as our original Kickstarter supporters”.
On the need for someone to lead the venture moving forward, Young mused on: “We have no proven business leader at the head of our company, but the search continues for one who could do it to our liking and understand what our goal is and how big it is. We are still looking. We have a big goal”. One of Pono’s backers did take on the job of CEO for a time, though there hasn’t been anyone in that role for a year now.
You can read Neil Young’s full update here if you so wish. And yes, CMU Editor Andy Malt is still away. So let’s all declare: “PONO IS FUCKING AMAZING”. Even if it isn’t.
READ MORE ABOUT: Neil Young | Pono | PonoPromise
Monday 24 August 2015, 15:36 | By Chris Cooke
One Direction hiatus in the diary, apparently
Artist News
You know One Direction right? You know… they have that song that goes “na, na, na, naaaaah”. You know the one I mean? I love that song. So much, in fact, I refuse to name it. Because for me, it’s the pop music equivalent of ‘Macbeth’.
Then it goes “boobi-doobi-do”. I mean there’s actual words in the actual song. But those words have come to mean so much to me, that just typing them here on this page would kickstart an emotional breakdown that, frankly, none of us could contend with, not on a day like this. I think it was Harry who conceived the essence of this song. In fact I know it was. Because this song has got that very kind of essence. The Harry Styles kind of essence.
“Ya-ya-ya-ya-da”. That’s how it goes next. Which some would say is a little obvious. But going that obvious, really isn’t that obvious, is it? No, it isn’t. That’s what you’re forgetting. And I’d be feeling really rather embarrassed around about now if I was you. Because that “Ya-ya-ya-ya-da”, while obvious, is also inspired. I can hear Louis’ involvement there. It’s a typically inspiring Louis Tomlinson moment.
And then there’s the guitar bit. “Nya, nya, nya, nya, nya” it seems to go. I mean it doesn’t actually go “Nya, nya, nya, nya, nya”. It’s a guitar. It’s making guitar sounds. But those guitar sounds, boy, they’re real guitar sounds. Not pointless rock guitar sounds. Pop guitar sounds, like God intended. I’m pretty sure we have Niall to thank for this bit. And I do thank him for this bit. Every day of every week of every month. Even Wednesdays. And even in the third week of April. Thank you Niall Horan. “Nya, nya, nya, nya, nya”. Love it.
But then, wow, just when you’re least expecting it, there’s that slow down at the end. “Mnar, Mnar, Mnar, Mnar” it seems to go. And I’ll admit it. I didn’t see it coming. Not first time out. Totally took me by surprise. And I can remember how elated that made me feel. I reckon we have Liam to thank for the slowdown at the end. And therefore, also for the elation I felt the first time I heard it. Which is just like Liam Payne. He is the undeniable king of elation.
And the chorus. Oh, what a chorus. Round and round it goes. And then there’s the middle eight. Ah, the middle eight. I bet that was Zayn. Because I’ve listened to all the new 1D songs, and they’re magnificent, obviously, but I’ve not heard a middle eight like this one, not since Zayn left. And while things will never be quite the same now that Zayn Malik has left One Direction, I still get to enjoy that glorious middle eight. And for that I will always be thankful.
“So different” it goes, “so easy” it adds, “and now I’m caught…”. Oh hang on. I’m thinking of ‘Caught In The Middle’ by A1. Great song. Anyway, The Sun reckons One Direction are going on hiatus next March and won’t tour their fifth album.
READ MORE ABOUT: One Direction
Monday 24 August 2015, 15:31 | By Chris Cooke
Basement Jaxx announce special show for World Peace Day
Artist News Gigs & Festivals
Basement Jaxx have announced a special live show in Koko in London on 21 Sep to mark World Peace Day, which is an actual thing. Joining the duo will be a varied cast of special guests including the LCV Choir and The London Ballet Company. The whole shebang will raise money for initiatives instituted by Peace One Day.
Confirming all this, Felix Buxton of the Jaxx said: “My aim is to inform as many people as possible about this important and inspiring day. It is not only about peace and ceasefire in war zones, it is about peace in our homes, our relationships, our schools, our work and finding peace in our hearts. Just think. We start with one day, then two… and we move towards global peace. NOW is the perfect time to start transforming our world and our minds. We welcome all cynics, those seeking to embrace positivity and those who just want to have a great night out! ”
Hey, that’s me, thrice over. Good times. Tickets went on sale this morning here.
READ MORE ABOUT: Basement Jaxx | Felix Buxton
Monday 24 August 2015, 15:28 | By Chris Cooke
Foo Fighters Rickroll Westboro Baptist Church
And Finally Artist News Media
That crazy Westboro Baptist Church bunch set themselves up outside a Foo Fighters gig on Friday to do one of their crazy protests. But I think the band got the last laugh. Again.
On hearing that the Westboro lot were in town, the band found themselves a pick-up truck and drove past the protestors with Rick Astley’s ‘Never Gonna Give You Up’ blaring out the speakers, and carrying signs declaring ‘Keep It Clean’ and ‘You got Rickroll’d (again)’.
It’s not the first time the band have responded to a Westboro protest outside one of their gigs by firing back with a tune, though it was still a fun little episode, which was captured on camera here.
READ MORE ABOUT: Foo Fighters | Westboro Baptist Church
Friday 21 August 2015, 12:00 | By Paul Vig
Vigsy’s Club Tip: Musika presents Feel My Bicep at La Belle Angele
Club Tip CMU Approved
With half the CMU camp currently operating from north of Hadrian’s Wall, I feel the club tip should also head to Edinburgh.
And the Nightvision guys, feeling the need to stage a Fringe party, tonight team up with Ulster’s Bicep boys, who pride themselves in showcasing electronica that spans forgotten disco, Chicago house and Detroit techno.
Gerd Janson also makes his Edinburgh debut. He recently produced a decent compo from which I suspect he’ll sneak a few tracks this evening. Should be a good one.
Fri 21 August, La Belle Angele, 212 Cowgate, Edinburgh, EH1 1NB, 11pm – 5am, £12-15.
READ MORE ABOUT: Feel My Bicep
Friday 21 August 2015, 11:55 | By Chris Cooke
Talent agency UTA boosts music credentials by acquiring The Agency Group
Business News Deals Live Business Top Stories
Following rumours to this effect earlier this week, the United Talent Agency has acquired The Agency Group, in a deal that makes UTA an immediate major player in the live music space, it being better known to date for representing actors rather than musicians.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, the acquisition has been enabled by a new investment into UTA by Jeffrey Ubben of San Francisco-based ValueAct Capital, which has previously invested in a number of tech and media companies. Though Ubben is investing in a personal capacity here, joining the UTA board as a non-voting member.
UTA boss Jeremy Zimmer told the Reporter that: “[This is] not a typical institutional investment that comes with all kinds of restrictions and voting rights. This investment is really about bringing a smart, seasoned investor into the company to help us consider our future growth. It’s a much more comfortable and organic relationship”.
Under the deal, The Agency Group will merge with UTA’s existing music division, which will then be headed up by TAG founder and President Neil Warnock, who basically takes over as the firm’s Head Of Worldwide Music from Rob Prinz, who left UTA back in April. Though TAG’s CEO Gavin O’Reilly won’t joint the combined venture and will leave the company.
Zimmer called the deal “a quantum leap forward for us in the music business”, adding that “there are so many different areas of expertise that go into being a top-shelf music agency, and we were able to find all of those in one place at The Agency Group, along with a tremendous reservoir of real veteran leadership”.
Prior to being acquired itself, TAG had grown significantly over the years, and especially in recent years, by buying up other smaller music-based booking agencies, an acquisition spree that arguably helped make the privately-held firm an attractive purchase for UTA.
READ MORE ABOUT: Gavin O'Reilly | Neil Warnock | Rob Prinz | The Agency Group | United Talent Agency
Friday 21 August 2015, 11:41 | By Chris Cooke
Indonesia introduces web-blocking
Business News Legal
Indonesia has joined the web-block party, with The Pirate Bay amongst the sites internet service providers in the country have been ordered to stop users from accessing.
The government in Indonesia started to become more proactive in combating online piracy a few years back, amidst international pressure to do more to protect intellectual property rights. Web-blocking has been promised for a while now, and this week the country’s Ministry Of Communications published a list of sites that ISPs were being ordered to block.
It includes some usual suspects like The Pirate Bay and IsoHunt.to, though many of the sites subject to web-blocks are better known locally. Indeed, the Ministry Of Communication said that its top priority in web-blocking on copyright grounds was to protect the country’s movie industry, and sites enabling the infringement of domestic films were most likely to be subject to subsequent blockades down the line.
Moving forward, rights owners will able to file complaints against infringing sites to the Ministry Of Communications, where the Director General Of Intellectual Property, Ahmad M Ramli, will seemingly be personally empowered to issue web-block orders, possibly within 24 hours of receiving a complaint.
Web-blocking, of course, has been a common anti-piracy tactic in many countries, especially in Europe. Though in the main some sort of judicial process is involved in issuing web-blocking orders, to reassure critics that websites have a platform via which to defend their operations if they believe they are being unfairly accused of enabling copyright infringement. But it seems this element will not be required in Indonesia.
Ironically, given pressure from the US has in part persuaded countries like Indonesia to ramp up anti-piracy rules, in America web-blocking still isn’t an option for rights owners and, as previously reported, plans by Hollywood to try and secure a blockade in court without an actual change in copyright law was called off this week, after a number of big tech companies hit out at the plan.
Of course web-blocking is no panacea, with consumers often able to circumvent the blockades via a simple Google search. Though rights owners insist they remain an important tool in hindering piracy, and educating consumers as to what are legit and illegitimate sources of music and movie content online.
READ MORE ABOUT: IsoHunt.to | The Pirate Bay | web-blocking
Friday 21 August 2015, 11:38 | By Chris Cooke
Rightscorp drops appeal over whether or not DMCA subpoenas can be used for anti-piracy letter sending programme
Business News Labels & Publishers Legal
While the US doesn’t have web-blocking as an anti-piracy deterrent, in recent years there has been a prolific letter sending programme by rights owners to suspected file-sharers, in which web users receive letters telling them they are suspected of infringing copyrights online and must stop or face litigation. The letters also sometimes demand a nominal fee be paid to compensate rights owners for past infringement, which is where the letter-sending campaign has, at times, been a little controversial.
With most of the big ISPs in the US, those letters have been sent via the Copyright Alert System, a voluntary programme set up by the content industries and the big cable companies (many of which are, themselves, in the content business).
But not all net firms are part of that programme, and with those other ISPs the music and movie industries have had to find alternative ways to get their letters out, because although they can link infringing activity to a specific IP address, only the internet provider knows the identity of the person connecting to the net at that location.
Some rights owners – and especially anti-piracy agency Rightscorp – have tried getting subpoenas under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act to force those other usually smaller ISPs to hand over the contact information of suspected file-sharers, and some net firms have complied with those court orders.
But, as previously reported, one net firm – Cbeyond, owned by Birch Communications – argued that the subpoenas being used by Rightscorp had no actual power in this kind of file-sharing case, and therefore it wasn’t obliged to hand over any contact information for its file-sharing customers.
And earlier this year a US court agreed with Birch’s viewpoint, while in May another court rejected a number of arguments Rightscorp made against that earlier ruling. Unsurprisingly, given it had used this tactic against a number of ISPs by this point, Rightscorp then set about appealing the May judgement.
But, according to Torrentfreak, the anti-piracy firm has now dropped that appeal, which suggests it has accepted the limitations of the DMCA subpoenas that previously proved so useful to them and their clients.
A spokesman for Birch told Torrentfreak: “The DMCA did not provide any basis to require an internet service provider in Birch’s position to open its files to private litigants. Rightscorp dropped its appeal of the May 2015 decision and the court issued an entry of dismissal in the case”.
READ MORE ABOUT: Copyright Alert System | Digital Millennium Copyright Act | DMCA | Rightscorp | Torrentfreak
Friday 21 August 2015, 11:29 | By Chris Cooke
ASCAP announces revamp of customer support functions
Business News Labels & Publishers
US performing rights organisation ASCAP has announced the “centralisation of all global customer service support functions into a single global unit” which, you might wonder, means what exactly? Well, I can help you there. This new unit will “deliver a best-in-class customer service experience that will result in rapid resolution of customer inquiries”. Oh, of course.
Says ASCAP CEO Elizabeth Matthews: “ASCAP’s goal is to establish a new standard for exceptional customer service support for songwriters, composers, music publishers and performing rights societies globally”.
She went on: “The music rights business is more complex than ever and, as a result, we are working to proactively transform our operations and organisational structure in order to simplify the experience of working with ASCAP. We want key ASCAP customers – writers, publishers, global PRO partners and licensees – to have the most efficient and responsive customer service team available in order to enhance the customer experience”.
All collecting societies are under increased pressure, of course, to improve efficiency and transparency in the way they collect and distribute royalties from those services and operations licensed through the collective licensing system, not least as some publishers and rights management firms talk up the efficiency and transparency of their own systems. And the latest developments at ASCAP are presumably part of those efforts to ramp up customer service for rights owners and licensees alike.
READ MORE ABOUT: ASCAP | Elizabeth Matthews
Friday 21 August 2015, 11:27 | By Chris Cooke
Pono makes a promise
Business News Digital
Neil Young’s super high quality download operation PonoMusic has announced a new pledge, to resupply music to its users whenever it becomes available in an even more super high quality format. It’s called the PonoPromise.
Says the company behind the proprietary Pono digital music player and its accompanying download store: “With interest in high-resolution music growing, an increasing amount of the music is being released and then reissued by the record labels at higher resolutions. That creates a dilemma for consumers. Should they buy the best album resolution available now and worry they might have to re-purchase if it is released at a higher resolution later?”
But dilemma yourself no more. “The PonoPromise, introduced by Neil Young, solves this problem. Customers can buy PonoMusic knowing they will never have to purchase the same music again”. Though, do note, “to be eligible, a customer needs to have made the original album purchase from PonoMusic.com”.
So there you go.
CMU Editor Andy Malt is away at the moment, so can I just take this opportunity to say what a brilliant idea Pono is, how everyone can definitely tell the difference between 320kps MP3s and high quality WAV files, how a high def download store is definitely what the music industry needs in 2015 whatever you tedious streamers say, and that a triangular digital music player is just genius. All of which is dog shit of course, but it’ll annoy Andy if we all go around saying that. So, join with me one and all: “PONO IS FUCKING AMAZING”.
READ MORE ABOUT: Neil Young | Pono | PonoMusic | PonoPromise
Friday 21 August 2015, 11:20 | By Chris Cooke
Eight new compositions to emerge in just one week via Bigo & Twigetti collaborative project
Artist News Releases
Next week the Bigo & Twigetti label will be bringing together a stack of artists and collaborators to write, arrange, perform, record, edit and master an album from scratch in just seven days. Though it will be a special form of collaboration, in that each artist gets their own moment to move each track forward, before passing it on to the next musician.
We actually mentioned this when approving of Bigo & Twigetti’s Jim Perkins last month, and set to join him on the project next week are Antonymes, Beatrice Chaume, Chris Perren (Nonsemble), Leah Kardos, Lucy Claire, Richard Talbot (Marconi Union) and Tiny Leaves.
Perkins told CMU: “The original idea for this came from an EP I did about the notion of emergence in 2012. I met with this guy called David Yates, who was a doctor of philosophy at Kings specialising in emergence. I wanted to run some compositional ideas by him to see if, from what I’d read, I’d understood anything at all about what emergence means”.
He goes on: “So I explained that I would create some music, pass it to the animator Em Cooper, who would then respond with animation and send that back to me, and I would then change the music and pass it back to her to take the animation further, and we’d repeat this process several times. Once David had concurred that that was, indeed, a valid example of the processes used to produce emergent phenomena, I decided that was the process I would use for that EP”.
“And this idea of going back and forth a lot of times is one I now use a fair bit in collaborations with visual artists – as opposed to sending over a finished piece of music and asking them to make a video – it is time consuming, but the piece ends up more effectively integrated and connected, and in my experience the process produces a better piece of art than just making a video to a fixed piece of music”.
Which brings us to next week’s project. “I thought, what about creating an album in this way, but rather than just having two artists going back and forth, I thought it might be more interesting if the creators only got one chance each to add their input to the creative process. Obviously that would require many more composers and producers to take part. I also thought it would be more interesting to make this project very time limited, so that the creation had to be, to some extent, reactive/responsive/improvised, forcing composers to make quicker decisions and hopefully adding an energy and excitement to the music”.
And so that is exactly what will be happening next week. “We’ve tried to pick artists whose natural style fits with the aesthetic of the label” Perkins adds, “as we need to share it with an audience that will be interested in something like this. We did a test run in March with just three artists over 48 hours and the results were excellent. This time it’s on a larger scale with eight artists and eight tracks in a week”.
You can pre-order the final work – out on 31 Aug – on Bandcamp already. Plus there will be clips and videos from the project going online next week via the label and participating artists’ social media. Keep watching, this one should be very interesting.
READ MORE ABOUT: Bigo & Twigetti | Jim Perkins
Friday 21 August 2015, 11:15 | By Chris Cooke
CMU’s One Liners: Universal Music, NME.com, PRS For Music Foundation, and some cover versions
Artist News Business News Industry People Labels & Publishers Media One Liners Releases
Other notable announcements and developments today…
• Universal Music has announced it will be getting lots of “commercial, strategic, operational and analytical insight” from it’s new COO for Asia, Franck Villet, who previously held similar roles in the gaming industry. Operational insight is my personal favourite. Though I’ll accept analytical if needs must.
• NME.com Editor Greg Cochrane is leaving the buzzy new free music mag after two and half years to become Digital Director of rival title Loud And Quiet. He also plans to do more freelance stuff. And why the devil not, say I. It’s thought all NME staffers will now work across the online and print channels as the latter goes all freebie.
• The PRS For Music Foundation has promoted current staffers Joe Frankland and Flora Ward, to Senior Grants & Programmes Manager and Grants Co-ordinator respectively. Meanwhile Naomi Belshaw moves from PRS itself over to the Foundation to be Grants & Programme Manager, and Leyla Atamturk joins the charity as Administrator. Foundation boss Vanessa Reed is both “delighted” and “excited”. And who wouldn’t be? Me, that’s who. No, not really. I’m super-delighted and uber-excited. All the fucking time.
• As part of its 25th anniversary celebrations, Jazz FM will air an interview it did with the late great Nina Simone back in 1998, ahead of what ended up being her last but one London performance. The archive recording will air on the up coming Bank Holiday Monday.
• Talking of Nina Simone, Lana Del Ray covers one of her tracks, ‘Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood’, on her upcoming new album ‘Honeymoon’, which will be released on 18 Sep and is now available for pre-order. It has other tracks too. Want to know the name of one of them? ”Burnt Norton’ (Interlude)’. You’re welcome.
• Talking of cover versions, you all presumably know Ryan Adams is covering Taylor Swift’s ‘1989’ album in its entirety, right? He’s been posting snippets of said covers. Swift said she was excited about that project from the off, and has now told Entertainment Weekly: “Ryan Adams is one of the artists who shaped my songwriting. My favourite part of his style of creating music is his ability to bleed aching vulnerability into it, and that’s what he’s done with his cover project of my album ‘1989’”.
READ MORE ABOUT: Jazz FM | Lana Del Rey | NME.com | PRS Foundation | Ryan Adams | Universal Music
