R Kelly prosecutors ask court to hear more testimonies alleging further abuse, bribes and threats in New York trial
Federal prosecutors in R Kelly's New York sex abuse case have asked for more testimonies to be heard at the musicians' upcoming trial.

One of three prosecutions pending in relation to the numerous allegations of sexual abuse that have been made against Kelly, the New York case currently centres on allegations made by six women and girls.

However, prosecutors now say that they want the court to also hear testimonies from more than twelve other people. Those testimonies would include information about two men who allegedly had sexual contact with Kelly when they were underage.

One of those unnamed men says that he was seventeen and trying to break into the music industry when he met Kelly at a McDonald's in 2006. After being invited to the star's Chicago studio, he claims that Kelly asked him what he would be willing to do to make it music, before propositioning him and having sexual contact.

Prosecutors say that this testimony has additional bearing on the case, particularly how Kelly exerted control over his alleged victims and others.

The accuser also says that, when Kelly went on trial on child abuse charges in 2008, he told the musician that he had access to one of the jurors in that case. He claims Kelly then asked him to contact that juror and tell him that the music star was "a good guy". It is not clear if the boy followed through with that request. However, Kelly was acquitted in that case.

It is accusations that Kelly attempted to influence the outcome of that previous trial - mainly by witness tampering - that has seen the musician held in custody for the last two years ever since the most recent round of charges were filed. The court has agreed with the prosecutor that there is a risk that Kelly will attempt to influence his new trials. Indeed, three associates have already been charged with threatening or attempting to pay off witnesses.

In April, one of those men – Richard Arline Jr – pleaded guilty to offering one of Kelly's accusers money to withdraw her allegations. He also told that woman, in phone calls recorded by investigators, that the payments he was offering had been approved by Kelly himself.

Writing to the court on Saturday, prosecutors said that the new testimonies they are putting forward establish that the charges set to be considered during the trial "were not isolated events and were part of a larger pattern".

As well as further accusations of abuse, the testimonies include a number of other alleged crimes. One of these is an accusation that Kelly paid a public official $500 to make a fake ID so it would appear that a woman - believed to be the singer Aaliyah, but listed at 'Jane Doe 1' - was eighteen, rather than fifteen, when she married Kelly in 1994.

If the new testimonies are permitted by the court, another witness will say that Kelly asked her to obtain videos featuring the sexual abuse of boys. In the filing, prosecutors say that a number of videos were obtained during a search of Kelly's home that will corroborate this. Although the filing also says that prosecutors have been "unable to confirm the identity or ages of the individuals appearing in these videos".

Kelly has not been formally charged of any of the additional alleged crimes described in these testimonies within the New York case, though some of these testimonies are linked to one of the other pending trials in Chicago. And prosecutors argue that, even when not directly liked to charges in New York state, the testimonies are "inextricably intertwined with the evidence of the charged crimes".

Prosecutors have also asked that a number of their witnesses be allowed to testify under pseudonyms for their own safety.

The court has not yet responded to the new requests. The trial is set to begin on 9 Aug. Kelly has pleaded not guilty to all charges.

BACK TO THE TOP OF THE BULLETIN

Another round of anti-piracy web-blocks instigated in the UK
Another load of piracy websites have been officially blocked in the UK, though this time round the web-blocking injunction was secured by the Motion Picture Association, so it's mainly unlicensed services that skew towards films and TV shows that are targeted.

Web-blocking is a preferred anti-piracy tactic of both the music and movie industries, of course, or at least it is in those countries where it is an option.

Record companies and movie studios get injunctions from the courts forcing internet service providers to block their customers from accessing specific copyright infringing websites, including sites providing access to unlicensed downloads and streams, as well as stream-ripping services. There are now a stack of such web-blocks in force in the UK.

The MPA confirmed to Torrentfreak that it recently secured another web-blocking injunction targeting more than a dozen websites, including Myflixer, Soap2day, Lookmovie and Moviesjoy.

On its ongoing anti-piracy work, the movie industry trade group told Torrentfreak: "Piracy harms everyone involved in the creative process – from writers, directors, and producers to cast and crew. It also harms consumers by exposing families to malware, identity theft and fraud. We plan to continue working with authorities across the region to implement these and other appropriate legal remedies in support of a safer and healthier online environment".

BACK TO THE TOP OF THE BULLETIN

MNEK renews Warner Chappell deal
MNEK has renewed his publishing deal with Warner Chappell, continuing to work with the major publisher on his growing songs catalogue both as an artist in his own right and as a songwriter for others.

"I'm really happy to be continuing my time with Warner Chappell", he says. "They've been really good to me and my songs over the years and I cannot wait to enter this new chapter of my career with them".

Managing Director of Warner Chappell Music UK, Shani Gonzales, adds: "MNEK is a pop powerhouse. His off-the-scale creative talent is matched by his incredible work ethic. It's no wonder he's in such demand. I'm so pleased he's sticking with us at Chappell and I can't wait to work more closely with him on some of the awesome projects we've got in the pipeline".

MNEK's recent work includes writing and production projects with Little Mix, Anne-Marie, Ne-Yo, Mabel, Amorphous and Nathan Dawe.

BACK TO THE TOP OF THE BULLETIN

Metropolis unveils 3D audio studio
Metropolis Studios in London has opened a new 3D audio recording facility. Its first client is Amazon Music, which has agreed to make the studio its UK base for immersive mixing, already booking in artists including The Amazons, Emma McGrath, Dumbfounded, James Reid and Jules Aurora to use the new set-up.

Designed in partnership with sound company Sonosphere, the new studio is designed to be flexible, so that anyone using it can bring their own mixing console, rather than having to rely on what the studio has available. It is also set up to cater for all surround sound formats, including Dolby Atmos.

"After conceiving the idea with Jamie from Sonosphere back in May 2020, it's taken just over twelve months to execute this project", says Metropolis Studios' Brand Director Gavin Newman. "I am immensely proud of the dedication and hard work that's gone into making this cutting-edge studio a reality".

"It is an impressive addition to the fast-growing immersive audio community which Metropolis is excited to join and lead the charge on, creating an accessible environment for recording artists and others to experiment with the untapped potential of 3D audio", he goes on. "The room's commercial capacity is immense and what better way to launch the studio than with a content partner like Amazon Music".

Amazon Music UK's Head Of Music, Patrick Clifton, adds: "At Amazon Music we are committed to working with artists to bring their visions to life, and our partnership with Metropolis on the creation of this new immersive studio is a further demonstration of that commitment. We're looking forward to working alongside artists and the expert engineers at Metropolis to create brand new 3D audio creations for our listeners".

Find out more about the new studio here.

BACK TO THE TOP OF THE BULLETIN

Standon Calling cancels halfway through final day due to poor weather
Having held on long enough to be able to go ahead with its 2021 edition following the lifting of pandemic restrictions in England on 19 Jul, Standon Calling had to cancel halfway through its final day at the weekend due to adverse weather conditions.

The festival's site was hit with heavy rain and thunderstorms yesterday, making it unsafe to continue, reminding everyone that - even without COVID - running festivals during the Great British summertime can be a little bit risky.

As the stormy weather arrived, the show was initially suspended in the hope that it would pass. However, as conditions became worse, the site began to flood. That coupled with the continued risk of lightning strikes lead to the rest of the event being called off entirely.

"Unfortunately due to flooding we will no longer be able to proceed with the festival", said organisers in a tweeted statement. "If you can safely leave the site this evening please do so as soon as possible. We are working on getting everyone off site as safely and quickly as possible".

However, the weather and resulting flooding meant that for many, leaving the site was not really an option. For starters, many drivers, expecting to leave the next day, were intoxicated. And even if they had been able to drive, roads around the site were blocked. This also meant the people being picked up or planning to use public transport were also unable to leave.

Police later said that "vehicles leaving the festival site will take precedence over other traffic". And the festival itself said that it would make provisions for people unable to leave the site.

Among the artists unable to perform yesterday as a result of of all this were Craig David, Sophie Ellis-Bextor, Primal Scream and De La Soul.

BACK TO THE TOP OF THE BULLETIN

Byta relaunches site following £1 million investment
Pre-release music sharing platform Byta has launched a major redesign, following a CAD$1.9 million (£1.09 million) investment led by the Canada Media Fund.

"The new, cleaner layout makes the whole Byta experience even easier to navigate, saving time when you need to share your music", says Byta's Head Of Product Jen Pomphrey. Over a full year, with the help of users of the platform, the app was redesigned from the ground up with, adds Pomphrey, "a completely new colour scheme, new logo and streamlined features, which of course includes our continued commitment to security".

Byta's selling point is that it is a secure system, which provides tracks with correct metadata and in a variety of formats. It was launched in 2017 by former radio plugger Marc Brown, who says that all of these things had been lacking as marketeers in the record industry moved to digital files when providing pre-release music to media contacts and other key people.

"Music discovery has two layers", Brown says. "The first and most obvious is by music fans after release. However the second, the discovery of music within the music ecosystem pre-release, was completely broken and needed reimagining".

The new site design is live now at byta.com

BACK TO THE TOP OF THE BULLETIN

UK government opens consultation on future of national digital radio multiplexes
There are currently two national digital radio networks - or DAB 'multiplexes' if you prefer - in the UK, one run by Digital One Ltd and the other by Sound Digital Ltd, both of which operate under licences issued by the government. Any national stations available in the UK via the digital audio broadcasting system is utilising one of those multiplexes.

However, the licence currently being used by Digital One is due to expire in November 2023 and, under the current rules, that means that media regulator OfCom should now be getting ready to put that licence up for tender.

But the government's Department Of Digital, Culture, Media & Sport noted last week that "there have been calls by some commercial operators for the government to consider allowing OfCom automatically to renew the national multiplex licences as this would provide the sector with certainty and support".

To that end, the DCMS has opened up a consultation for interested parties to let ministers know their viewpoints on all this.

Current options are to amend the law so that Digital One's licence can just automatically renew itself, which would give the company another twelve year stint running the multiplex. Or have OfCom re-advertise the licence as current rules dictate.

Or there is a possible middle-ground, whereby both Digital One and Sound Digital's current licences would be extended through 2030, so they both come up for renewal at the same time as all the licences covering the local DAB multiplexes around the UK.

So what do you think? On the off chance you do have strong opinions on the future operations of the digital radio networks in the UK - well, tell the government, not me.

BACK TO THE TOP OF THE BULLETIN

Kanye West still working on Donda, having missed Friday release
So, have you all been enjoying Kanye West's new album 'Donda' over the weekend? No, of course you haven't. Because in true Kanye style, after promising that it would be out on Friday following that big listening party for fans on Thursday night, the album has still not been released.

The reason for the delay, seemingly, is that while standing silently playing 'Donda' to 42,000 fans at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, West realised that the album was not quite finished. Already delayed by a year, the album still needs work, he reckons. And he got back to work immediately. So immediately that he's not actually left the Mercedes-Benz stadium yet.

According to TMZ, West has had a studio space and living quarters built in the stadium and plans to stay there until 'Donda' is finished. Whether this means there will be a further listening event at the venue of the actual finished product remains to be seen.

West's 2018 album 'The Life Of Pablo', of course, was updated on streaming services several times before eventually being deemed finished. Now we could see 'Donda' tested out over a stadium PA one or more times before the wider world gets to hear it. Maybe that's the only way you'll ever be able to hear it.

Suspicions that West had not left the Mercedes-Benz Stadium were roused on Saturday. As fans wondered what had happened to the Friday release, the rapper was spotted at the venue on Saturday, watching an Atlanta United football game. He was also still wearing the same outfit that he'd had on during Thursday's listening event. So, West quite possibly got to work right away on the tweaks after said event, and may now be in desperate need of a shower.

Anyway, who knows when this album will actually emerge. Right now, your best chance of getting anywhere close to it is an auction currently running on eBay. One of those 42,000 people who actually got to have a listen thought to take a sandwich bag with them. As a result, there is now a sealed bag of air from the event up for sale.

Just to be clear, this is an actual bag of air. I haven't just come up with a new nickname for Kanye. At the time of writing there are no bids - mainly because the starting bid has been, somewhat optimistically, set at $500 - but there are still six days left to go. We'll see if the album comes out before it sells.

BACK TO THE TOP OF THE BULLETIN