Underground Resistance vs Sony, Round 1
pope jonny jedi III
This will be news to some of you. For others, you've heard some rumors.
Recently, UR (Underground Resistance) has enjoyed the success of the
track,
"Knights of the Jaguar" by DJ Rolando. Recognizing that UR (Mad Mike,
in
particular) would be unwilling to license the track, Sony bypassed even
making a request and has decided to release a "cover" version titled
"Jaguar." Unconfirmed reports even indicate that promotional
information on
the records imply that it is a UR release. Cover versions traditionally
have been done by fans of the original track as an homage to the
original.
In this case, it is being done as a method of undercutting the sales of
the original.
While this is an unethical and unprincipled act in and of itself, it is
also
a very dangerous act. In doing this, a major label, Sony, has
determined
that it has the right to stomp all over an independent label in its
pursuit
of profits. With this as a precedent, the question that should concern
any
and everybody in the music community is who will be next? It is
imperative
that Sony be held accountable for its actions. We are currently looking
into whatever legal options we have as well as any other means to put an
end
to this. We urge all concerned individuals to flood Sony's offices
worldwide with calls, emails, and faxes expressing those concerns.
This kind of crap has to stop and it has to stop now.
Anyone with any ideas, comments, addresses, or suggestions, please let
me
know. Some basic info follows. Any media folks, contact me privately.
If
anything could get Mad Mike out in the open, well...contact me.
Peace,
Cornelius Harris
Underground Resistance
This is the original irritant, the place where this started. Feel free
to...
contact them.
Sony Music Entertainment (Germany) GmbH
New Media/Business Affairs
Stephanstr. 15
60313 Frankfurt
Telefon: (069) 13888-0
dirk_...@de.sonymusic.com <a
href="mailto:dirk_...@de.sonymusic.com">
The following are also involved in this in that the track is available
in
the UK and New York. Feel free to let folks know how you feel.
Sony
666 Fifth Ave
New York, New York 10019
212-833-8000
General Comments: SonyMus...@sonymusic.com
Sony of Canada Ltd.
Head Office:
115 Gordon Baker Road
Toronto, Ontario
M2H 3R6
Main Telephone: (416) 499-1414
Main Fax: (416) 497-1774
General Inquiry e-mail: feed...@sony.ca
Incoming message: Fwd Jaguar
Sony Music
Sony Music Entertainment (Germany) Gmbh
StephanstraB 15 60313 Frankfurt/Main (Germany)
Telefon (069) 13688-0 Telefax (069) 13888-440
Sending Party Recieving Party
Name: Dirk Dreyer Name: Underground Resistance
Division: Dance Division Location: Submerge
Date: 10.12.99 13:54:38
Subject: JAGUAR
---------------- Begin Forwarded Message ----------------
Date: 12/10 6:38 AM
Received: 12/10 3:15 PM
From: Dirk Dreyer, dirk_...@de.sonymusic.com
To: U...@submerge.com <mailto:U...@submerge.com>
Please forward this message to DJ Rolando and Mad Mike
Hello Rolando & Mike,
sorry for not contacting you on this way earlier but I did not
realise the relationship between Submerge and UR. I have found this
adress on
the Submerge webside. My only contact to you so far is __________ but I
prefer the direct contact.
As you sure know, our promo release of the cover version of your track
from
the 'Knights Of The Underground' EP is currently talk of the techno
community.
Let me explain the history of the idea and our point of view.
I bought the 12" six months ago and enjoyed hearing the Jaguar whole
summer.
The feedback to the track is amazing, I have never seen people - no
matter
if house,techno and even trance fans - enjoying one tune like this one.
It
seems to be the first genre - crossover track for years since the
split of 'techno house'from the early 90's to different styles and
fanbases.
In my way of 'industry thinking' it is a track worth to be available for
lot of people, much more than just people going to yinyl shops.
The philosophy of Underground Resistance not to cooperate with the
industry
is well known Your title names like 'message to the majors' and the
liner
notes on your records are not misunderstandable. I understand that you
don't
want to have any relationship with companies like Sony. Nevertheless we
have
tried to license the track for a compilation via our vinyl partner
Discomania
but we did not get a response.
As we don't want to be seen as guys who rip off or bootleg a well known
track, we have chosen the way of rerecording the track tone by tone.
Indeed the new version has lost some of the typical Detroit flavour,
what
makes me still prefer the original. On the CD will be the original
writer and
publishing credits that you get the publishing money that you deserve.
I know that you, Rolando, have met our promoter _________ aka
___________
when you played at Stammheim / Kassel. Please let me know your thoughts
about the
story. All I get so far is rumours.
Kind regards
Dirk Dreyer
A&R Manager Sony
Joey, in the ghetto, in Silicon Valley
>
>This will be news to some of you. For others, you've heard some rumors.
>
>Recently, UR (Underground Resistance) has enjoyed the success of the
>track,
>"Knights of the Jaguar" by DJ Rolando. Recognizing that UR (Mad Mike,
>in
>particular) would be unwilling to license the track, Sony bypassed even
>making a request and has decided to release a "cover" version titled
>"Jaguar."
I read the same text on the Digital Hardcore Recordings site
(www.digitalhardcore.com). Seems Atari Teenage Riot has also had a
track used by Sony without permission for an asian playstation
commercial. In the ATR case, the track in question is not even a
"cover", but their own performance. I think we'll be seeing much more
of this sort of behavior on the part of major media companies in the
near future, as they kick and scream their way along the shit-slide to
obsolescence (as far as the music industry goes, at least). When you
consider that any record label is really nothing more than a content
provider, whose economic success has largely been due to the economic
and logistic difficulties that artists (used to) face when trying to
manufacture and distribute their own material, it is easy to
understand the majors' fear and subsequent drastic (i.e.dirty)
measures. In other words, all that labels have traditionally been abel
to offer the artist is production and accessability (and a little
hype, if you happen to be some big wheel's pet project); and with the
advent of the WWW and low-cost, high-quality home production gear, who
really needs a fuckin' label? The Web is perfect for providing public
visibility, promoting appearances, distributing merchandise, and,
increasingly, digital download. I make these comments as an artist who
has done the DIY and the indie label route, and has close friends who
I've had to watch make the descent through the multiple levels of
major-label hell. I have absolutely no fear of the potential for
"piracy" when it comes to digital download distribution, as I would
want as many people as possible to have my work, regardless of their
ability to pay for it. There's fair enough money in gear and other
more tangible merchandise anyway. Who knows, maybe there could even be
a resurgence in the tour circuit, with artists hitting the road based
on Web popularity (look at Mahir...). Anyway, to the labels I say GOOD
RIDDANCE, begining with Sony; as I believe a serious boycott is in
order here.
IGNORE SONY
Over and out,
Joey, in the ghetto, in Silicon Valley