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Bungay E-Mail

RAJRAJ tenacious local 7,779 Posts
edited May 2007 in Strut Central
Hi RajaI wrote to Frank a few month ago about his africanmixes. I was very open to him and explained that I amin the process of releasing a afro beat compilationfrom Benin and that few of the tracks I had alreadylicensed were on his mix. It was a friendly mail and Iwas hoping for a friendly response. Unfortunately itwasent the response that I was hoping for and Frankexplained to me that "now that he moved to Africa hewas not in a position to let people telling him whathe has to do" and added that mixes arent illegalanyway.So I contacted my lawyer and he told me that theperson who will get his letter and the costs involvedis not Frank but the internet website hosting thesongs.At that time the mixes were hosted by konzeptlos.comwhich belongs to a good friend of mine, Rainer. Neverthe less I explained the problem to him and heunderstood. Rainer asked me to send him the list of the tracksfrom Benin that I owned to make sure this wouldn'thappen again and that might be a reason why they arenow on yours.This list was also send to Frank to make sure he alsohad an idea on the songs I owned hoping it would help.So to see one of the tracks on your websiteis very annoying. The song is by Les Volcans/Oya kajojo.I have the license of that track which will bereleased in February 2008 on my compilation (AnalogAfrica No3) and will also be sold on itunes. 15% ofthe cash will go directly towards the composer who inthis case is Atchade Joseph in Benin republic, but ifpeople can download it for free its not good for me.I work with Allegro record company in the US and theyalso have a legal department which is taking care ofmy licenses in the states. Dont get me wrong, this isa friendly mail, but you need to know that some of thematerial on your webside is illegal and that I wouldtake action if the track is not removed without mypermission to have it hosted.Let me know what you think.Hope this finds you well.

  Comments

  • spelunkspelunk 3,400 Posts
    Fuck that. Dude is just trying to stamp his name on a few records.
  • ReynaldoReynaldo 6,054 Posts
    FREE THE MUSIC!!!
  • hemolhemol 2,578 Posts
    At that time the mixes were hosted by konzeptlos.com
    which belongs to a good friend of mine, Rainer. Never
    the less[/b] I explained the problem to him and he
    understood.

    That is an unnecessary use of the word nevertheless, which is not three seperate words. He also wrote "webside". I would guess that you have no real legal obligations until a lawyer contacts you. Smoke em if you got em.
  • PABLOPABLO 1,921 Posts
    Raj is being threatened by a world music label.
    I love it!
    IMG SRC=http://cover6.cduniverse.com/MuzeAudioArt/Large/72/499872.jpg>
  • luckluck 4,077 Posts
    Rainer asked me to send him the list of the tracks from Benin that I owned to make sure this wouldn't happen again and that might be a reason why they are now on yours. This list was also send to Frank to make sure he also had an idea on the songs I owned hoping it would help.

    Check out his mind. This guy sounds like the Aaron Fuchs of Afrobeat.

    So to see one of the tracks on your website is very annoying.



    if people can download it for free its not good for me.

    How about this: If nobody can hear even one of the songs for free, no one will buy it blind. Really: All this over one track.

    Let me know what you think.

    Well, let him know.
  • jaymackjaymack 5,199 Posts
    AND ITS BURIED IN THE MIDDLE OF SOMEONES FREE HOMEMADE MIXXXX!!!

    WTF?!?
  • SoulOnIceSoulOnIce 13,027 Posts
    Obviously, the best part of it all was Frank's response to
    the initial letter: "Now that I live in Africa, I'm not in
    a position to let people tell me what to do."

  • bonzaisk8bonzaisk8 946 Posts

  • mannybolonemannybolone Los Angeles, CA 15,025 Posts
    The only proper response is:

    "come get it like you want it."
  • LaserWolfLaserWolf Portland Oregon 11,517 Posts
    Obviously, the best part of it all was Frank's response to
    the initial letter: "Now that I live in Africa, I'm not in
    a position to let people tell me what to do."


    You don't want to mess with Frank. I suggest you reply by saying: "Now that I live in Africa, I'm not in a position to let people tell me what to do."
  • PATXPATX 2,820 Posts
    Raja???? Wet him.
  • volumenvolumen 2,532 Posts


    This list was also send to Frank to make sure he also
    had an idea on the songs I OWNED hoping it would help.


    I like how he equates a license with owning the song. He's just ass hurt he can't claim he turned the world on to this song.
  • ariel_calmerariel_calmer 3,762 Posts
    I dig Frank and his mixes (because how else would you hear this music?) but now the track has found a suitable legal outlet, it seems like the right thing to do would be to take it down if the compiler has exclusive rights.

    Or at minimum not jump on this guy with weak personal attacks because we all like Frank.

    If it's making it hard to get musicians paid, something's wrong. Especially concerning Africa. The compiler could probably have said "fuck it" as so many overseas african music bootleggers have, at no penalty. But instead he's trying to do the right thing. That makes me willing to give him the benefit of the doubt.
  • strikerstriker 146 Posts
    I dig Frank and his mixes (because how else would you hear this music?) but now the track has found a suitable legal outlet, it seems like the right thing to do would be to take it down if the compiler has exclusive rights.

    Or at minimum not jump on this guy with weak personal attacks because we all like Frank.

    If it's making it hard to get musicians paid, something's wrong. Especially concerning Africa. The compiler could probably have said "fuck it" as so many overseas african music bootleggers have, at no penalty. But instead he's trying to do the right thing. That makes me willing to give him the benefit of the doubt.

    This is true, but this guy dosen't seem to understand that this is a track on a mix & not a single track download ala itunes.
    It's great that he's made the effort to track down the right person to get paid in africa but if he's done a good job with his packaging & mastering (restoring) then stuff like franks mixes on soulstrut should be seen as a hugely important chunk of free advertising to his core customer base

    I could spend all day sending pissy emails to people hosting & blogging stuff our label puts out but it's just pointless & counterproductive, the reality is that any music released is blogged or on soulseek within the first few days of release, acting like the King Canute of the reissue game is in 07
  • Jonny_PaycheckJonny_Paycheck 17,825 Posts
    I dig Frank and his mixes (because how else would you hear this music?) but now the track has found a suitable legal outlet, it seems like the right thing to do would be to take it down if the compiler has exclusive rights.

    Or at minimum not jump on this guy with weak personal attacks because we all like Frank.

    If it's making it hard to get musicians paid, something's wrong. Especially concerning Africa. The compiler could probably have said "fuck it" as so many overseas african music bootleggers have, at no penalty. But instead he's trying to do the right thing. That makes me willing to give him the benefit of the doubt.

    Andrew - I know you identify with the compiler but I also think that others are right in that this isn't going to take any money out of the mouth of the artist.

    Anyone interested in this comp is going to buy it - a mix from Frank hosted on soulstrut with mostly different tracks isn't going to dissuade them I don't think. If it did, couldn't the same be true of any uploaded, unlicensed mix containing legitimately issued material?

    I do think making fun of the dude is pretty juvenile and uncalled-for.
  • faux_rillzfaux_rillz 14,343 Posts
    going to take any money out of the mouth of the artist
  • JimBeamJimBeam Seattle. 2,012 Posts
    You don't have to do shit until you get a cease and desist. Don't even reply to it. If he's really that asshurt about one track ending up on a mixtape, then let him pay his lawyer to write it up.

    If he was smart, he could have used the track in common to get his foot in the door over here, and asked you to sell his comp in the soulstrut online shop.
  • BeekBeek 146 Posts
    It's great that he's made the effort to track down the right person to get paid in africa but if he's done a good job with his packaging & mastering (restoring) then stuff like franks mixes on soulstrut should be seen as a hugely important chunk of free advertising to his core customer base

    exactly

    In fact, if he had approached it all in a better way, he probably could have negotiated a sweetheart banner ad deal with Raj. Combine that with a post telling us that we would like his comp if we like Frank's mixes (and that they'll support the original artists) and he's probably locked up a handful of sales.
  • OkemOkem 4,617 Posts
    It's great that he's made the effort to track down the right person to get paid in africa but if he's done a good job with his packaging & mastering (restoring) then stuff like franks mixes on soulstrut should be seen as a hugely important chunk of free advertising to his core customer base

    exactly

    In fact, if he had approached it all in a better way, he probably could have negotiated a sweetheart banner ad deal with Raj. Combine that with a post telling us that we would like his comp if we like Frank's mixes (and that they'll support the original artists) and he's probably locked up a handful of sales.


    I think this thread is plenty promotion enough.

    It's like Mark B all over agian.. (well almost)
  • sticky_dojahsticky_dojah New York City. 2,136 Posts
    King Canute of the reissue game

    I like this phrase.



    whatever happened between raj and mark b?
  • francislaifrancislai 371 Posts
    a WHOPPING 15% OF THE CASH!!!

    And that is only if it gets paid to the artist. Lord knows it will be "collected".
  • ariel_calmerariel_calmer 3,762 Posts
    a WHOPPING 15% OF THE CASH!!!

    You've definitely never put together a compilation.
  • ariel_calmerariel_calmer 3,762 Posts
    Andrew - I know you identify with the compiler but I also think that others are right in that this isn't going to take any money out of the mouth of the artist.

    Anyone interested in this comp is going to buy it - a mix from Frank hosted on soulstrut with mostly different tracks isn't going to dissuade them I don't think. If it did, couldn't the same be true of any uploaded, unlicensed mix containing legitimately issued material?

    I don't think Frank's comp will dissuade buyers either, and agree it's good word-of-mouth. But not to turn this into yet another moral/ethical digital music thread but this isn't really our place to decide; legally speaking the compiler was within his right to request it be pulled. He could have played it better but his request was pretty mild.
  • francislaifrancislai 371 Posts
    I dig Frank and his mixes (because how else would you hear this music?) but now the track has found a suitable legal outlet, it seems like the right thing to do would be to take it down if the compiler has exclusive rights.

    Or at minimum not jump on this guy with weak personal attacks because we all like Frank.

    If it's making it hard to get musicians paid, something's wrong. Especially concerning Africa. The compiler could probably have said "fuck it" as so many overseas african music bootleggers have, at no penalty. But instead he's trying to do the right thing. That makes me willing to give him the benefit of the doubt.

    he is doing the right thing. i hope he does succeed in making loot for his artists and giving them some shine.

    are the tracks even named on Frank's mix? is there a tracklist i'm missing?
  • frenziefrenzie 174 Posts
    this guy might be polite and good intentioned.. but the track is in the middle of a free internet mixtape..
    if anything Franks mix is mad promotion for this CD.. Cats are going to buy this CD just so they have a nice mastered copy in full..
    Paying artists is all good, but dude should relax and perhaps even host Franks mix on his own website to promo the comp..
  • noznoz 3,625 Posts
    if anything Franks mix is mad promotion for this CD.. Cats are going to buy this CD just so they have a nice mastered copy in full..[/b]

    Please be serious.
  • pabloscooterpabloscooter 370 Posts
    I know this dude, have dealt with him before. Seems like a weird point.
  • frenziefrenzie 174 Posts
    if anything Franks mix is mad promotion for this CD.. Cats are going to buy this CD just so they have a nice mastered copy in full..[/b]

    Please be serious.


    ahhh!! welll.. let me break it down for you Noz
    I don't know about you.. but If I hear a great song in the middle of a mixtape (Shitty MP3) and the only way for me to easily get that song is from a CD compilation (Nice remastered full length blah), I'll buy it!
    I'm pretty sure most other music appreciators on here would do the same..

    ..and don't even come with the "CD's are for chumps, I only buy vinyl" routine, because I know you all bought Si Para Usted.
  • BurnsBurns 2,227 Posts


    yeah, but you have to "hold the fastforward button" down on this one to get it.
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