CMU Daily 12.04.21: HMV boss upbeat as high street re-opens in England and Wales, DMX dies

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HMV boss upbeat as high street re-opens in England and Wales
The owner of HMV says that he is optimistic about the retail firm's short-term and long-term future as non-essential shops in England and Wales are allowed to re-open today as part of the relaxation of COVID rules.

The entertainment retailer will re-open all 93 of its stores in England and Wales today after months of enforced lockdown. It says that its online store saw a boost during that latest COVID lockdown, but that it now expects to see a surge in customers returning to the high street to buy music and movie products from its physical shops in the weeks ahead.

Doug Putman, whose Canadian music retail outfit Sunrise Records bought HMV UK in 2019, tells reporters: "The British high street has had a tough start to 2021, but as the country slowly gets back to normal, we're confident that shoppers will return to supporting physical retail".

"For millions of customers, browsing in-store is something that can't be replaced", he goes on, "and we've put measures in place across the estate to ensure that they can take their time discovering our massive range of entertainment and merchandise while social distancing. We're expecting people to purchase some of the incredible new releases we've seen during the latest lockdown".

HMV will also be offering its 'list and leave' and 'ring and reserve' services, whereby customers who'd rather not browse can drop off or phone in lists of products they want to buy, which HMV staff members will then gather together for easy collection.

Although Putman had barely been in control of HMV for a year before the COVID pandemic forced restrictions on the high street, he insists that he remains optimistic about the company's future.

He concludes: "This year marks HMV's 100th birthday, and we''e setting ourselves up to be here for the next 100 years. Over the coming months, customers will start to see exclusive new merchandise and special editions arrive in their local HMV stores".

HMV shops in Scotland and Northern Ireland will remain closed until local COVID rules change.

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French government considering new anti-piracy measures
New anti-piracy proposals were shared by the French government last week which could see the creation of a new blacklist that would seek to ensure piracy operations are not listed in search engines and would also struggle to sell advertising in the country.

Other proposed measures seek to tackle proxies that help people circumvent blocked websites, and to shut down unlicensed live streams, particularly of sporting events.

When the music industry was in the midst of its high profile battle against online piracy - and in particular P2P file-sharing - in the 2000s, lawmakers in France were among the first to introduce a graduated response system. That meant that individual web-users who shared content online without licence would receive increasingly stern warning letters with the ultimate sanction of having their internet access disconnected.

That anti-piracy system - and the government agency set up to run it, Hadopi - proved to be pretty controversial. Though, in the end, the most draconian sanctions for those that ignored the official warnings from the piracy police were rarely used.

More than a decade on, online copyright infringement has evolved, and the music industry in particular talks a lot less about its piracy woes. This means that the piracy conversation in political circles is now led more by the TV, movie and sporting sectors, something seen in another new proposal in France, that the aforementioned Hadopi be merged with the country's broadcasting regulator the Higher Audiovisual Council.

That said, the music industry remains a big supporter of web-blocking, whereby internet service providers are forced to block access to piracy websites, and will definitely support any moves that make it harder to circumvent such blockades, and which pressure search engines to also stop linking to blocked sites.

The new anti-piracy proposals were presented to France's Council Of Ministers last week, and will soon head to the country's Parliament for scrutiny and debate.

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Danish anti-piracy group says web-blocks work, though piracy is also getting harder to monitor
A new report from Danish anti-piracy group the Rights Alliance says that the number of people in Denmark accessing piracy services dropped last year. This is partly because of web-blocking efforts in the country, but also because many users are now accessing unlicensed content via platforms like YouTube and Facebook, which is consumption that doesn't get spotted by its piracy monitoring work.

According to Torrentfreak, the latest report from the Rights Alliance says that - according to its monitoring - the number of Danish web users accessing piracy sites was down from 450,000 in 2019 to around 370,000 in 2020. Although, that said, the total number of visits to piracy sites last year, at around twelve million per month, was more or less the same as in 2019.

Still, fewer people are tapping piracy sites for content, so that's a good thing. Maybe the web-blocking efforts of the Rights Alliance and copyright owners in the country - seeking court injunctions forcing internet service providers to block access to copyright-infringing websites - is working.

For its part, the Alliance says that it thinks its prolific web-blocking efforts have had an impact. Although it also concedes that increased VPN usage might mean an increasing amount of piracy is circumventing its monitoring, plus there are all those people accessing infringing content on the YouTubes and Facebooks of this world.

"Unfortunately, the decline in the number of users is probably also due to the fact that the users have moved to other platforms where consumption cannot be immediately measured in the data sets", it writes. "A new challenge that has become clearer in recent years is the increasing decentralisation of illegal content to legal services, such as YouTube and Facebook. Here it is not possible to measure illegal consumption and the users are not necessarily aware that they are consuming illegal content, as the service itself is legal".

Of course YouTube, Facebook et al provide rights management tools for copyright owners, and such platforms have new obligations in the rights management domain as a result of the 2019 European Copyright Directive. And making better use of those tools - and getting those tools improved - are now very much on the Rights Alliance's agenda.

It confirms in its report that last year it "intensified [its] work with the platforms' responsibility for copyright infringement – ie through dialogue with the platforms and in the work of implementing article seventeen of the EU Copyright Directive in Danish law".

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Mushroom Group confirms Matt Gudinski will succeed his father as CEO
Australian music company the Mushroom Group has confirmed that Matt Gudinski will become its CEO with immediate effect. He takes over from his father - music industry veteran and Mushroom Group founder Michael Gudinski - who died last month.

Matt Gudinski has worked for the music firm since 2003, originally joining the company aged seventeen and co-founding the Illusive label and touring arm. He became Executive Director of the wider group in 2013, subsequently also launching its management company Role Model Artists and development label 100s + 1000s.

Confirming that he was now taking over from his late father in the CEO role, he said: "This isn't a role that I expected to assume yet, but I am determined to honour the great legacy my father left".

"Mushroom Group is in its strongest position ever", he added, "and as we fast approach our 50th year I know that our incredibly talented Mushroom family will help me deliver the vision Dad and I had for the next 50 years of our business".

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DMX dies
Rapper DMX - real name Earl Simmons - died on Friday, aged 50. He had been in a coma for a week following a heart attack.

In a statement, his family said: "Earl was a warrior who fought till the very end. He loved his family with all of his heart and we cherish the times we spent with him. Earl's music inspired countless fans across the world and his iconic legacy will live on forever. We appreciate all of the love and support during this incredibly difficult time".

Meanwhile, his label Def Jam said: "DMX was a brilliant artist and an inspiration to millions around the world. His message of triumph over struggle, his search for the light out of darkness, his pursuit of truth and grace brought us closer to our own humanity. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and all those who loved him and were touched by him. DMX was nothing less than a giant. His legend will live on forever".

A huge force in hip hop in the late 90s and early 2000s, the rapper's later career was stalled by drug addiction and numerous legal issues, which saw him repeatedly spend time in jail and rehab.

He released his debut album, 'It's Dark And Hell Is Hot', in 1998, going to number one in the US. He went on to become the first artist in Billboard chart history to have all of their first five albums to go to number one - the first two in the same year. That run was broken by his sixth album, 'Year Of The Dog... Again', in 2006, which went to number two.

At the same time, he carved out a successful career as an actor, appearing in numerous films - most notably starring roles in Hype Williams' 'Belly' and 'Romeo Must Die' with Jet Li and Aaliyah - as well as TV shows.

However, drug problems that preceded his success began to cause his career to falter. The rapper said that his first experience of hard drugs came at the age of fourteen when he was given a blunt laced - without his knowledge - with crack cocaine by his rap mentor Ready Ron. "Why would you do that to a child?" DMX lamented in an interview with Talib Kweli last year. After that, he said, "a monster was born".

Having become involved in robbery and petty crime, the growing media interest in his music looked set to help him out of that lifestyle in the early 90s. However, a failed first single in 1993, followed by a conviction for drug possession the following year, stalled this. But eventually he signed to Def Jam in 1997 and began his rapid rise to fame. Although he left the label in 2003, he signed a new deal there in 2019.

In a statement, former Def Jam boss Lyor Cohen said: "DMX gave me the inspiration to keep going at Def Jam when rap became soft and silly. Unfortunately, Dark Man X took over and ran amok, tormented and struggling to find the light".

Since the mid-2000s, the rapper became more known for his legal problems. He appeared in court on charges relating to dangerous driving, assault, theft, animal cruelty and drugs, some of which resulted in jail time. In 2018, he was sentenced to a year in jail after being convicted of tax evasion, having been found to owe nearly $2 million in taxes and penalties.

Although he claimed to have beaten his drug addiction in 2011, there were several stays in rehab in subsequent years. Most recently, in 2019, he cancelled a number of live shows, with a rep saying: "In his ongoing commitment to putting family and sobriety first, DMX has checked himself into a rehab facility".

Following his early, prolific run of album releases, only two more emerged during his lifetime - 2012's 'Undisputed' and 2015's 'Redemption Of The Beast'. However, the latter resulted in yet another legal battle, as DMX said that it had been released by the Seven Arts label without his authorisation.

Having re-signed to Def Jam, recently he had spoken about a new album featuring a range of guests, including Bono, Lil Wayne, Snoop Dogg, Alicia Keys and Usher.

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Nordoff Robbins unveils We Are Listening campaign
Music therapy charity Nordoff Robbins has announced a new campaign that will "shed light on the limitless ways that music can enrich those with life-limiting illness". Called 'We Are Listening', the campaign will see a number of creators present online content and events, putting a spotlight on the charity's work and raising money for the organisation.

It all kicks off on 22 Apr with a livestreamed concert fronted by singer-songwriter Rueben James and featuring a ten piece jazz band and some special guests, livestreamed from Lafayette in London. Special content will then appear on a bespoke website in the following weeks, involving musicians like Låpsley and Gill Landry, as well as illustrators and designers like Kate Moross and Mason London.

Commenting on the campaign, Nordoff Robbins CEO Sandra Schembri says: "We believe in the power of music to connect with the human potential that lies within us all, including those living with profound disability, illness and exclusion. Creativity, courage, and collaboration is at the heart of Nordoff Robbins' work, so to see the power of our music therapy work come to life through the lens of these incredible artists is inspiring. Our hope is that 'We Are Listening' gives the public an opportunity to witness and connect to the immense value of music therapy".

You can find out more about the campaign here.

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EDUCATION & EVENTS

The Incorporated Society Of Musicians is hosting a free online conference for music professionals on Saturday 24 Apr - called Building For The Future - with speakers including Viva la Visa's Andy Corrigan, music industry advisor Mike Burgess, producer, DJ and vocalist Laura Bettinson, and producer, composer and multi-instrumentalist Magnus Mehta. Info and tickets here.

Pre-release music sharing platform Byta is launching a new monthly online event series called #HowWeListen Live: In Conversation. The first edition on 27 Apr will see the company's Marc Brown in conversation with Huw Stephens. Info and free tickets here.

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RELEASES

J Balvin and Khalid have released a new track together, 'Otra Noche Sin Ti'.

Sia has released new single 'Floating Through Space', featuring David Guetta, with a video created in collaboration with NASA.

Blue Note has released new posthumous Tony Allen single 'Stumbling Down', featuring Sampa The Great. The label will release a new album from the late drummer, 'There Is No End', also featuring Skepta, Danny Brown and more, on 30 Apr.

Jon Hopkins will release a new EP of piano covers this week, titled 'Piano Versions'. The release is, he says, "four minimal, ambient piano covers of songs I have loved for a long time but that come from very different places". Here's his version of 'Wintergreen' by Roger & Brian Eno.

DJ Scotch Egg - in his Scotch Rolex guise - has released new track 'Omuzira', featuring MC Yallah.

FEMM have released new single 'Keep It Cool'.

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GIGS & TOURS

The Libertines have announced UK tour dates in November and December. Tickets go on sale on Friday.

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AWARDS

The Association Of Independent Music has announced that its annual AIM Awards will now take place on 25 Aug, a couple of weeks earlier than originally planned. The trade group has also announced more details about the awards' judging panel, which will include reps from music media like Amazing Radio, BBC Introducing, ChillDaBeats, DIY Mag, DJ Mag, Dummy Mag, Kerrang!, Line Of Best Fit, Mixmag and Worldwide FM.

Check out our weekly Spotify playlist of new music featured in the CMU Daily - updated every Friday.

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K-pop music companies file complaint over new law they say only benefits BTS
The Korea Music Content Association has filed an official complaint on behalf of a number of K-pop companies over an amendment being made to South Korean law that will allow male pop musicians in the country to defer their mandatory military service by two years. The organisation says that the criteria for benefitting from this rule change are so narrow that it will pretty much only apply to members of BTS, despite initially appearing to be a broader change in favour of K-pop stars as a whole.

In its objection, the KMCA says the amendment is "unrealistic and unfair", according to Korea JoongAng Daily. The new rule allows any artist who has received a cultural merit from the country's Ministry Of Culture, Sports And Tourism to defer their military service by two years. This basically means that they need to sign up to do that service before the age of 31, rather than age 29 like everyone else.

However, that cultural merit honour is only usually given to artists who have been active for fifteen years or more - the average age of recipients being 60. A rare exception was made to give the award to BTS in 2018 in recognition of their massive rise to global success.

This, says a spokesperson for the KMCA, "clearly means that no musicians [other than BTS members] will be eligible" to defer their military service under the new rules.

"If a male musician would want to meet the criteria before he turns 28, he has to begin his K-pop career when he's thirteen years old at the latest", they went on. "And that doesn't even mean that they can defer their services. That's only the requirement to apply for the merit. There's a separate set of standards to see whether they actually get the chance to defer their services".

The law that says that all able-bodied men in South Korea are required to enlist in the military before they turn 29, then serving for a minimum of two years, has become international news over the last year because BTS member Jin turned 28 in December.

This is, of course, an issue that has been faced by many other K-pop groups before. Indeed, other popular groups being forced into hiatus while members do their military service has arguably created a gap in the market for each new generation of groups, BTS included, to exploit.

Other acts have tried to keep things ticking along while certain members are doing that military service by having their bandmates embark on solo careers in the gap. But that does not guarantee that the group will simply be able to pick up where they left off when everyone eventually returns – fans having often moved on by then.

Usually this has not been a concern for South Korean politicians and military officials, who have generally been of the opinion that it's just something that all K-pop stars have to deal with. However, in the case of BTS, the outfit's global success has been so great that a sudden halt in their career could have a noticeable affect on the country's economy.

The KMCA's complaint has been submitted on behalf of 27 of its 28 members - the notable exception, predictably, being the agency behind BTS, HYBE (formerly Big Hit Entertainment).

The spokesperson for the organisation goes on: "We are not blindly saying we want lower standards. The current bars are unrealistically high. How are musicians supposed to meet a criterion that's impossible to achieve? All we ask is that the ministry come up with standards that can be met and fulfilled by musicians, not extraordinary measures that cannot be made".

The amendment was passed by South Korea's parliament last year, and is set to come into effect on 23 Jun this year.

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