Re: Ninja Tune/Shadow records cash-in controversy

From: Scott A Hunt (scott@kendev.com)
Date: Fri Jan 12 2001 - 20:58:33 CET

  • Next message: aspeitia axel arturo barcelo: "Re: Ninja Tune/Shadow records cash-in controversy"

    I really agree here. While I really have no interest or respect in much of
    what Shadow or Instinct are doing now in '95 and '96 these were the labels
    that opened my eyes to entire new world of music and established the
    foundation from which to delve deeper into aj and beyond.....

    scotty...

    ----- Original Message -----
    From: "Dirk van den Heuvel" <dirkv@groovedis.com>
    To: "Scott A Hunt" <scott@kendev.com>; "Steve Silvers"
    <steve@seattlegroove.com>; "Nathaniel Rahav" <nat@rhythmlove.com>; "Joe
    Rice" <joe@justiceleague.com>
    Cc: <acid-jazz@ucsd.edu>
    Sent: Friday, January 12, 2001 2:39 PM
    Subject: RE: Ninja Tune/Shadow records cash-in controversy

    > Instinct was the parent label of Shadow. At the time Instinct was doing
    more
    > CD compilations and wasn't as "street" as it used to be. Shadow was an
    > attempt to do more vinyl, appeal more to deejays and such and be more
    > underground (some cynics might also say it was an attempt to cash in on DJ
    > Shadow's name too).
    >
    > I'd like to think I had a little bit to do with Shadow coming about as I
    had
    > a long discussion with Jared (one of Instinct's owners) at a NMS Giant
    Step
    > party about 6 months before Shadow launched about how Instinct had lost
    > touch with the underground and they needed to start a new label
    > concentrating on releasing more vinyl and more artist projects...I guess
    > only Jared knows for sure if that conversation had any impact (he sure as
    > hell never called me to acknowledge any).
    >
    > On a related note a lot of people like to beat up on Instinct these days
    > (and in some cases rightfully so), but one thing definitely needs to be
    > remembered-- a lot of people got their first exposure to this music via
    > Instinct's releases and they did a great service in spreading this music
    to
    > the public. And while they might have sold out a bit (or a lot depending
    on
    > where you stand), they were also one of the first and very, very few in
    > America who gave a damn about this music (i.e. "acid jazz") in the
    beginning
    > (some of the others being Giant Step, Cargo Records Dance Dept--which I
    used
    > to run, DJ Smash and New Breed, and some others that I probably should
    > remember but don't right now). I wish they didn't do some of the things
    they
    > do (one of the many reasons we don't deal with them), but they did do some
    > very important things in the early days for this music (IMHO).
    >
    >
    > Dirk van den Heuvel
    > President/GM, Groove Distribution
    > "Your Guide To The Underground"
    > http://www.groovedis.com
    >
    >
    >
    >
    > -----Original Message-----
    > From: Scott A Hunt [mailto:scott@kendev.com]
    > Sent: Friday, January 12, 2001 12:52 PM
    > To: Steve Silvers; Nathaniel Rahav; Joe Rice
    > Cc: acid-jazz@ucsd.edu
    > Subject: Re: Ninja Tune/Shadow records cash-in controversy
    >
    >
    > this brings up another good point....
    >
    > Instinct, which I believe was a completely separate entity from Shadow,
    > introduced me to Compost Records (ala their domestically releasing of
    > Compost's Future Sound of Jazz comps). This opened the floodgates to so
    > much great music from that label (Beanfield being another personal fav)
    >
    > Scotty
    >
    > ----- Original Message -----
    > From: "Steve Silvers" <steve@seattlegroove.com>
    > To: "Scott A Hunt" <scott@kendev.com>; "Nathaniel Rahav"
    > <nat@rhythmlove.com>; "Joe Rice" <joe@justiceleague.com>
    > Cc: <acid-jazz@ucsd.edu>
    > Sent: Friday, January 12, 2001 1:28 PM
    > Subject: Re: Ninja Tune/Shadow records cash-in controversy
    >
    >
    > > True enough, though they did introduce me to Ninja Tune and DJ Krush, so
    I
    > > can't hate them
    > >
    > > ----- Original Message -----
    > > From: "Scott A Hunt" <scott@kendev.com>
    > > To: "Nathaniel Rahav" <nat@rhythmlove.com>; "Joe Rice"
    > > <joe@justiceleague.com>
    > > Cc: <acid-jazz@ucsd.edu>
    > > Sent: Friday, January 12, 2001 8:50 AM
    > > Subject: Re: Ninja Tune/Shadow records cash-in controversy
    > >
    > >
    > > > Shadow records only shining moment was Sharpshooters "Choked Up." a
    > > > personal all time jazz hip hop fav. and still well worth pickin
    up.....
    > > >
    > > > cheers,
    > > >
    > > > scotty
    > > >
    > > > ----- Original Message -----
    > > > From: "Nathaniel Rahav" <nat@rhythmlove.com>
    > > > To: "Joe Rice" <joe@justiceleague.com>
    > > > Cc: <acid-jazz@ucsd.edu>
    > > > Sent: Friday, January 12, 2001 11:02 AM
    > > > Subject: Re: Ninja Tune/Shadow records cash-in controversy
    > > >
    > > >
    > > > >
    > > > > Shadow records always seemed to be operating under shady
    > circumstances,
    > > > > even from the get go.
    > > > > This was apparent from their super cheezy acid jazz compilations....
    > > > > Weren't they Instinct Records before that?
    > > > > Or is that just another sketchy label that put out mediocre comps?
    > > > >
    > > > > anyway, thanks for the info, it's good to know.
    > > > >
    > > > > Nat
    > > > >
    > > > > P.s. Re: jazz beginnings - I had a drumming teacher who used to make
    > me
    > > > > play along to old Buddy Rich records, and I would do it half
    > heartedly,
    > > > > until one day I heard some jazz on WKCR 89.9 and it 'clicked'. I
    dont
    > > > > remember who it was that I heard, but I suddenly understood the
    > > > > significance of swinging...
    > > > > anyway my first jazz album was Kind Of Blue, by far one of the
    > greatest
    > > > > works of music of the 20th century....
    > > > >
    > > > >
    > > > > On Thu, 11 Jan 2001, Joe Rice wrote:
    > > > >
    > > > > > FYI...
    > > > > >
    > > > > > Joe
    > > > > > ------
    > > > > >
    > > > > > 1/11/00
    > > > > > FROM NINJA TUNE BY WAY OF MOTORMOUTH
    > > > > > Contact: Brock Phillips (bmotor@pacbell.net), Judy Miller
    > > > > > (wigbox@pacbell.net) or Jeff Waye (jeff@ninjatune.net)
    > > > > >
    > > > > >
    > > > > > URGENT PRESS RELEASE
    > > > > >
    > > > > > It has come to our attention that Instinct/Shadow Records is
    > currently
    > > > > > soliciting a compilation entitled "Ninja Tune : The Shadow Years"
    > for
    > > > > > release on January 23rd. This release is in no way approved by
    Ninja
    > > > Tune.
    > > > > > Shadow Records acted as a licensee of Ninja Tune material in the
    US
    > > many
    > > > > > years ago. In the short-time of the deal they released a few of
    our
    > > > early
    > > > > > titles. This deal ended in 1996 and since then they've felt the
    need
    > > to
    > > > > > continue repackaging what little amount of our catalog they still
    > own.
    > > > We
    > > > > > feel this is nothing more than a shameless way to cash in on our
    > 10th
    > > > > > Anniversary Campaign of late last year, and the subsequent
    > > > release/success
    > > > > > of the 3CD "Xen Cuts" box set we released. In their onesheet/press
    > > > release
    > > > > > for this record they state "This incredibly low-priced double CD
    set
    > > is
    > > > the
    > > > > > best way for new Ninja fans to be introduced to the label". We
    feel
    > > this
    > > > is
    > > > > > untrue and that our 3CD box-set (also "incredibly low priced") is
    in
    > > > fact
    > > > > > the best way to introduce people to the label. "Ninja Tune : The
    > > Shadow
    > > > > > Years" offers absolutely nothing new, nothing exclusive, and
    nothing
    > > > that
    > > > > > even a passing Ninja fan hasn't already heard on our early
    releases
    > or
    > > > the
    > > > > > endless stream of compilations put out by Shadow Records. Simply
    put
    > > we
    > > > feel
    > > > > > this cheapens the Ninja name, makes us look like a "compilation
    > > label",
    > > > and
    > > > > > it should not be considered a proper Ninja Tune release in any
    way.
    > > Stay
    > > > > > tuned for more great "new" records on Ninja Tune.
    > > > > >
    > > > > > More info, gripes, etc... contact Jeff Waye at jeff@ninjatune.net
    > > > > >
    > > > >
    > > >
    > >
    >
    >
    >



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