31.1.12

Zomby & REARK - Natalia's Song

Considering I picked Natalia's Song at 4th place in the Top 50 Night Tracks of the Year list, I feel like I need to address an issue that has popped up.

 

It's been claimed by the producer Reark, a little known producer based in Brazil, that he created the majority of the track, and if you listen to the tune he posted, "Natalia's Song (original pre-Zomby loop)", then it's easy to see that he probably did.


Any doubts you have might be dispelled by reading the description:

"This is the original loop, solely written entirely by myself back in October 2007.
Sequence of events:
1. I wrote this loop back in October 2007, entirely by myself, posting it on myspace.
2. Zomby, with whom I was communicating, hears the loop and offers to collaborate to finish it. I agree and send him the original Reason song file + Rex file of the vocals.
3. Zomby posts the loop on his myspace without crediting me, I complain, he takes it down.
4. In the next months Zomby suggests where the track might get released. I continue to remind him that it's a collaboration.
5. Without my knowledge, a slightly revised version is aired by Mary Anne Hobbs on Radio 1, you can hear Zomby's revised drum variation from 1:06 -- 1:36. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MDLXRtbeLg0 This is the only significant change he's made to the track. The rest is looping, and some slight editing of the vocal cuts.
6. The track gets released on 4AD in May 2011, I notice in August 2011. I complain first to Zomby with no effect, then to 4AD, to whom I send this loop plus an e-mail sent from me to Zomby with the original Reason song file from October 2007. 4AD accept my evidence and change credits to include my name.

Zomby has been vague in interviews when asked about the vocal sample. The singer is Natalia Ladygina (hence the name of the track), a Russian friend of mine. She is singing a cover of Irina Dubcova's song 'O nem'. I have other samples of her, so you can expect to hear more of her in the future.
Thanks to all those who have supported me in this dispute, and all those who were just curious and asked."

It's true too, 4AD do credit Reark as a co-producer of the track on their website.

Zomby has hardly been one to shy away from controversy. He was banned from dubstep forum after sending death threats to members after trying to sell 3 unmastered mp3s for £8. Anybody that follows his twitter feed will know he's pretty outspoken (and for some reason, seems to really hate SBTRKT), but this is something else. Not crediting somebody who basically made the whole track is unforgivable. Undeniably, Zomby has some solid tunes, and love him or hate him as a person, near enough everybody likes at least 1 Zomby tune, so I'm not sure why he had to do this.

Anyway, I posted this up as I didn't feel it was fair that Reark creates a tune that stood out so much for Zomby (including being played on Kode 9 & Burial's mix for Mary Anne Hobbs last show on Radio 1), and he sits at 53 followers on soundcloud, whilst Zomby "DJs" around the world. Not cool Zomby.