Robert Fripp's Diary

DGM HQ Whistling with a

09.53

DGM HQ.

Whistling with a broad accent began at 08.52, not long after speech with the same dialect, was heard on the other side of the office wall.

10.23  Venal’s Desk…

Not half as tidy as the workstation at World HQ.

In SoundWorld I, Alex is looking for our files from yesterday…

… while David is reading an Eclipse manual. A new Eventide Eclipse has been pulled from its box & is about-to-be-becoming a savage addition to DGM’s studio hardware. Actually, it’s been pilfered from the Solar Voyager. So where is the Solar Voyager (UK version)?...

In the corner behind David. DGM storage is very much like DGM filing.

12.24  The office is almost full today. Only Indeg is away, sick, requested to stay away.

Hugh the Fierce in is the DGM Art Department, Nicky in Accounts & Acquisition of Lucre Department, David in SoundWorld I, Alex & Robert in SoundWorld II…

In SoundWorld II, P6 are in Keswick, werning & blasting their way forward despite any expectations that they might aspire to High Art, unrestrained by the constraint of observing niceties. Even, in places, some shredding might be discernible to a suffering audient.

12.47  A P6 through-listen.

13.26  Sid’s today news-posting addresses a Russian downloading operation. See also…

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/6065492.stm

Credit card firms shun MP3 site

Published: 2006/10/19 08:58:28 GMT © BBC MMVI

Visa and Mastercard have stopped accepting credit card transactions for music downloading site AllofMP3, which is accused of illegally selling songs. The Russian-based company, which offers chart music at a fraction of the price charged by services such as iTunes, insists it is within the law.

But US officials say AllofMP3 operates outside international agreements and no artists have been given royalties. The site is now directing customers to pay through another site. But Visa said it had already stopped accepting payments from that site too.

"The action Visa has taken is in line with legislation passed in Russia and with basic international copyright and intellectual property norms," a Visa spokesman said.

A Mastercard spokesman added the firm "did not tolerate the use of its network for illegal activity".

’Unfairly characterised’:

Mediaservices, which owns AllofMP3, says that by paying royalties to a Russian licensing group, it is in compliance with Russian laws.

Earlier this month, Vadim Mamotin, director general of Mediaservices said: "The company has been unfairly characterised as a pirate website. Nothing could be further from the truth."

He added that the company paid royalties to the Russian Multimedia and Internet Society (ROMS), but the organisation’s offers of payment to artists had been rebuffed.

King Crimson is well represented on the site. I can categorically state that the site has no rights whatsoever to download anything at all KC. There is nothing ambiguous here: no licensing rights have currently been granted to anyone to download KC catalogue. That will change, and when it does Mediaservices will have involvement at all. Legally & morally that is.

Also a subject of current industry attention…

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/6069692.stm

YouTube cuts 30,000 illegal clips

Published: 2006/10/20 11:43:25 GMT

Video-sharing service YouTube has wiped nearly 30,000 files from its website after Japanese media companies said their copyright was being infringed.

The Japan Society for Rights of Authors, Composers and Publishers found 29,549 music video, movie and TV clips had been posted without permission.

YouTube was recently bought by search giant Google for $1.65bn (£883m).

Critics of the deal have warned that Google could face a barrage of lawsuits over copyrighted material on YouTube.

Distribution

Launched in February 2005, YouTube shows about 100 million clips per day.

YouTube mostly hosts homemade videos, but it also contains clips of copyrighted material.

A spokesman for the Japanese group said it was considering asking YouTube to introduce a preliminary screening process to stop illegal video files being placed on the site.

YouTube has recently signed distribution deals with media groups including Universal Music Group, Warner Music and CBS to offer short-form programming including news, music videos, sport and entertainment.

14.03  Well. This is one of the better comments on the life of the working player I have heard in a while…http://beeftone.com/BuddyRich_Cute.mp3.

14.12  We have an Introduction To P6 compilation of around an hour.

14.15  What’s that on Venal’s computer?...

Closer please!...

Mark Freeland’s Somewhat Hip…

15.55  David, Alex & Robert have re-mixed Endtime from Boston.

16.33  Hugh is a happy boy! Hugh enjoys his coffee & has just been delivered a savage brew of terror to power the Art Department through to the end of the afternoon…

It is easy to forget that High is also Fierce & A Brute…

Alex is loading in P6 while an e-frenzy erupts behind him…

17.30  An unplanned project presented itself last night & this morning.

At the end of last-evening’s futile attempt to empty the inbox to any noticeable extent, I played the draft Churchscapes compilation CD planned for release in the Spring of 2007. Evensong from Tallinn, the encore piece & walk-off music, was exactly what I needed to prepare me for sleep. A Late-Evening Song, as it were. Honouring the overall form & sequence of a CD, much of this would have been edited out. And yet… the very slow wind-down, over a period of perhaps 20 minutes from the initial statement, helped me to wind down. This morning, I revisited the Churchscapes compilation & found myself attracted to the Evensong from Haapsalu. Together, they run at c. 45 minutes.

I’m not sure whether music of the ambient variety can be released on CD today, but downloads are possible. So, Alex & I have just put together two Estonian Evensongs for download release in the not-too-far-distant future.

And now ProjeKct Six – Fripp & Adrian Live! is burning onto disc for listening on the drive home this evening.

18.14  The inbox is down to 93. That’s quite enough e-frenzying for today. Time to load the car.

20.54  Bredonborough.

Home!

The thought occurred, while driving home, while listening to P6 banging away for an hour, that my playing life is more like that of a semi-pro. My day job is in the office, traveling & giving guitar lessons. In the evening I go out & play music with the guys. I am, therefore, not as useful to society as a plumber.

Dribble.