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CMU’s One Liners: earMUSIC, Polydor, hmvdigital, more

By Chris Cooke and Andy Malt | Published on Wednesday 8 June 2016

Other notable announcements and developments today…

• Edel-owned label earMUSIC has renewed its partnership with Absolute Label Services once again, and has signed Deacon Blue and Marillion to celebrate.

• Last night I dreamt that Universal Music A&R guy Rich Castillo was returning to the UK from Canada to become Senior A&R Manager for the mega-major’s Polydor label, and now I think I might be psychic.

• Sony Music UK legal man Michael Smith has been promoted to the role of Executive Vice President, while various of his colleagues in the major’s UK legal and business affairs unit have also been promoted. They should sue someone to celebrate.

• hmvdigital, which is still a thing apparently, is “THRILLED” to have entered into promo partnerships with eight UK festivals, including Kendal Calling, FOLD and 1234. Festival-goers will get some free downloads. Yes, just like its 2008 all over again. Good times.

• Channel 5 and MTV UK have been announced as the official broadcast partners of V Festival. I wonder if they’ve ever been to V Festival. Well now, luckily, they won’t have to, they can watch live coverage on Channel 5 and highlights on MTV.

• Midem attendance fell by 20% for this year’s 50th anniversary event, according to Music Week. New director Jérôme Delhaye blamed flooding in Paris for the dip after 4400 delegates attended the shindig, down from 5500 in 2015. He also said that rumours of the even moving to Barcelona next year were “crap”. So stop spreading them will you?

• The documentary film of the V&A’s ‘David Bowie Is’ exhibition is to be re-shown in cinemas on 14 Jul. More info here.

• Former Paramore drummer Zac Farro might now be back in the band, just FYI.

• Fifteen rare Prince albums were released on Tidal yesterday, to mark what would have been the musician’s 58th birthday. Prince, of course, pulled his catalogue from all streaming services except Tidal last year.

• Hey, it looks like there’s a new Aphex Twin EP on the way.

• Bat For Lashes has released new track ‘Joe’s Dream’. Her new album, ‘The Bride’, is out on 1 Jul.

• Local Natives will release new album ‘Sunit Youth’ on 9 Sep. They’ll be touring in November too. Here’s first single ‘Villainy’.

• The 1975 will headline the O2 Arena on 16 Dec. And that’s all I have to say about that.

• Ludovico Einaudi has just announced UK tour dates for November. He’s also added a fifth show to his otherwise sold out run at London’s Royal Festival Hall next month.

• Lovespeake will be making their UK live debut with three shows this week, starting at Reading’s Oakford Social Club tonight. They’ll be at The Islington in London the following night, then at Koko for Club NME on Friday.