Ja, natuurlijk was er de controverse over de zangpartijen op ‘Natalia’s Song’, Eclectro’s dancetrack van het jaar en kopstuk van het alom geroemde (en niet in de laatste plaats door Eclectro) Dedication. Het blijkt nu alleen nóg dubieuzer in elkaar te zitten. Een track op Soundcloud van ene Reark laat – als hij niet liegt – horen dat de track in ieder geval niet uit Zomby’s studio komt. Kort gezegd: Reark maakt loop, Zomby werkt loop uit tot track, Reark wordt boos, Zomby lacht erom,  Reark zet het origineel online, Zomby lacht nog harder, maar label 4AD past wel mooi de credits aan.

Gelukkig weet Zomby het op Twitter allemaal prima te verantwoorden: “So any guy crosses a ball and the striker volleys it into the top corner who takes credit for the goal. Get me”

(met dank aan Bong-Ra voor de tip, die onder de titel Glowstyx met Class of 1992 ook, eh, een flinke inspiratiebron vormde voor Zomby’s Where were U in ’92)

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.