Melbourne DnB producer threatened with legal action for unauthorised Cat Empire remix

Melbourne producer and DJ Cubist has been threatened with legal action for his drum and bass take on the Cat Empire’s playful track “Hello Hello”. Sampling the main trumpet melody, Cubist has created a remix that remains faithful to the original, yet adds that infectious drum’n’bass bounce.

In an effort to do the right thing by the original artists, Cubist (Eden Krumins) contacted the Cat Empire management, and shortly after, there was reports of the track receiving airplay on  Triple J. It was after he contacted the Cat Empire’s management  that any prospect of the music reaching a wider audience was squashed.

Cat Empire’s manager (Correne Wilkie) informed Cubist that the group “does not support any electronic music whatsoever.” This struck the remixer as baffling, “I don’t understand how my remix can be so harmful to the Cat Empire’s empire, just because they don’t support electronic music shouldn’t mean they should stop others enjoying it. The trumpet melody is brilliant; why not let others celebrate it?”

The manager also contacted Triple J to prevent the broadcaster playing the remix. Cubist stresses that he did not remix the track for financial gain, and is upset at the response from the group, “I’m disappointed that Australian artists such as Cat Empire didn’t consent to “hello” being sampled when it would increase there exposure, most artists would take it as a compliment if their song was remixed.”

Cubist asserts that  his main aim in creating the track was to “open the broader Australian public to drum and bass through a familiar melody,” something that will unfortunately not be happening through the vehicle of a Cat Empire track.

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