[Trans] 130709 Kim Junsu’s Reps Refute Loen, “You Say That We Were Still Only In The Discussion Process?”
Loen’s nullification of promotional marketing strategies for Kim Junsu’s latest album has become a controversy.
Through an official letter of plea on the 9th of July, C-JeS Entertainment stated, “On the 8th of July, six days till the release of XIA (Junsu)’s second solo album, we received a unilateral notification from the album’s distribution company Loen Entertainment.”
According to C-JeS, Loen has cancelled all verbal agreements made in the past two months, and unilaterally notified the agency that they would still distribute the album online and offline, but would nullify all other promotional marketing strategies. The crux of the controversy is the broadcast of the singer’s showcase, which is set to be attended by Melon users, on MelonTV. Loen is said to have notified C-JeS that the event would be broadcasted live on LoenTV, but would be impossible to disclose on Melon.
To Newsen, Loen made a clarification and stated, “Regarding Kim Junsu’s showcase, C-JeS and Loen had not yet completed and signed a contract. This problem has arisen in the final stages of discussions between the two parties.”
They continued to reveal, “Many statements conditions and requests have been said between the two parties in the discussion process of the contract. C-JeS poster their letter of plea in the middle so such a process, and their statement that Loen unilaterally notified C-JeS of the nullification of promotional marketing strategies is completely false. A final decision on the contract hadn’t even been made yet.”
Regarding this, a representative of C-JeS Entertainment refuted, “After receiving a sudden notification on the 8th, six days before the showcase, we sent Loen an official statement outlining our stance. We clearly stated that we would release a letter of plea to the public if Loen did not give us a reply. However, we were met with silence. Loen’s representatives keep saying that we were still in the discussion process and had yet to sign a contract, but they had already taken reservations for the album and had already begun receiving applicants for their showcase event. If we had not come to a decision, then wouldn’t it have been right to wait till we had before they went through these processes?”
Regarding the problematic showcase controversy, Loen stated, “If we had really nullified our promotional marketing strategies as C-JeS claims, information regarding Junsu’s showcase and its related event’s page would have been taken down from Melon’s homepage, but as netizens can see, the page is still open and fully functioning. The list of people who are chosen to attend the showcase will be released on Thursday (July 11th) as planned.”
However, Kim Junsu’s representatives stated, “Kim Junsu has a packed schedule planned, which includes going overseas to film a CF, as well as a concert in Thailand. However, the reason why we decided to hold this showcase was to introduce Kim Junsu’s music to the public. We prepared this free-of-charge showcase because we wanted to show Kim Junsu’s performance to the public through MelonTV because broadcasted activities are difficult for us.”
They also added, “This is a showcase our agency is paying for, but if it cannot be aired on MelonTV, there is no reason for the showcase to only be open to Melon users. We have requested a reply to this from Loen by tonight (July 9th). If this problem is not resolved by then, our agency will take the initiative to invite fans ourselves, and it would only be right for the Melon users event to be cancelled.”
The translations for Loen’s statements come from this post
Here we go again. Just when you think that things are getting better and you start to breathe a little easier–there comes the blow. This has happened over and over again; and I believe that the fans had relaxed into thinking that the major hurdles were over for JYJ. In reality they have just begun.
Before there was the problem with censorship, denial of contracts, and etcetera, while under the protection of the court system. Now, without the courts, those who have a problem with JYJ and their management are going to feel free to do unlawful things with no thought of repercussion. The problem is that there is no such thing as without repercussion from a fanbase as large as JYJ’s. and individually as large as Jaejoong’s, Yoochun’s, and Junsu’s.
Even if there were a totally justifiable reason for Loen’s actions, it is morally wrong to cancel such important promotional aspects of the contract so close to the release date that it impeeds the marketing, sales, and promotion of Junsu’s album.
There have been so many reasons put out there over time as to why JYJ couldn’t be given opportunities to engage with the mass public. It in now at a point where it all points to harassment. It is not right to wield power simply because you can–power is in doing the right thing so that you may support what will be beneficial to everyone..Unfortunately, it appears as if the fandom is going to have to step up to the plate and bat the ball once again. The fight is not over.
We all must be diligent to pay attention and care enough about the Boys and the music to fight for it, and their responsibility is to produce quality, appealing music for us to enjoy.. If it comes down to C-jes using the JYJ Youtube Channel to promote–we’ll be there. Always Keep The Faith!!!
[Trans] 130709 [C-Jes] A letter of Plea Regarding Loen Entertainment’s Unlawful Tyranny
Hello.
This is C-JeS Entertainment.
C-JeS Entertainment (henceforth known as C-JeS) has received a sudden and unilateral notification from Loen Entertainment (henceforth known as Loen), the online and offline distributor of XIA (Junsu)’s second solo album that is scheduled to be released on the 15th of July. We would like to notify the fans and the public of the current unlawful situation.
C-JeS and Loen came to a verbal decision on the online and offline distribution contract for XIA (Junsu)’s second album, and came to an agreement to work together.
Afterwards, the representatives in charge met over five times and exchanged over 50 e-mails to work on the distribution of XIA (Junsu)’s second album. Ahead of the album’s release on the 15th, C-JeS rand Loen came to a final decision last week on the following promotional marketing strategies. (1. Showcase for Melon users, and the broadcast of the even live on MelonTV 2. Participation in a Melon Special Video 3. Promotional marketing strategies for the distribution of music to 5 online music sites)
However, we were sent a unilateral notification by Loen last night that overturned all of the previous agreements that had been made. Loen stated, “Though we will be distributing XIA (Junsu)’s music both online and offline. We have decided to nullify all other promotional marketing strategies.” Loen continued to state, “Please be understanding of this as it is a decision made within the company. Although the Melon users’ showcase will be aired live on LoenTV, it will be impossible to disclose the event on Melon.”
However, the idea of the showcase was first brought up by Loen. Through offline meetings and exchanged e-mails in June, Loen stated, “If C-JeS Entertainment holds a showcase with Loen, this will bring in more publicity for the album as it will be advertised on Melon and Melon’s mobile application,” and presented the offer of holding a showcase event. We accepted their explanation and came to the final decision to hold the showcase event with Loen, instead of a major portal site. Before sending an official announcement regarding the showcase to the press on the 3rd of July, we shared the content of the announcement with Loen and at the time, Loen stated, “We would like for information about LoenTV and MelonTV to be included.” We accepted this and implemented their suggestion before releasing the information. However, notifying us that it is impossible to disclose of the event on Melon, and that the event will be aired on Loen TV due to decisions made by those within the company, six days before the actual event itself, is in our opinion, tyranny by a super power.
Also, Loen’s statement that they will nullify all promotional marketing strategies while distributing the album online and offline, which comes a mere six days before the release date, is like saying that they will gain the profits from XIA (Junsu)’s fans but will not take on the responsibilities of the distributor of XIA (Junsu)’s second solo album.
For the past two months, Loen has had hands-on staff working on the distribution of XIA (Junsu)’s second album, and in the case of ’11 o’clock’ from XIA (Junsu)’s second album, they created a special clip and pre-released the track, also providing distribution services on iTunes. Although these actions were not laid out in a contract, they were agreed upon in an ‘actions first, contract later’ form, which can be proved through the countless e-mails, text messages and phone conversations between the two parties.
However, after the pre-release on the 2nd, the promotional banner for the showcase that was agreed upon through various e-mails and meetings has disappeared from the main page of both the PC and mobile version of Melon from the 4th of July. Although the teaser of XIA (Junsu)’s music video was released yesterday (8th), no banners or any other forms of promotion have been seen for it. Banners for other artistes working with Loen who released songs in a similar time period as XIA (Junsu) can be seen on Melon’s website and mobile application, but only XIA (Junsu)’s contents have disappeared from all main Melon pages since the 4th.
After receiving the notification from Loen last night, C-JeS’ album production team sent Loen an official document expressing their strong opposition to Loen’s actions, outlining that Loen’s plans of distributing the album without promoting or marketing is like killing the contents of the album, and that sending a notification 6 days before the release date of the album is an act of tyranny that stops us from creating a contract with better conditions. However, Loen’s answer has not changed since their initial notification.
What we can say for sure is that we have been suffering from the unseen and relentless external pressure placed upon JYJ till now, and we will not work with a super power who acts in a tyrannical nature. We will be filing a civil complaint to the Fair Trade Commission and the Ombudsman of Korea in order to bring justice to the current situation of Loen attempting to unilaterally terminate the agreements between two companies by abusing their advantaged position as a distribution company.
Also, if Loen does not reaffirm their promise to air the showcase live on MelonTV by today, we will terminate our decision with Loen to open the showcase to Melon users, and instead open seats up to a first-come-first-serve basis and air the event live through C-JeS’ official YouTube channel. We would like to apologize to the fans for such unfortunate news, and we promise to do our best to make the work behind the showcase and music distribution as smooth as possible.
[Trans] 130705 [C-JeS] Information Regarding The Shanghai (China) Leg Of Kim Junsu’s Asia Tour
Hello. This is C-JeS Entertainment.
After releasing his second solo album on the 15th of July, Kim Junsu will be kicking off his Asia Tour in Thailand on the 20th of July, and continuing his tour in Shanghai, China on the 28th of July.
Here is the information regarding Kim Junsu’s Shanghai concert.
[Information on XIA (JUNSU)’s Shanghai Concert] XIA 2ND ASIA TOUR CONCERT INCREDIBLE In Shanghai Date: 2013. 7. 28 (Sun) 7:30 p.m. Venue: Shanghai Mercedes-Benz Arena Ticket Reservation Site: http://www.damai.cn/ Ticket Reservation Starting Date: 2013. 7. 8. (8:00 a.m.)
**It is illegal to buy or sell tickets on any on or offline mediums that have been announced on C-JeS’ official homepage and official Facebook page. Please be careful not to participate in such practices so as to avoid incurring any losses.
(9:45am KST) Though I ended up basically living in the recording studio, I was really happy while preparing my second album. I hope that you will be able to feel that happiness~~~
[TRANS] 130702 A Never-Before-Seen Photo Of XIA (Kim Junsu)’s ’11 O’Clock’ Is Revealed, ‘A Dreamlike Atmosphere’
XIA (Kim Junsu) recently revealed a never-before-seen photo.
At noon on the 2nd of July, JYJ’s Kim Junsu released the live music video of his pre-released track ’11 o’clock, its adequacy’.
He also released a photo from his music video that had never been seen before. The photo shows Kim Junsu standing alone in a field with a longing expression on his face. He is drawing attention from many for his perfect portrayal of the man in the lyrics of ’11 o’clock, its adequacy’.
According to a LoenTV representative, the music video was filmed in one take to portray the lonely emotions and vocal tone of Kim Junsu’s voice. His melodious voice mixes with the sound of birds and the wind to create a dreamlike atmosphere.
Meanwhile, Kim Junsu will be releasing his second solo album on the 15th of July and holding a showcase to commemorate its release.
Beautiful, emotive, poignant song Junsu. I have always loved acappella and you sing acappella here so well with little accompaniment. Spendidly done! 🙂
[News] US Hit Producer: Kim Junsu Reminds Me of Michael Jackson
As K-pop continues to stretch ever forward into the world’s music market, the genre has been blessed with contributions from major movers and shakers from the US market on numerous occasions. From JYJ‘s early collaboration with Kanye West and the Wonder Girls release of Like Money featuring Akon, to the anticipated collaborations between PSY and Scooter Braun and 2NE1‘s work with will.I.AM, more and more international music producers and artists are getting bit by the K-pop bug.
Recently we sat down with producer and songwriter Bruce “Automatic” Vanderveer who made his K-pop debut with his collaboration with JYJ’s soulful vocalist Kim Junsu on the English single Uncommitted that was released in August 2012. We set out to not only get to know Mr. Vanderveer better, but grab some insights on how his collaboration with Junsu came to be – what was is like meeting and working with him, and how the fan’s reaction to the collaboration has changed his view on not only K-pop and its scores of fans but also the limitless talent and global potential of JYJ and its members.
Automatic, as he is called by his friends and family, was born in Brooklyn, New York and currently works as producer and song writer for Sony Music. He has worked with great artists like Pink, The Pussy Cat Dolls, and Snoop Dog along with iconic artists like Cher, James Brown and Michael Jackson over his twenty year career. Although well known in the music scene in the states, little is known about him globally. As we sat down with him, we started off with getting a little back story on how he originally got into the business and he regaled us with the story of how he got his nickname.
How did you get the nickname “Automatic”?
Automatic (laughing) : ”I can start out by telling you my story about playing guitar. I beat up a kid in Brooklyn, NY because he didn’t want to let me play his guitar. So, I kicked his (butt) very quickly and then grabbed the guitar and tried to play it as fast as I could because I knew his parents were going to come out and get me arrested or something. But, I quickly wrote a song in fifteen minutes and my mom came out and instead of her, you know trippin’ because I beat the kid up, she was just like “How did you do that so quickly?”. She’s the one who gave me the nickname “Automatic”. She was like “You automatically played that.” So she got on the phone and started telling her friends “My son automatically played the guitar.” “Little Automatic” and I [began] to use that as a dancing name.
Could you tell us a little about how you got into the music business?
Automatic: “I started a band in New York and we played everywhere, the Cat Club, and the Palladium, and we had an incredible following. I auditioned for a lot of record companies and finally Morgan Creek Polygram Records signed me. That’s how I got into the industry.”
After Mr. Vanderveer gave us a glimpse into his history in the music business, we turned to the subject of his collaboration with Kim Junsu and discussed how the collaboration came to be, the story behind the track itself, his first impressions of Junsu, and what it was like working in the studio with him.
While you have been in the music business for quite some time, your notoriety in the K-pop world didn’t make its debut till the release of “Uncommitted”. Could you tell a little about how that collaboration came to be? Who contacted you initially?
Automatic: “The craziest thing about this whole thing was that I didn’t even know who Junsu or JYJ was. I didn’t know what Kpop was until August. My daughter would constantly tell me about groups that she listened to from Korea and Japan (for the last couple of years). She would say “Daddy I just heard this great Korean group.” It was wild.”
Automatic: “The executive from CJeS, Niddy (Tyrone “Niddy” Buckner), called me and he asked me if I was “Automatic” from Sony Music, because I had a hit record a few years ago with Bettina Bush from American Idol. He said “I’m working for a group called JYJ. Do you have any songs to submit?” I was like “What kind of music do they do?” and he said “Oh, well they are from Korea but they do Pop and R&B. So, if you have any male oriented songs, we’re really interested in what you have.” So I submitted some stuff. Uncommitted was a song I wrote four years ago, so I wasn’t even going to submit that song, but at the last minute I just threw it in there anyway.”
Automatic: “I got a phone call a couple weeks later from Niddy saying that CJeS loved the song and that Junsu wanted to do it. At that point my daughter freaked out and said “Junsu! Junsu! Daddy do you know who that is?” I was just like “No” and she ran me through all of his stuff. She sat me down and gave me a JYJ and Junsu lesson. I was just blown away because these guys were not only awesome but they work so hard to perfect their craft. It was something you didn’t see that much anymore in America.”
Is there any story behind “Uncommitted”? Is it based on an event in your life?
Automatic: “It wasn’t from my life, but, a friend’s. He was a serious player. I would always tell him he needed to stop that lifestyle because everyone knew he had this reputation. It was going to be hard when he got serious. But he kept saying “I’m never going to get serious.” until he literally found a woman that was just perfect. She was just awesome. He said “This is the woman I want to settle down with.” And I was so happy for him. So he told her how he felt and she stopped him mid sentence. She said “I know you’re not going to ask me to go steady or get married.” He was stunned as she told him “You’re good for these kinds of dates but I know all about your reputation. I know who you are. I’m not going to be bringing you home to meet my parents. He was so brokenhearted.”
What was your initial impression when you met Kim Junsu for the very first time?
Automatic: “I was expecting him to be a lot more reserved but the greatest thing was that when we met it was instantly like were two old friends. He cracked a joke and then I cracked a joke. It was like we (already) knew each other. It was just not what I thought it was going to be like. I thought he was going to be reserved, quiet, and shy, and he was not at all. Junsu was hilarious, funny, vibrant, and just ready to work. We had a ball. We were laughing together like two old fools. It was crazy.”
Are there any interesting stories that you would care to share about your experiences while working with Kim Junsu in the studio?
Automatic: “We hit it off so well. When Ebony Cunningham (the VP of InRage Entertainment and my fiance) was vocally guiding Junsu on the second verse and the bridge sections of the song, he got it really well. He went into the booth and every time he did it so beautifully that I got excited and said to him “Man you sound black. You’re just a brother.” to which he replied “I’m not black, I’m yellow.” and it was hilarious. Everybody in the studio started cracking up. He was so funny. This was one of the best sessions I ever had.”
After experiencing Kim Junsu’s vocals in person, what did you think?
Automatic: “My daughter had already ran me through JYJ’s repertoire. I just didn’t know that he was so soulful. One of the things I realized is that with a lot of his songs, he records really well but you still have not heard the best of Junsu yet. That boy can blow. Every time I sang a note he would sing that note and out-sing it. He would sing it better. He’s got so much soul. I don’t know where it comes from but I’m just blown away by it. He has talents and the gifts that people haven’t even heard yet. He has got the skills and I want to capture that onto records, on tracks. He reminds me of Michael Jackson. He’s the Michael Jackson of Asia to me.”
We then started to discuss a key point that InRage Entertainment and Automatic are great proponents of when it comes to the music industry – artist freedom. While it’s highly accepted by JYJ fans worldwide that their entertainment company CJeS has been very adamant about allowing JYJ all the artist freedom they desire, Automatic gave us an even deeper glimpse into the truth behind that understanding.
Automatic: “They have artist freedom and that’s what I love about CJeS. They are giving them the chance to explore other genres and languages. CJeS is just great for supporting JYJ artistically. When we were in the studio the CEO of CJeS was there. He was there for the entire session. How many CEO are there for their artists like that? You don’t see CEO’s and Presidents do that. It’s a rare thing. To see the CEO actually there making sure that Junsu had everything he needed, making sure that he was comfortable. It was amazing.”
After the entire experience, how did you feel about the time spend working with him? Did you know that the song was going to be a hit or were you a little apprehensive?
Automatic: “The greatest part about the whole session was that it was so fast. Junsu was dope. We did it quickly. We even took a break. He free style, we played guitar, he sang, and I played some other songs. Then he went back in and polished off the rest of the song. We did it in a couple of hours and usually my sessions last a day or two. Junsu is awesome – a complete professional.
I knew it was going to be a hit. I knew it when we were in the studio and he was singing the song. We were so excited, jumping for joy and clapping. We just knew it.”
We concluded our interview with a discussion on how the whole experience has not only affected his outlook on K-pop and JYJ but also how the treatment h’es received from the groups fans has affected him personally. It was quite heartwarming to hear an artist from the US, not normally associated with the K-pop industry, talk so appreciatively and respectfully about how passionate and loving Kpop
fans truly are.
As most people are well aware, K-pop fans are one of the most passionate group of fans in the world. When the news was released that you collaborated on this track, the eyes of the fan base was quickly fixed on you. How does it feel to be receiving so much fan love?
Automatic: “It’s the greatest reward, really. The fans are so loving and caring. Fans hit me up and ask me things like “Are you eating?”, “How are you doing?”, and “How’s your daughter.” That’s so bizarre to me. Fans in America don’t have that kind of appreciation.They are so caring that I’m hoping that we in America can learn a lot from how these fans treat the people they respect. The fan love is incredible. They are so dedicated to making sure that JYJ progresses and their YouTube views are up. It’s such a caring movement. I love it.
I’m so glad that I got a chance to do this, and witness the kind of love that they show. I’m so happy, and so appreciative, of all the fans that I get to talk to. I enjoy talking to the fans. They (JYJ) have the greatest fans in the world. JYJ are so lucky to have fans like that. I wish a lot of artist in America had that kind of fandom. I’m hoping we can learn from these fan groups and eventually adopt some of that love and respect. It’s so rare and it’s beautiful. “
Do you have anything you would like to say to our readers before we let you go?
Automatic: “I want to thank the fans from all around the world and let them know that their love has empowered me to be a better producer and writer. I believe that we are not only fans but friends. I call a lot of my friends “InRagers” because we stand for music equality; we stand for racial equality, and artistic freedom. These are all the things that JYJ has had to overcome. All these boundaries that have been put in their way, they have overcome them. That is what my company is all about. So,all the fans out there are InRagers to me. “
Mr. Vanderveer is currently working on numerous projects in and out of the Kpop world. His band, Asphalt Messiah, recently released a new track called Lets Get Dirty 2Nite which is currently available on ITUNES and Amazon. The rock anthem melds heavy guitar and driving beat with lyrics that incorporate web terminology to get your heart racing and your feet moving. While Mr. Vanderveer was unable to give us any specifics on his upcoming projects from the K-pop side of his endeavors he made it quite clear to fully expect some amazing things in that area, real soon.
We at hellokpop would like to thank Bruce “Automatic” Vanderveer for spending time with us and allowing us to give our readers a deeper look into Kim Junsu’s personality and his work ethic along with sharing with us humorous stories about his experiences working with him. We are looking forward to everything he has in store for the all the K-pop fans and wish him all the best in his endeavors.
[TRANS] 120905 JYJ’s Junsu, Musical “Elisabeth” Album To Be Released…Also Includes Interviews
An album which records JYJ’s Junsu’s appearance in the musical “Elisabeth” will be released.
EMK Musical Company revealed, “On 18 September, an OST of the musical “Elisabeth” will be released. Top actors such as Junsu, Ok Ju Hyun, Park Eun Tae, Min Young Ki, Lee Jung Hwa and Kim Seung Dae participated in the recording of the OST this time.
The OST this time is receiving much interest as Junsu, who did not participate in the highlight version of the OST which was released in March, participated in the recording this time. Also, unlike the pervious album, the OST this time will include not only highlights, but the entire song list.
The OST includes 2 CDs, one with 21 tracks and the other with 22 tracks, consisting a total of 43 tracks. It will also include a bonus DVD, which features an unreleased interview with Junsu, a behind-the-scenes sketch, and music videos of 5 songs, including “The Last Dance” and “The Shadows Grow Longer”, which were edited from recordings of the first times this musical was performed in Korea.
Musical Elisabeth’s OST, “Musical Elisabeth 2012 Live Recording ・Korean Cast – Special Edition”, will officially be released on 18 September.
Junsu: Ah, everyone should have heard about the news for Elisabeth OST already right!? ^^ It was delayed due to the solo album. But since it was to be released, rather than releasing it in a rush, I rather present a good quality product to everyone. It was me who was a bit stubborn.. ^^;;
Junsu: Though I know fans are very curious… and also know the effort by EMK… but this is the first musical album and therefore I wish more effort was spent~ I would like to take this chance to apologise to EMK family due to my greed keke
Junsu: Additionally, the reason for actor’s version is due to actual circumstances… Actual circumstances is due to vocal editing like the noise and vocal quality and needed time to enhance it… And also to let you all listen to streaming and thus have to be recorded separately, resulting in the late release.. ㅜ
Junsu: I would like to express my thanks once again to Young Ki hyung and Joo Hyun noona who took out time to record ^^ Using Twitter to express Thanks to. keke
