Chromatics producer Johnny Jewel accused of stealing track from former label partner Mike Simonetti
The song in question appears on 2013’s After Dark 2 compilation.
Chromatics producer Johnny Jewel has been accused of stealing a track from Italians Do It Better’s co-founder Mike Simonetti and passing it off as his own.
Simonetti launched the accusation in a series of tweets this morning (August 16). “Johnny Jewel Padgett from Chromatics stole my song ‘The Magician’ and released it under the name Symmetry,” he begins.
The track in question features on 2013’s After Dark 2 compilation. Simonetti alleges that Jewel took his original track off the compilation and re-recorded it.
The Magician was easily the most popular song on the compilation. It was used in movies, fashion campaigns and tv commercials
— Michael Simonetti (@MikeSimonetti) August 16, 2016
When I sent him the song he told me he wanted to add some instrumentation to give it "the Johnny jewel shimmer". (His words)
— Michael Simonetti (@MikeSimonetti) August 16, 2016
He added instruments to all the tracks on there so they all sound the same. My version was dirty, grimy and amateurish
— Michael Simonetti (@MikeSimonetti) August 16, 2016
— Michael Simonetti (@MikeSimonetti) August 16, 2016
— Michael Simonetti (@MikeSimonetti) August 16, 2016
The Italians Do It Better label was founded by Simonetti and Jewel in 2006 to largely focus on releases by Jewel’s Glass Candy and Chromatics projects. Simonetti left the label in 2014 to launch his own synth project, Pale Blue and label 2MR.
Simonetti also alleges that Jewel’s manager Alexis Rivera tried to wipe evidence of him from the label’s Wikipedia page.
He deleted the Capricorn Rising lp (still available thru my new label 2MR), and he deleted all the videos off YouTube
— Michael Simonetti (@MikeSimonetti) August 16, 2016
He then had his managed Alexis Rivera @echoparkrecords delete all evidence of me from the IDIB Wikipedia. We later added it back.
— Michael Simonetti (@MikeSimonetti) August 16, 2016
Then Johnny and Alexis attempted to enter my gmail account and Facebook account in order to try to remove what I wrote about them.
— Michael Simonetti (@MikeSimonetti) August 16, 2016
https://t.co/bPvzzPIAHS this shows the history of the label from day one. When it was a label releasing mix cdrs. Johnny didn't invent shit
— Michael Simonetti (@MikeSimonetti) August 16, 2016
He also alleges that Jewel left him with $13,000 in unpaid taxes and that he was sent a threatening email by Jewel’s accountant when he asked for payment.
I was left with the bill. He has his accountant send me a threatening email when I asked to get paid.
— Michael Simonetti (@MikeSimonetti) August 16, 2016
FACT has reached out to Johnny Jewel’s management for comment.
Update: Simonetti has reached out to FACT via Twitter to emphasize that he was aware of Jewel adding instruments and he agreed to it. “The issue is re-recording it slightly differently and pawning it as his,” he says.
