Hi,
My name is Joe and I run Don Giovanni Records. Sex Stains label. I can't claim to understand anything about what you are all trying to investigate as far as the bigger picture and political connections or Comet Ping Pong or anything involved in your broader investigation. I also believe that this kind of stuff is really important and worth investigating, I just haven't had any time to read up on anything related to the broader scandal.
With that said, it seems like my label and one of our bands, Sex Stains is now somehow part of your investigation. Instead of being investigated though, we are just being harassed.
I've had people email me and ask me questions which I've answered but I guess those answers aren't getting back to this community so I made an account to come answer whatever you want to know about us and Sex Stains with the goal of you realizing we really have nothing to do with this whatsoever and that hopefully it will lead to us not being harassed. As a label, and as artists we are all very outspoken with our music and writing about sexual assault and exploitations in all its forms. We work to police and investigate matters our own punk/diy community. I know what its like for victims not to be believed.
When someone told me that there was symbol for pedophelia in one of our videos I was horrified. Even if it was unintentional since i don't think most non-pedophiles are aware of those symbols (I certainly wasn't till someone linked me to the FBI document because of its supposed connection with the video), I wouldn't want it showing up in the video. But when I looked at the symbol in the document and the one in the video they really didn't seem all that similar. In an email I wrote someone else it would be like the difference between an "M" and an "N" or something. There are similarities, but they have different amounts of lines in different directions and thus have different symbolic meaning. This site I am on right now (Voat) seems to have a blue triangle for a logo, for example. I doubt it is part of this whole (though if people feel its worth investigating, then maybe it is).
I guess the point of this all is that I really have no issues with the investigation of pedophelia or any kind of abuse whatsoever, in fact, I agree it should be investigate if there is reason to. Like many of you, I also believe that there are large scandals especially in the mainstream that are covered up by the MSM and the government.
I don't know how the rest of your investigation is being conducted, but I can tell you that what is happening with Sex Stains and our record label isn't investigation. For every email or tweet I have received asking em questions about it, I have received a dozen of harassing comments. Please investigate. Ask me any questions you have about Sex Stains and my label and I will answer them as fast as I can (I am home with my family on thanksgiving. I was hoping to deal with this on Monday but the harassing comments are too numerous and piling up too fast).
I am, and always have been very accessible. My email is public, my label has no walls to hide behind and is fully owned and operated by me. I will now answer all your questions here too (or if you tell me a better place I will do it there too).
Joe
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Vigilia_Procuratio ago
Hi Joe,
First of all, I admire your courage and integrity in coming forward to discuss this matter. Unlike others who go running off to the FBI for "help", you've actually come to one of the communities where people are genuinely trying to get to the bottom of whatever is really going on here.
It is of course unfortunate that you've been brought into this, but at the same time the appearance of one certain logo in the music video is indeed concerning. It is my opinion that this cannot be disputed, I for one have seen these symbols countless times now over the past week or so as a result of this investigation and that is beyond coincidence. Like you, I was not familiar with such logos previously so who knows how often I've encountered them without even realising it - for example, even the Time Warner logo can be brought into question now.
Right, so I need to ask you about "Producers Library". Do you have any specific dealings with them or are they just a routine part of the music industry?
My Thanks.
dongiovannirecords ago
Vigilia,
Thank you for listening to what I have to say.
What is "Producers Library"? Where are you seeing that? I've never heard of it. Does it have something to do with the video or is it a general music industry thing?
Joe
Vigilia_Procuratio ago
It's on the backdrop in the video at 1:06. Could be related to this company...
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Producers_Library_Service
Or it could be nothing at all.
dongiovannirecords ago
I don't know anything about that company. We don't work with them and I don't think the director does either, she basically just makes videos for fun on the side I think.
She finally had time to write her statement about the video which hopefully answers any questions about it for people:
"I was asked to write a statement concerning the video I made for the band sex stains. I say this because I don't believe any artist should ever be required to explain themselves (freedom of expression is at the crux of creativity and inventiveness) let alone face persecution, harassment or even death threats, all of which I have encountered the last couple of weeks. That being said, any ideas I believe in concerning creative integrity weigh very little in comparison to the very serious and heinous crimes that we are dealing with today. Let me make this very clear. I do not promote violence or harm in anyway against any human being. I was in no way representing any symbol or image other then the design itself , what is commonly referred to as an 80's vector pattern. more over, the band Sex Stains had no involvement in the creation of the images included in the video "Land of La La". Iv included a lot of the images I used as visual reference guides when creating the video, but I also encourage you to google "80's vector patterns" where you will find triangles, spirals, squares, circles, squiggly lines etc. You can clearly see that I used many geometric designs and patterns in the video, not just triangles and spirals. In fact I had absolutely no idea that that symbol ever had a specific meaning attached to it prior to the band alerting me of this controversy. I hope this clears up any confusion concerning the interpretations of the art I have created. "