An internet/spotify mystery / does anyone know who this pianist is and why he disappeared?

[SamPost]

I've come across an internet mystery (I know, not that weird, but stay with me).

This pianist (James Brook-Cruz Spotify link) on Spotify has (or had, rather) two albums only, of the complete Chopin Nocturnes. The playing is beyond bizarre (best described as loud, verging on straight up banging, honestly sounds like it could be a player-piano / synthesized digital recording?) and yet it was the second most popular Chopin Nocturnes album (over a million plays, suspiciously every track with almost identical 70-some thousand play count).

I included a clip of the artist in a music podcast I do (I'm a pianist/composer) and after I published it, the mystery pianist is gone from Spotify, mysteriously. The only thing I can find about this person is on other streaming sites (amazon, itunes, loudr, rdio, playax, etc.)

I'm thoroughly invested in figuring out what's going on with this recording now. Did my podcast really prompt the owner of this recording to eliminate it from Spotify?? Hard to believe, I really don't have that many listeners. But the timing is....suggestive.

HELP

[Maxim]

Hey @SamPost,

Are you talking about these two albums:

https://open.spotify.com/album/0c8PED9gO0xCrH3kNgs3JV

https://open.spotify.com/album/2rDkPYkXQO8jug1OnNr6PH

? 🙂

[SamPost]

Yes! They won't play for me anymore (see screenshot). Are they still working / playing for other people?

[Maxim]

No, it seems like both albums have been taken down by the artist or the artist's label. 😞

Spotify wants all the world’s music on Spotify. However, some artists and tracks aren't currently available. Sometimes agreements can’t be reached with the artist or label or a change may happen in music ownership.

However, please know thousands of albums and artists are added to Spotify every day. If you can’t find an artist you’re looking for, they may appear (or reappear) soon.

In the meantime, feel free to contact the artist or their label to ask when they plan to be on Spotify.

Thanks!

[SamPost]

Umm, can you help me contact thist artist / label?? I really want to get in contact with these people. Desperately. But I can't figure out how. Help? Thanks!

[Maxim]

Unfortunately not, that's not something I can do. I would search for them on Google or Social Media networks (such as Twitter, Facebook etc.).

[SamPost]

Yeah, but that's the mystery....this person does not exist anywhere on the normal internet...