A public back-and-forth has unfolded between UK electronic music figures Nick Chicane and Calvin Harris, following claims that Harris’s latest release ‘Blessings’ with Clementine Douglas bears a striking resemblance to one of Chicane’s most iconic tracks.
Shortly after the release of Harris’ new anthem, Chicane took to Instagram to share a video comparing the song’s chord progression to his 1996 classic ‘Offshore.’ In the clip, he layered the two tracks together, implying that Harris had borrowed heavily from the ambient trance staple.
Harris responded with a video of his own, denying any wrongdoing and offering a broader perspective on musical influence. In his rebuttal, Harris broke down the chords in question and actually pointed out similarities between ‘Offshore’ and Tangerine Dream’s 1983 composition ‘Love On A Real Train.’ He joked at the accusation and thought the idea of him copying anything was stupid.
So far, the disagreement has played out entirely on social media, with neither party taking legal action. Each post has support of its own, even coming from high-profile artists.
It is clear that the tracks are similar, but having to rearrange the track to showcases the similarities is not a fair way to compare records.