NEW MUSIC EXPRESS (NME)
June 22, 2020
The estate of late musician Else Kjelstrom, whose fame and notoriety skyrocketed following her death in 2011, has filed a copyright infringement suit against Camilo Wong "Chino" Moreno of the alternative rock band the Deftones as well as their label, Cherry Red Records. The Kjelstrom Estate claims that Moreno stole not only the lyrics for the Deftones newest single "Ohms" from a journal of Else Kjelstrom's writing that went on auction in London in 2018, but also that the music video for the track incorporates further notes Kjelstrom had written in the mid 1990s.
Kier Kjelstrom, representative of the Kjelstrom Estate and Else's father, claims that Moreno came into possession of a journal of Else's writings after it was stolen from the Kjelstrom's home in Bristol before going up on auction six months later. Don Valentino, the attorney representing Cherry Red Records, has claimed that these accusations are baseless and without merit and Cherry Red has filed a countersuit on the grounds of libel against the Kjelstroms.
Neither Moreno nor Cherry Red Records immediately responded when asked for a comment. The Kjelstrom Foundation has stated that they will "continue to fight for the rights for Else's music to be attributed to her name" and indicates that other artists have performed covers of her work free of charge with the full blessing of the Kjelstrom family when asked.
With the understanding that Else's work is the result of a form of unregistered precognition, many fans are now dissecting the lyrics and video for Ohms for potential clues pertaining to future events. However, given that the Kjelstoms claim they were written as far back as the 1990s, it is highly likely these events have already come to pass, if they are indeed penned by the artist after her initial manifestation.