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Mute Records Sells Up To EMI

Author: Jonty Adderley
Saturday, May 18, 2002
EMI has bought Mute Records for a reported figure of £42million meaning artists including Moby, Luke Slater and Depeche Mode will be joining the multi-national's roster. The deal will add a further 60 largely unknown alternative acts to EMI's roster despite reports that the corporation is currently shedding up to 400 of their 1,600 acts already signed.

Mute was one of the most successful "indie" companies inspired by the DIY ethos of punk in the 70s, breaking through to profitability with Depeche Mode in 1981. Other notable successes include Erasure, Nick Cave and more recently Moby, whose last album Play sold 10 million copies. Although founder and boss Daniel Miller is to remain at the company, tensions are almost certain to follow, given the massive differences in corporate cultures between both companies. Mute has been notable for rarely dropping any bands, a policy vindicated by Moby's success, though when the album was first released in the UK, his (major) US label refused to put it out.

"It took us three months in the States just to find a label to release Play," Moby told Q," in the latest issue. "When I was making it, I felt like I was battling for my survival." Whether EMI will give 10 year chances for the rest of his label mates to prove themselves, remains to be seen.
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