The Definitive Visual Chronicle Of Mute Records
- Written by Marky Edison
Mute and Thames & Hudson have announced details of Mute: A Visual Document, a 320-page hardback book, available from November 16. The book is packed with artwork and photography – much of it previously unseen – from the Mute Archives and from Daniel Miller’s own archives, including photography and video stills from legendary photographers, conceptual artworks, rare ephemera and equipment.
The book features comprehensive discographies, a family tree of Mute artists, an extensive introduction and commentary by Daniel Miller, who has curated the materials for the book, plus anecdotal and photographic contributions from key figures in the label’s story, including Moby, Alison Goldfrapp, Anton Corbijn, Bleddyn Butcher, Brian Griffin, Jon Spencer, Barry Adamson, Ivan Novak (Laibach), Angus Andrew (Liars), Adrian Shaughnessy and Tom Hingston.
Mute was created by Daniel Miller, who grew up in North West London, the son of refugee actors from Vienna, to release his debut single, The Normal ‘Warm Leatherette’ / ’T.V.O.D’ in 1978. The label quickly grew and established its reputation and through the music of its community of artists – ranging from Fad Gadget, Goldfrapp, Moby, Can, Diamanda Galás, Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds to Depeche Mode, Yazoo, Erasure, Laibach, Liars and Ben Frost – it has had an incalculable impact on popular music for four decades.
