Documentary
Evidence is a website devoted to providing reviews and
biographies of artists appearing on Mute Records and its various
sub-labels since its launch by Daniel Miller in the late seventies.
From time to time, we will also publish interviews with Mute artists
or key personalities connected to the label, and maybe some non-Mute
material too.
Why Mute?
Mute Records were one of the longest-running, most
important and successful of the UK's independent record labels until
they were snapped up by EMI in the early part of this century. In
2010 Miller's Mute became an indepedent enterprise once again.
Over the best part of thirty-five years, Mute's
roster has been consistently varied and engaging, spanning pop,
rock, noise, dance and all the various points inbetween. All that,
plus the fact that they are my favourite label, my hobby and my
obsession. I am, plain and simple, a sycophantic fan.
Why Documentary Evidence?
For a while in the late '80s and '90s, Mute used
to issue 12" square pamphlets with vinyl releases. These were
called 'Documentary Evidence'. They featured text on the label's
history and its releases by NME / The Wire editor
Biba Kopf. They included photos and back catalogue information -
lists of catalogue numbers, artist names, titles and available formats.
To a fourteen year old with obsessive tendencies and a growing dispassion
for mainstream pop, the 'Documentary Evidence' brochures were like
an indie music bible, an eye-opening, epiphanic experience. A full
and comprehensive history of this site can be read here.
About the content
All articles and reviews are personal statements
of opinion and recollection of facts, and are copyright 2003 - 2011
MJA Smith / Documentary Evidence. The Doc.Ev / Documentary Evidence
logo is copyright 2003 - 2011 Documentary Evidence. All other logos
and images are the copyright of their respective record labels.
This site represents an information resource for
Mute and affiliated label music and artists. This site will not
contain or link to illegal sound or video files which breach generally
accepted copyright principles. Links will only be provided to sites
holding legitimate content. From time to time I may make reference
to personally-recorded or downloaded non-available material.
About the author
MJA Smith divides his time between Buckinghamshire
and London. In addition to Documentary
Evidence he writes the non-music blog My
Other Blog and occasional short
stories. MJA Smith's personal Twitter posts can be found under
the profile @MJASmith.
Twitter / RSS
Documentary Evidence posts can be followed on Twitter
under the profile @DocEvidence.
An RSS feed of new content is available via Feedburner
here.
To get in touch by email use the Contact button
on the left.
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