Mute Song has signed a publishing deal The Grid (pictured) and Soft Cell's Dave Ball.
The argument for artist, who has worked on a variety of projects over the last 40 years, covers a "substantial" part of his back catalogue, plus Soft Cell's forthcoming new album on BMG.
"I first worked with Dave Ball and Soft Cell over forty years ago when I produced their debut single Memorabilia," said Mute founder Daniel Miller. "We were all starting out at the time, learning as we went along. It was a wonderful experience. I have always had great respect for Dave and Marc and a love of subversive electronic music, so in the years following our work together I was thrilled to see Soft Cell enjoying success around the globe with the dark, beautiful and gloriously sordid music they created."
Welcoming the deal Ball said Miller's Mute Song was a great home.
"I am pleased to sign a new publishing deal with Mute Song for my future projects including Soft Cell, The Grid and my solo productions," he explained. "Daniel Miller was the first producer I ever worked with - he produced the first Soft Cell single Memorabilia, as well as the first demo of Tainted Love, so we go back a long way. I am very happy to be a part of the team."
With the deal covering Ball's work with The Grid, his partner in that group Richard Norris has also signed with Mute Song.
"I am very excited to be joining the team at Mute, who have been at the heart of electronic music forever," he observed. "I'm looking forward to the opportunities this will bring for us, particularly with our brand new Grid recordings, as well as our back catalogue."
Chris Smith of Renegade Music, manager of Soft Cell and The Grid, said he looked forward to a long term relationship with the publisher.
"It seems timely that this deal is inked 40 years since Daniel worked together with Dave and Marc Almond on the seminal club track Memorabilia, back in 1981," Smith noted.
"It’s also over 30 years since Richard Norris and Dave Ball started working together as The Grid and we feel it is now time for them to be re-evaluated in the dance music world. We all believe that Dave and Richard’s back catalogues, as well as future recordings, will make this partnership a long and fruitful one. I would like to extend my thanks to Daniel Miller, David McGinnis and Pepe Jansz at Mute for making this happen."
Mute Song’s McGinnis also added his welcome saying it was "a great privilege" to be working with the new signings.
Last year, Mute Song signed My Life Story in a worldwide publishing deal.
