Immodesty Blaize (click on the picture for more)

.

EMI records chief Miles Leonard chatted to Skrufff this week about the major label’s new strategy of signing all round ‘360º’ deals with the likes of Deadmau5 and the Swedish House Mafia and revealed that music sales are no longer the major label’s primary focus.

“We can’t just rely on selling CDs and digital downloads to survive any more and to move with the times you need to be a very rounded company,” said Miles.

“So in doing that, that means you open the doors to signing deals with artists out there who have very successful businesses that aren’t necessarily centred on their albums. Their album may just be the conduit that drives people to go to their live shows, whereas the album itself may not sell a huge amount. But if the live shows do, we may still want to invest in that person as a company,” he said.

Joining Virgin as a lowly talent scout in 1992 Miles brought the Verve to the EMI offshoot as his very first signing before being unceremoniously fired as a result of a classic major label power game. Rejoining EMI via Parlophone in 1993 as an A&R, he went on to sign the likes of the Beta Band and Eric Prydz before sealing his reputation in signing then transforming Coldplay and Kylie into global mega-million selling pop stars.

17 years on he remains at the top of EMI’s hierarchy as Parlophone Managing Director overseeing merchandising, synching (licensing tracks to commercials and connecting bands with brands) and ‘360 deals’, involving all aspects of bands- and DJs’- careers.

.

Miles Leonard

.

“The Swedish House Mafia are signed to EMI through Virgin and that deal is an all round 360º one where we have invested in them not just as producers or recording artists but as a company. As an entity, as a business,” said Miles.

“So we have involvement in everything they do from the shows worldwide to the residency at Pacha (Ibiza) to merchandise: absolutely everything. It’s a 360º deal where we’ve invested in them,” he said.

“And that’s the same deal that’s in place with Deadmau5, again with Virgin, through EMI. We’ve gone into business with Deadmau5, not just for his records but a deal with his business as a whole,” he explained.

Miles also pointed out that last year EMI signed burlesque dancer Immodesty Blaise to the label despite the fact she doesn’t make any music at all.

“We’re investing in her show and she’ll be performing at corporate events for example, they’ll also be a book, a film, and a number of other things. We thought it would be an interesting project to branch out into that isn’t just about music,” he said.

His assessment of the erotic dancer’s potential matched that of the writer behind her official biography on her website who she’s fast becoming a national treasure’ off the back of her ‘impressive client roster including top names such as Dior, Cartier, and Damien Hirst’.

“Immodesty is also an acclaimed writer,” the press release also notes, “Her debut novel ‘Tease’- her first foray into the genre of ‘bonkbuster’ fiction garnered five star reviews and became a top ten bestseller.”

Miles Leonard will be appearing as a keynote speaker at the Amsterdam Dance Event in October.

http://www.immodestyblaize.com/

Jonty Skrufff

Share on Facebook