Safta Jaffery - Muse Collaboration

Muse Collaboration

Jaffery was introduced to Muse in 1997 through Dennis Smith, co-founder of Taste Media and owner of Sawmills Studio where Muse recorded their first EP. In 1998, he secured a six-album co-label record deal with Maverick Records in the United States, Canada and Mexico, and a three-album co-label licensing deal with the small UK division of Mushroom Records – an Australian label, for the UK, Ireland and Australia.

Taste Media signed a six-album record deal with Muse in 1998, under which Jaffery and Smith would manage the band for free, having already been contractually granted the recording and publishing rights. Together, they executively produced the band's first 3 studio albums, Showbiz, Origin of Symmetry and Absolution. In 2005, Jaffery and Smith relinquished their roles as Muse's management, although they still retained their record contract. After the three albums had been released, all of the international licensing deals expired and both Maverick and Mushroom Records were bought by Warner Music. Muse's contract was sold to Warner, with Jaffery retaining the Taste company name and logo. Jaffery bought out Smith's stake in Taste Music, and remains the publisher for Muse's first three albums.