Octatonic Records

Octatonic Records is a British independent record label founded by Radiohead guitarist and composer Jonny Greenwood. The label was announced by Greenwood as a vehicle for documenting the musicians he encountered in the contemporary classical world, particularly soloists and small ensembles. In his own words, he decided to start "documenting the musicians I encounter in the contemporary classical world," having become friends with many remarkable musicians since working on his first soundtrack. The label's stated intention is to capture these musicians playing pieces they love, both contemporary and ancient, and to release the recordings on vinyl and streaming services as regularly as possible. The label's catalogue focuses on intimate recordings of classical repertoire and new compositions. Its first two releases, Volume 1 and Volume 2, include music by Bach, Messiaen, and Michael Gordon, with plans to record Steve Reich in a subsequent session. The releases are issued in both vinyl and digital formats, with vinyl editions typically priced at £25.00 GBP and digital downloads starting from £7.00 GBP. The physical editions are presented as high-quality packages: the Volume 2 vinyl, for example, is a black, 180-gram LP in a rigid tip-on sleeve including an 8-page printed booklet featuring the full score of Michael Gordon's "Industry" and original notes by the composer. Greenwood also uses the label to release some of his own previously unrecorded small-scale compositions, such as "88" for solo piano and "Miniatures from Water" for piano, violin, string drone, and tanpura. The label's releases are recorded at venues including RAK Studios in London and St John the Evangelist Church in Oxford, with Greenwood often serving as producer. The recordings are engineered by Graeme Stewart, with technical support from Peter Clements and mastering by Dan Baldwin at Metropolis, London. Octatonic Records operates as a private, independent label with a clear curatorial vision: to produce great, intimate recordings that do justice to the talent of classically trained UK musicians and the composers they choose, and to encourage more people to see live classical music. The label sells directly to consumers through its official website, shipping internationally, and distributes its music through streaming services.

Octatonic Records was founded by Jonny Greenwood, the guitarist of Radiohead and an acclaimed composer of film scores and contemporary classical works. Greenwood announced the label's launch in a statement on its website, explaining that he had decided to start documenting the musicians he encountered in the contemporary classical world. He noted that since doing his first soundtrack, he had become friends with many remarkable musicians and had become more familiar with the music they play. The label was conceived as a home for recordings of soloists and small groups, with Greenwood also including some of his own small ideas that had never been recorded, such as "88" for solo piano and "Miniatures from Water" for piano, violin, string drone, and tanpura. The label's first two releases were Volume 1 and Volume 2. Volume 1 features Bach's Partita No. 2 in D Minor, while Volume 2, titled "Industry, Water," pairs Michael Gordon's 1992 composition "Industry" with Greenwood's 2018 work "Water" (also referred to as "Three Miniatures From Water"). The Volume 2 release credits cellist Oliver Coates and Greenwood on distortion for the Gordon piece, and pianists Katherine Tinker, violinist Daniel Pioro, cellists Clare O'Connell and Christopher Graves, double bassist Dave Brown, and tanpura players Nicolas Magriel and Jonny Greenwood on the Greenwood piece. The recordings were made at RAK Studios in London and St John the Evangelist Church in Oxford, produced by Jonny Greenwood, engineered by Graeme Stewart, with technical support from Peter Clements, and mastered by Dan Baldwin at Metropolis, London. Greenwood stated that the first two releases should include music by Bach, Messiaen, and Michael Gordon, and that there were plans to record some Steve Reich in the next session. The label releases its music on vinyl and streaming services, with a stated intention to release recordings as regularly as possible. The physical editions are designed as premium objects: the Volume 2 vinyl is a black, 180-gram LP in a rigid tip-on sleeve, including an 8-page printed booklet featuring the full score of "Industry" and original notes on the piece by composer Michael Gordon. A download card is included, and digital downloads are available as 320K MP3 or 16/24-bit WAV files. Greenwood's curatorial vision for the label emphasizes intimacy and fidelity to the musicians' talent. He has expressed awe for classically trained UK musicians, remarking that "a 20-something carrying a cello case will always be more impressive than someone with a guitar," and that the sounds they make are limitless despite their traditional instruments. He hopes the recordings encourage more people to see live classical music and take an interest in the featured artists. The label continues to operate as an independent, private entity, selling directly through its website and distributing via streaming platforms.

• 2019

  Jonny Greenwood announces the launch of Octatonic Records.

• 2019

  First releases, Volume 1 and Volume 2, are issued on vinyl and digital formats.

Boutique classical label focused on intimate, high-quality recordings of soloists and small ensembles, bridging contemporary and ancient repertoire.

• Volume 1: Partita No.2 in D Minor

• Volume 2: Industry, Water

1. 1Octatonic Records | Jonny Greenwoodoctatonicrecords.com
2. 2ABOUT | Jonny Greenwoodoctatonicrecords.com
3. 3Volume 2: Industry, Water - Vinyl | Jonny Greenwoodoctatonicrecords.com
4. 4Volume 2: Industry, Water - Digital | Jonny Greenwoodoctatonicrecords.com
5. 5Octatonic Recordswikidata.org