Composer and Radiohead lead guitarist Jonny Greenwood has launched a classical music record label, Octatonic.
The label will only record soloists or small groups. It will feature both new compositions and more traditional repertoire, as well as some of Greenwood’s music.
Greenwood claims he “stands in awe” of classical musicians:
“a 20-something carrying a cello case will always be more impressive than someone with a guitar. It’s just harder to do. It takes more commitment, and the sounds they make are so limitless – for all that the instruments they play are ‘traditional’.”
In Otatonic’s recordings, Greenwood is seeking to help audiences see classical music as “vital and passionate.”
“I hope these recordings encourage more people to see live classical music, and to take an interest in the featured artists.”
With the label being promoted by Radiohead, who have sold over 30 million albums and boast over 10 million fans on social media, the label certainly has a potential to reach a large audience with this message.
Greenwood has been composing for classical orchestras and ensembles, as well as films, since the early 2000’s. His music for the 2007 film There Will Be Blood, has received numerous awards and critical acclaim. He undertook a residency with the Australian Chamber Orchestra in 2012 that produced the composition Water. The vinyl release, which included Water on one side, and Mozart’s Eine Kleine Nacht Musik on the other, won the 2018 Australian Independent Record Award for Best Classical Album.