Radiohead’s Jonny Greenwood Launches a Classical Music Label

Radiohead's Jonny Greenwood. Photo by Rmv/Shutterstock (9769226r)

Jonny Greenwood is the Guitarist of Radiohead, but he is also an acclaimed film composer. Now, Greenwood announces his new label, Octatonic Records, which will focus on contemporary classical music.

“Since doing my first soundtrack [2003’s Bodysong], I’ve become friends with lots of these remarkable musicians, as well as more familiar with the music they play. It’s a whole world out there,” wrote Greenwood in his announcement on the label’s site.

Greenwood continued: “I stand in awe of classically trained UK 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.’”

Greenwood said he will only record soloists or small groups of musicians. “And as it’s my party, including in the releases some of my own small ideas that have never been recorded, like 88 (for solo piano), and Miniatures from Water for piano, violin, string drone, and tanpura.”The label has actually released some titles by now, including Bach’s Volume: 1: Partita No.2 in D Minor on vinyl and digital, as well as Volume 2: Industry, Water, the latter consists of Greenwood’s “Three Miniatures From Water” on one side and composer Michael Gordon’s “Industry” on the other.