Esoteric Recordings is a UK independent record label specialising in 1970s progressive rock, folk, psychedelic, and jazz-rock reissues as part of Cherry Red Records. Its releases include both catalogue reissues and new works from artists who share a similar musical heritage.
The label's founder is Mark Powell, who has been a freelance music consultant for Universal, Sony and EMI since 2000; he has also worked with Soft Machine, Caravan, Camel, Man, and Hawkwind, as well as producing label retrospectives covering Deram, Decca, Vertigo, Harvest and United Artists. His consultancy work led to the formation of an independent reissue label, titled Eclectic Discs, to license overlooked releases he considered worthwhile but weren't of sufficient commercial stature to interest major labels. Other releases are sourced from the artists themselves, while the label has also been involved in the release of DVD material from artists including Barclay James Harvest.
Speaking in 2008, Powell said:
Among the label's releases have been box sets including the six-CD Jack Bruce Can You Follow? and the four-CD Bill Nelson Trial by Intimacy (The Book of Splendours) as well as standalone releases by artists including: Man, Claire Hamill, The Keef Hartley Band, Egg, Michael Moorcock, Gary Farr, Daevid Allen, and Rare Bird.
In 2012, Esoteric Recordings started a front line record label, Esoteric Antenna, which put out the debut album by Squackett (Steve Hackett and Chris Squire) called A Life Within a Day. It has also signed the Oxford-based band Sanguine Hum and guitarist Matt Stevens (of The Fierce and the Dead ).
Signed artists
Daevid Allen Anderson Bruford Wakeman Howe Tony Banks Barclay James Harvest Blossom Toes Arthur Brown Jack Bruce Camel Curved Air Disco Jets Egg East of Eden Gary Farr Bill Fay FM Keef Hartley Band Claire Hamill Hawkwind Matt Stevens (musician) (of The Fierce and the Dead) Love Sculpture Man Mellow Candle Michael Moorcock Morgan Morgan Fisher and Lol Coxhill Bill Nelson Rare Bird Todd Rundgren Space Ritual Squackett Supersister Tangerine Dream Wigwam Chris Wood
References
1. Interview with Alex Ogg for 'My Favourite Flavour' magazine issue 006 2008