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Obscure Records was aU.K.record label which existed from 1975 to 1978. It was created and curated byBrian Eno. Ten albums were issued in the series. Most have detailed liner notes on their back covers, analyzing the compositions and providing a biography of the composer, in a format typical of classical music albums, and much of the material can be regarded as20th-century classical music. The label provided a venue forexperimental music.
| Catalog | Year | Artist(s) | Title | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Obscure no.1 | 1975 | Gavin Bryars | The Sinking of the Titanic | Release also containsJesus' Blood Never Failed Me Yet, which includesDerek Bailey on guitar andMichael Nyman on organ. |
| Obscure no.2 | 1975 | Christopher Hobbs,John Adams,Gavin Bryars | Ensemble Pieces | |
| Obscure no.3 | 1975 | Brian Eno | Discreet Music | Title track (side one) utilizes thetape loop system previously used byFripp & Eno in(No Pussyfooting) and soon to be known asFrippertronics |
| Obscure no.4 | 1975 | David Toop,Max Eastley | New and Rediscovered Musical Instruments | David Toop's name appears first on the cover, but his tracks occupy side two. Toop's tracks are incorrectly listed in backward order on both cover and label of Island and Polydor editions. The Virgin CD reissue retains the cover and label order, but adjusts the running order of the tracks on the disc itself to match |
| Obscure no.5 | 1976 | Jan Steele,John Cage | Voices and Instruments | FeaturesRobert Wyatt singing two tracks |
| Obscure no.6 | 1976 | Michael Nyman | Decay Music | |
| Obscure no.7 | 1976 | Members of thePenguin Café Orchestra | Music from the Penguin Café | ListsSimon Jeffes as the artist on the label only, on Island and Polydor editions |
| Obscure OBS-8 | 1978 | John White,Gavin Bryars | Machine Music | |
| Obscure OBS-9 | 1978 | an opera byTom Phillips, music byGavin Bryars, libretto by Fred Orton | Irma | |
| Obscure OBS-10 | 1978 | Harold Budd | The Pavilion of Dreams |
The first seven albums were issued on the Obscure label in 1975 and 1976, manufactured and distributed in the UK byIsland Records whose name appeared at the bottom of the label. These have a catalogue number expressed as "Obscure no. 1" through 7 on the covers, or "OBSCURE-1" etc. on the labels. All albums use the original, mostly black, cover art.
