Camera Obscura (record label)
Encyclopedia
Camera Obscura was a record label founded by Australian music journalist Tony Dale in 1996. Described by Dale as 'a conduit for the release of contemporary acid-folk, psych-pop and space-rock,' the label put out almost ninety releases over fourteen years, the vast majority of which were full-length CDs. Bands and musicians who released material on the label included the Green Pajamas, Patrick Porter
, Abunai!
, the Azusa Plane
, Black Sun Ensemble
, Sharron Kraus
and Primordial Undermind
. Dale formally discontinued the label in 2010 shortly before his passing due to cancer.
he mentioned that 'for a kid in the late 60s/early 70s the radio was pretty good. Lot of classic psych and singer-songwriter stuff, mixed with lot of nifty bubblegum pop hits.' An interest in music continued into later years, with Dale identifying the popularization of the Internet as being key in involving himself first in online discussions and then as a regular writer and journalist for the English-based fanzine Ptolemaic Terrascope
.
Dale's writing and on-line discussion led to a variety of contacts which gave him the opportunity to launch Camera Obscura in 1996 in Melbourne, Australia, beginning with the debut album by American acid folk band Stone Breath, Songs of Moonlight and Rain. The label logo initially consisted of a medieval European style illustration of a musician and a camera obscura
itself; later versions of the logo featured a detailed illustration simply of a camera obscura. Dale described the inspirations for the label in the 2003 interview:
While Camera Obscura most often was identified as a psychedelic
label thanks to Dale's writing work and the general association of bands that appeared on the label, especially after the start of the irregular Terrastock
festival series which often featured groups that had released work via Camera Obscura, Dale preferred to say it simply reflected his own tastes. While always based in Australia, the vast majority of the label's acts were from North America and Europe, with distribution of releases being handled via other companies in those areas or via direct Internet ordering from the label's website. Nearly all the releases were new recordings for the label, but there were also some reissues, including a CD box set of solo efforts by Green Pajamas bandleader Jeff Kelly and the debut self-titled album from the Black Sun Ensemble
, who also released numerous later albums on the label.
All but a handful of physical releases on Camera Obscura were full-length CDs; the exceptions were a small number of vinyl 7" singles and album releases. A small sublabel, Camera Lucida, concentrated on even more limited release runs, offering two CDs and three 7" singles. Releases were catalogued in the order of appearance and by format. The label also made various mp3s available for download from their catalogue; in the label's early years there was an mp3 singles club as well, with selections ending up on the two Serotonin Ronin compilations the label released on CD.
After a steady release schedule for over ten years, which continued following a move by Dale and his family from Melbourne to the Australian countryside, Camera Obscura's pace slowed over time due in large part to Dale's cancer diagnosis and treatment. The label's final formal release was the second album by American band Fell, Incoherent Lullabies, in 2009. In June 2010, Dale ended the label and mail-order operations to coincide with the conclusion of the Australian tax year on 30 June as well as out of consideration for his family; Dale died the following month.
Patrick Porter
Patrick Porter is an American singer/songwriter, novelist, poet, and painter.Born in Murfreesboro, Tennessee and raised in the isolated mountain town of Bailey, Colorado, Porter began playing music at a young age, often acting as a sit-in drummer for his father's biker bar band...
, Abunai!
Abunai!
Abunai! was a psychedelic rock/space rock/folk rock band from Boston, Massachusetts, USA primarily active from 1996 to 2001 on the Australian Camera Obscura record label.-History:...
, the Azusa Plane
Azusa Plane
The Azusa Plane was the psychedelic music recording and performance project of Jason DiEmilio of Clifton Heights, Pennsylvania...
, Black Sun Ensemble
Black Sun Ensemble
Black Sun Ensemble is a Tucson Arizona, USA based psychedelic rock band, led by Jesus Acedo that was formed in the mid 1980s. The initial albums garnered rave reviews from Rolling Stone and several of the independent music journals of the time. Black Sun Ensemble opened for Camper Van Beethoven...
, Sharron Kraus
Sharron Kraus
Sharron Kraus is an English singer, songwriter and musician with strong ties to the US. Kraus was born in New York but grew up in Leicester, England...
and Primordial Undermind
Primordial Undermind
Primordial Undermind is a critically acclaimed experimental/psychedelic rock band, begun in 1988 when guitarist Eric Arn of Connecticut's Crystalized Movements moved to California, and continuing today in Austria. Arn initially went to London in 1989 to record demos with the Bevis Frond's Nick...
. Dale formally discontinued the label in 2010 shortly before his passing due to cancer.
History
Born in England in 1958 but raised in Australia, Tony Dale was a passionate fan of music from an early age; in an 2003 interview for web publication Perfect Sound ForeverPerfect Sound Forever (magazine)
Perfect Sound Forever is one of the longest-running online-only music magazines . Along with Michael Goldberg's Addicted to Noise Perfect Sound Forever (est. 1995) is one of the longest-running online-only music magazines . Along with Michael Goldberg's Addicted to Noise Perfect Sound Forever...
he mentioned that 'for a kid in the late 60s/early 70s the radio was pretty good. Lot of classic psych and singer-songwriter stuff, mixed with lot of nifty bubblegum pop hits.' An interest in music continued into later years, with Dale identifying the popularization of the Internet as being key in involving himself first in online discussions and then as a regular writer and journalist for the English-based fanzine Ptolemaic Terrascope
Ptolemaic Terrascope
Ptolemaic Terrascope is a magazine covering old and new music, usually of a psychedelic nature. It has been published irregularly since 1989...
.
Dale's writing and on-line discussion led to a variety of contacts which gave him the opportunity to launch Camera Obscura in 1996 in Melbourne, Australia, beginning with the debut album by American acid folk band Stone Breath, Songs of Moonlight and Rain. The label logo initially consisted of a medieval European style illustration of a musician and a camera obscura
Camera obscura
The camera obscura is an optical device that projects an image of its surroundings on a screen. It is used in drawing and for entertainment, and was one of the inventions that led to photography. The device consists of a box or room with a hole in one side...
itself; later versions of the logo featured a detailed illustration simply of a camera obscura. Dale described the inspirations for the label in the 2003 interview:
The Ptolemaic Terrascope for its blending of new and old fandom. I admired the early days of CreationCreation RecordsCreation Records was a British independent record label headed by Alan McGee. Along with Dick Green and Joe Foster, McGee founded Creation in 1983. The label lasted until its demise in 1999. The name came from the 1960s band The Creation , whom McGee greatly admired. McGee, Green and Foster were...
, Flying NunFlying Nun RecordsFlying Nun Records is an independent record label formed in Christchurch, New Zealand in 1981 by music-store proprietor Roger Shepherd.-History:The label was formed in the flurry of new punk rock-inspired labels forming in the early 1980s...
, and Sub PopSub PopSub Pop is a record label founded in 1986 by Bruce Pavitt and Jonathan Poneman in Seattle, Washington. Sub Pop achieved fame in the late 1980s for first signing Nirvana, Soundgarden, Mudhoney and many other bands from the Seattle music scene...
– before they all got corporate. I especially admired Alan McGeeAlan McGeeAlan McGee has been a record label owner, musician, manager, and music blogger for The Guardian.McGee is best-known for co-forming and running the independent Creation Records label from 1983–1999, and then Poptones from 1999-2007...
’s deeply unfashionable (at the time) paisley stance. I wanted to do that. And Xpressway Records – that sort of cottage industry approach unfettered by the need for large budgets or anything other than the sheer joy of getting something I thought to be cool out there. Like record collecting in reverse.
While Camera Obscura most often was identified as a psychedelic
Psychedelic
The term psychedelic is derived from the Greek words ψυχή and δηλοῦν , translating to "soul-manifesting". A psychedelic experience is characterized by the striking perception of aspects of one's mind previously unknown, or by the creative exuberance of the mind liberated from its ostensibly...
label thanks to Dale's writing work and the general association of bands that appeared on the label, especially after the start of the irregular Terrastock
Terrastock
Terrastock is a music festival organised periodically by Phil McMullen, formerly editor of the Ptolemaic Terrascope and since 2005 the publisher of the Terrascope Online website. The event typically features independent bands playing psychedelic rock....
festival series which often featured groups that had released work via Camera Obscura, Dale preferred to say it simply reflected his own tastes. While always based in Australia, the vast majority of the label's acts were from North America and Europe, with distribution of releases being handled via other companies in those areas or via direct Internet ordering from the label's website. Nearly all the releases were new recordings for the label, but there were also some reissues, including a CD box set of solo efforts by Green Pajamas bandleader Jeff Kelly and the debut self-titled album from the Black Sun Ensemble
Black Sun Ensemble
Black Sun Ensemble is a Tucson Arizona, USA based psychedelic rock band, led by Jesus Acedo that was formed in the mid 1980s. The initial albums garnered rave reviews from Rolling Stone and several of the independent music journals of the time. Black Sun Ensemble opened for Camper Van Beethoven...
, who also released numerous later albums on the label.
All but a handful of physical releases on Camera Obscura were full-length CDs; the exceptions were a small number of vinyl 7" singles and album releases. A small sublabel, Camera Lucida, concentrated on even more limited release runs, offering two CDs and three 7" singles. Releases were catalogued in the order of appearance and by format. The label also made various mp3s available for download from their catalogue; in the label's early years there was an mp3 singles club as well, with selections ending up on the two Serotonin Ronin compilations the label released on CD.
After a steady release schedule for over ten years, which continued following a move by Dale and his family from Melbourne to the Australian countryside, Camera Obscura's pace slowed over time due in large part to Dale's cancer diagnosis and treatment. The label's final formal release was the second album by American band Fell, Incoherent Lullabies, in 2009. In June 2010, Dale ended the label and mail-order operations to coincide with the conclusion of the Australian tax year on 30 June as well as out of consideration for his family; Dale died the following month.
Artists
Many of the bands on Camera Obscura released albums on other labels or were formally signed to other labels at the time of their appearance in the Camera Obscura roster.- Abunai!Abunai!Abunai! was a psychedelic rock/space rock/folk rock band from Boston, Massachusetts, USA primarily active from 1996 to 2001 on the Australian Camera Obscura record label.-History:...
- Alchemysts
- Alphane Moon
- The Azusa Plane
- Bardo PondBardo PondBardo Pond are an American psychedelic rock band formed in 1991, and who are currently signed to London based label Fire Records. The current members are Michael Gibbons , John Gibbons , Isobel Sollenberger , Clint Takeda , Jason Kourkonis , and Aaron Igler...
- Black Sun EnsembleBlack Sun EnsembleBlack Sun Ensemble is a Tucson Arizona, USA based psychedelic rock band, led by Jesus Acedo that was formed in the mid 1980s. The initial albums garnered rave reviews from Rolling Stone and several of the independent music journals of the time. Black Sun Ensemble opened for Camper Van Beethoven...
- Black Swan NetworkBlack Swan NetworkBlack Swan Network is a musical side project of The Olivia Tremor Control. With contributions from Neutral Milk Hotel members Jeff Mangum and Julian Koster, as well as individual contributions from J. Kirk Pleasant of Calvin, Don't Jump! and fablefactory's Roxanne Martin, it was intended to be an...
- Dipsomaniacs
- Dunlavy
- Fell
- Alastair Galbraith
- Gentle Tasaday
- Goblin Market
- The Green PajamasThe Green Pajamas- External links :Official sitess "Inspiring Links" section lists various articles and interviews. Warning: Flash site. – interview – concert review* – profile from Seattle Post-Intelligencer* on eNotes.com-Review sites:*PopMatters has * – many links...
- Greyscale
- Øyvind Holm
- The Iditarod
- Ink Puddle Compound
- Jeff Kelly
- Christian Kiefer
- Sharron KrausSharron KrausSharron Kraus is an English singer, songwriter and musician with strong ties to the US. Kraus was born in New York but grew up in Leicester, England...
- Laconic Chamber
- Lazily Spun
- Lifesmyth
- The Linus Pauling QuartetThe Linus Pauling QuartetThe Linus Pauling Quartet is a psychedelic rock group which specializes in a specific subgenre known as "", but frequently dabbles also in Garage rock, Stoner rock, Punk rock, and Heavy Metal at various points throughout their discography. The LP4 was formed in 1994 by veterans of various local...
- The Lothars
- Love and Death
- Lucky Bishops
- Marianne Nowottny
- Our Glassie Azoth
- The Petals
- Patrick PorterPatrick PorterPatrick Porter is an American singer/songwriter, novelist, poet, and painter.Born in Murfreesboro, Tennessee and raised in the isolated mountain town of Bailey, Colorado, Porter began playing music at a young age, often acting as a sit-in drummer for his father's biker bar band...
- Phineas Gage
- Primordial UndermindPrimordial UndermindPrimordial Undermind is a critically acclaimed experimental/psychedelic rock band, begun in 1988 when guitarist Eric Arn of Connecticut's Crystalized Movements moved to California, and continuing today in Austria. Arn initially went to London in 1989 to record demos with the Bevis Frond's Nick...
- Project Grimm
- RakeRake (band)Rake was an art rock/noise rock musical ensemble from Northern Virginia , founded in 1989. Not aligned with the post-punk/hardcore bands more commonly associated with the local underground music scene, Rake took a more experimental route and were more closely associated with fellow Virginia-based...
- Rusalnaia
- Saint Joan
- Salamander
- The Sand PebblesThe Sand Pebbles (band)Sand Pebbles is a psychedelic rock band from Melbourne, Australia.-History:Formed on Bastille Day, 2001 on the set of Neighbours by three of the show’s screenwriter's Christopher Hollow , Ben Michael and Piet Collins . Singer-guitarist Andrew Tanner joined shortly after.In 2003, Murray Ono was...
- Satyrswitch
- Stone Breath
- SubArachnoid SpaceSubArachnoid SpaceSubArachnoid Space was a San Francisco, California-based psychedelic rock band founded in 1996 by Mason Jones, the owner of the independent music label Charnel Music.They relocated to Portland Oregon, where they continued to perform, tour and release albums...
- The Tadpoles
- TanakhTanakh (band)Tanakh is the name of a musical collective from Richmond, Virginia as well as a reference to the music produced by the group. The collective was formed in 2000 by its primary songwriter, producer and recording engineer Jesse Poe.- Background :...
- Ultraviolet Makes Me Sick
- United Bible StudiesUnited Bible StudiesUnited Bible Studies is an experimental and improvisational folk band from Ireland. There are a few core members such as David Colohan as well as a host of incidental contributors on both the live performances and regular albums...
- Vortex Navigation Co.
External links
- Official site
- 2003 interview with Tony Dale for Perfect Sound Forever
- Brainwashed.com obituary for Tony Dale
- Memorial post for Tony Dale from the Green Pajamas
- Memorial post for Tony Dale from Lexicon Devil label owner Dave Lang
- Aural Innovations Space Rock Radio Show featuring a Tony Dale memorial set, including various selections from Camera Obscura releases