Higher Octave
Encyclopedia
Higher Octave is a sub-label imprint of Narada Productions
, which is part of EMI
's Blue Note Records
label group, located in New York.
Higher Octave was founded in 1986 as an independent record label
specializing in a wide variety of uplifting music, including smooth jazz
, New Age music
, Latin music and world music
. It helped bring "nouveau flamenco" to the world by releasing guitarist Ottmar Liebert
's debut LP in 1989.
Higher Octave was acquired by EMI in 1997. In 2004, Higher Octave's offices in Malibu, California, were closed and the label was folded into Narada Productions
at a reduced level of staffing and activity while retaining its imprint as a sub-label of Narada.
Two years later, Higher Octave moved to New York along with Narada and all of its related sub-labels to become part of EMI's merging all of its adult-focused music into the Blue Note Records label group.
High Octave has several sub-labels, such as OmTown and CyberOctave.
A-M
N-Z
Narada Productions
Narada is a record label formed 1983 as an independent New Age music label and distributed by MCA Records. Now a fully owned subsidiary of EMI, Narada evolved through an expansion of formats to include music from other styles including world music, jazz, Celtic music, new flamenco, acoustic guitar...
, which is part of EMI
EMI
The EMI Group, also known as EMI Music or simply EMI, is a multinational music company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the fourth-largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry and one of the "big four" record companies. EMI Group also has a major...
's Blue Note Records
Blue Note Records
Blue Note Records is a jazz record label, established in 1939 by Alfred Lion and Max Margulis. Francis Wolff became involved shortly afterwards. It derives its name from the characteristic "blue notes" of jazz and the blues. At the end of the 1950s, and in the early 1960s, Blue Note headquarters...
label group, located in New York.
Higher Octave was founded in 1986 as an independent record label
Independent record label
An independent record label is a record label operating without the funding of or outside the organizations of the major record labels. A great number of bands and musical acts begin on independent labels.-Overview:...
specializing in a wide variety of uplifting music, including smooth jazz
Smooth jazz
Smooth jazz is a genre of music that grew out of jazz fusion and is influenced by R&B, funk, rock, and pop music styles ....
, New Age music
New Age music
New Age music is music of various styles intended to create artistic inspiration, relaxation, and optimism. It is used by listeners for yoga, massage, meditation, and reading as a method of stress management or to create a peaceful atmosphere in their home or other environments, and is often...
, Latin music and world music
World music
World music is a term with widely varying definitions, often encompassing music which is primarily identified as another genre. This is evidenced by world music definitions such as "all of the music in the world" or "somebody else's local music"...
. It helped bring "nouveau flamenco" to the world by releasing guitarist Ottmar Liebert
Ottmar Liebert
Ottmar Liebert is a German-born composer and guitarist, born to a Chinese-German father and a Hungarian mother. As a child, he spent most of his time traveling Europe and Asia with his family...
's debut LP in 1989.
Higher Octave was acquired by EMI in 1997. In 2004, Higher Octave's offices in Malibu, California, were closed and the label was folded into Narada Productions
Narada Productions
Narada is a record label formed 1983 as an independent New Age music label and distributed by MCA Records. Now a fully owned subsidiary of EMI, Narada evolved through an expansion of formats to include music from other styles including world music, jazz, Celtic music, new flamenco, acoustic guitar...
at a reduced level of staffing and activity while retaining its imprint as a sub-label of Narada.
Two years later, Higher Octave moved to New York along with Narada and all of its related sub-labels to become part of EMI's merging all of its adult-focused music into the Blue Note Records label group.
High Octave has several sub-labels, such as OmTown and CyberOctave.
Artists
Artists who have recorded with Higher Octave include the following:A-M
- 3rd Force3rd Force3rd Force is a New Age/contemporary jazz band on the EMI Higher Octave label, consisting of trio William Aura, Craig Dobbin, and Alain Eskinasi. Founded in 1994 by William Aura after a prolific solo career in New Age music, he, Dobbin, and Eskinasi immediately set out working on their self-titled...
- Acoustic AlchemyAcoustic AlchemyAcoustic Alchemy is an English contemporary instrumental and smooth jazz band formed in England in the early 1980s , originally fronted by acoustic guitarists Nick Webb and Simon James...
- AdiemusAdiemus-Concept:Each Adiemus album is a collection of song-length pieces featuring harmonised vocal melody against an orchestral background. There are no lyrics as such: instead the vocalists sing syllables and 'words' invented by Jenkins...
- B-TribeB-TribeB-Tribe, or The Barcelona Tribe of Soulsters, is a musical project of the German-born musicians and producers Claus Zundel, Markus Staab and Ralf Hamm , who are also known for their Sacred Spirit project. Driven by the use of classical Spanish guitar and other elements of flamenco music mixed with...
- Brian HughesBrian Hughes (musician)Brian Hughes is a Canadian guitarist whose work draws from both the smooth jazz and world music genres. Not restricted entirely to conventional guitars, Hughes has also been known to employ the oud, bouzouki and balalaika...
- BucketheadBucketheadBrian Carroll , better known by his stage name Buckethead, is a guitarist and multi instrumentalist who has worked within several genres of music. He has released 34 studio albums, four special releases and one EP. He has performed on over 50 more albums by other artists...
- Chris SpheerisChris SpheerisChris Spheeris is a Greek-American composer of instrumental music. He is a producer, vocalist and multi-instrumentalist. Chris is the cousin of Penelope Spheeris and her brother Jimmie Spheeris, and Costas Gavras...
- Claus ZundelClaus ZundelClaus Zundel is a German composer, songwriter, producer and pianist. He has created several worldwide successful musical projects, most notable - Sacred Spirit and B-Tribe , as well as more Indie projects such as "Moroccan Spirit", "Classical Spirit", "Divine Works", Ancient Spirit and his latest...
- Craig ChaquicoCraig ChaquicoCraig Chaquico is an American guitarist of Portuguese and Native American descent. He has had over thirty years of success in a variety of genres: in the 1970s with the post-Summer of Love Jefferson Starship, in that band's 1980s incarnation, Starship, and in the 1990s and 2000s as a...
- CuscoCusco (band)The following note applies to many of the individual album pages as well, though they are not individually tagged:Cusco is a German andean new age band named after the Peruvian city of Cusco, which at one time was the capital city of the ancient Incan Empire...
- Four80EastFour80EastFour80East is the Toronto based electro jazz ensemble of Rob DeBoer and Tony Grace ; accompanied by various session musicians....
- HimekamiHimekamiis a Japanese musical group. The name is derived from Mount Himekami in Morioka, Iwate Prefecture. The group was founded in 1980 by composer Yoshiaki Hoshi as , and includes synthesizer player and vocalists Wakako Nakajima, Tomoko Fujii, Junko Shiwa, and Yoriko Sano...
- Jim McCartyJim McCartyJim McCarty is an English musician, best known as the drummer for The Yardbirds and Renaissance.-Early life:...
- John O'Connor (musician)John O'Connor (musician)John O'Connor is a television composer and recording artist from London, of Irish descent, who lives and works in California since 1987.- Early years :...
- Kate PriceKate PriceKate Price is a hammered dulcimer player and vocalist born in Salt Lake City, Utah. She has made recordings on several labels, including Priceless Productions, Access Music, Higher Octave / Om Town, Narada Productions, and LunaVerse Music....
- Les NubiansLes NubiansLes Nubians is an R&B Grammy-nominated duo composed of sisters Hélène and Célia Faussart from Paris, France. In 1985 the sisters moved with their parents to Chad. Seven years later, they returned to Bordeaux, France, and began singing a cappella, producing poetry slams in Bordeaux and Paris, and...
- Moroccan SpiritMoroccan SpiritMoroccan Spirit is a down tempo New Age / Ethnic fusion musical project/album by German musicians Ralf Hamm, Markus Staab and Claus Zundel The Brave., Ibiza-based producers of Sacred Spirit, B-Tribe and other projects.Music is often characterized as quite different from other projects by The...
- MythosMythos (musical project)Mythos is a new age musical project started by Bob D'Eith and Paul Schmidt in 1996. Bob and Paul collectively wrote, produced, and performed on the albums with the help of various session performers. The centerpiece of the Mythos sound rests on the acoustic guitar and piano, which are accented...
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- Neal SchonNeal SchonNeal George Joseph Schon is an American rock guitarist, songwriter, and vocalist best known for his work with the band Journey. He is the only member to have recorded on all of Journey's albums...
- OpafireOpafireOpafire is a Jazz Fusion / World Fusion / Contemporary Jazz musical group, originally based in San Francisco, California, best known for their 1991 RCA Records release Opafire, , which sold close to one million units World Wide, the 1992 RCA Records release Without a Trace, as well as the 1994...
- Ottmar LiebertOttmar LiebertOttmar Liebert is a German-born composer and guitarist, born to a Chinese-German father and a Hungarian mother. As a child, he spent most of his time traveling Europe and Asia with his family...
- Sacred SpiritSacred SpiritSacred Spirit is a musical project by Claus Zundel, Ralf Hamm and Markus Staab. The music is of electronic, new age, world, ambient, house, jazz and blues genres. Sacred Spirit's total worldwide album sales estimated to be over 15 million copies...
- Shahin and SepehrShahin and SepehrShahin and Sepehr are an Iranian-American guitarist duo.Their music is mainly composed of Spanish guitar melodies fused with components of soft rock, flamenco, jazz, new age, and influences of traditional music of Iran. Their influences also include artists such as Cat Stevens among others.The...
- Thomas OttenThomas Otten-Biography:Otten was classically trained as a child, learning piano and singing in chamber choirs. His voice did not break as thoroughly as usual upon reaching adolescence, retaining a high contralto range...