Label
Atonal Records
Berlin-based independent label documenting experimental and avant-garde music from the mid-1980s across multiple formats.
About
Atonal Records was an independent record label based in Berlin that documented and released experimental and avant-garde music during the mid-1980s. The label's output reflected a commitment to capturing live performances and contemporary composition within the industrial and experimental music underground. The label's catalog included both studio recordings and concert documentation, with releases available in multiple formats including vinyl LPs, compact discs, and reel-to-reel tape, indicating a willingness to embrace various distribution methods during a transitional period in music media. Notable releases include Berlin Atonal Vol. 1 (1984), a compilation documenting performances from Berlin's experimental music scene, alongside concert recordings such as The Lyon Concert (1985). The label's modest but focused discography reflects its role as a curator of challenging, non-commercial music during a significant period of innovation in European experimental music. Atonal Records' releases remain of interest to collectors and researchers studying 1980s avant-garde and industrial music communities.