| Modern Obscure Music | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Founded | 2014 (2014) |
| Founder | Pedro Vian |
| Genre | Electronic, Experimental, Folk, Neoclassical |
| Country of origin | Spain |
| Location | Barcelona |
| Official website | modernobscuremusic |
Modern Obscure Music is an experimental electronic music independent record label currently based out of Barcelona, Spain, founded by Pedro Vian in 2014. The artistic direction for the label comes from Pedro Vian and graphic designer Marc Monguilod[1]. The original logo was created by designer Alex Trochut.
One of the label's most notable releases was ‘PRSNT’ in 2021, a concept co-devised by Christian Lopez’s Created by Us and Modern Obscure Music.[2] As a unique artistic project combining the input of artists across the worlds of music, video and written word acting as a statement on how we, as consumers, engage with music in the 21st century. Musicians and composers that contributed include Ryuichi Sakamoto, Pascal Comelade, Laurie Spiegel, Lyra Pramuk, Chassol, Nicolas Godin and Pierre Rousseau, Pedro Vian and Pierre Bastien, Visible Cloaks, Kelman Duran, Raul Refree, Lucrecia Dalt, and Lafawndah, with the mastering done by Rashad Becker.[3] Alongside the music, the compilation also included writings by contemporary thinkers like Shumon Bazar and INA GRM director François J. Bonnet, and images from Wolfgang Tillmans, Joel Meyerowitz, Juergen Teller, Nobuyoshi Araki, Jack Davison, Alessandra Sanguinetti, Dani Pujalte, Elizaveta Porodina, Adrià Cañameras, Larissa Zaidan, Zhong Lin and Javier Tles.[4][5][6]
In 2018 a subsidiary of the main label was formed, Passat Continu. Run by Pedro Vian and David G. Balasch it is mainly focused on reissues and alternative projects based around the genres of folk and avant-garde. Releases have spanned an array of artists such as Canaan Balsam, Sheila Chandra, Javier Segura, Charles Ditto and Jessica Boston.
In recent years, Modern Obscure Music has presented showcases in the festivals and venues of Barcelona, like Lapsus Festival, MIRA Digital Arts Festival, Sónar, Razzmatazz, Apolo and Nica, but also in other cities like Amsterdam[7], Tokyo, C2C in Turin and New York City, as well as events like the Independent Label Market (Barcelona and London).
