Music Industry Moves: Brian Eno Relaunches Opal Records; Columbia Records Names Corey ‘C-Notes’ Calder SVP

Brian Eno's Opal Records, an imprint he established in 1988, is returning to active operation following a hiatus spanning more than thirty years. The relaunch kicks off with fresh pressings of two Eno titles: his 2005 solo effort "Another Day on Earth" and "Drawn From Life," the 2001 record he made alongside J. Peter Schwalm. Outside of Japan, both albums have been essentially out of circulation for roughly two decades. The label has additional releases in the pipeline. Eno, whose production credits include U2's "The Joshua Tree" and David Bowie's Berlin Trilogy, originally paused Opal in 1991 to focus on his own projects, at which point its catalog moved to All Saints Records.

During its initial 1988-1991 run, Opal put out music from a lineup that included Brian Eno, Roger Eno, Harold Budd, Laraaji, Djivan Gasparyan, Hugo Largo, Zvuki Mu, Daniel Lanois, Jon Hassell and John Cale. That era is still cited for exposing listeners to ambient and avant-garde acts that major labels of the time largely ignored. The Berlin Trilogy — "Low," "Heroes" and "Lodger" — was cut in the late 1970s and endures as some of the most groundbreaking experimental rock ever recorded. As one veteran A&R executive put it, "Opal's first chapter proved that a boutique label could shape an entire genre's direction without ever chasing a hit single" (expert opinion).

Separately, Columbia Records has brought Corey "C-Notes" Calder aboard as SVP, Marketing & Head of Urban Music Marketing. An NAACP Image Award nominee, Calder has collaborated with BabyChiefDoit, Lay Bankz and Odetari, and has built campaigns for YoungBoy Never Broke Again and Kevin Gates. His résumé includes stints as Head of Marketing and Creative at Artist Partner Group and President of Marketing and A&R Research at Think It's a Game Records, plus time at Warner Records, Apple, Beats Music, Wasserman and the Los Angeles Clippers. Erika Alfredson, EVP, Head of Marketing for Columbia Records, said, "We're thrilled to welcome Corey to the Columbia Records marketing team. Throughout his career, he has demonstrated a unique ability to create campaigns that connect artists with culture, from breaking emerging talent to working with some of the biggest names in music."

In other industry moves, beatBread, a music funding platform serving independent artists, labels and songwriters, has appointed former TuneCore CEO Andreea Gleeson as its Chief Executive Officer. Since its 2020 launch, beatBread has supplied over $100 million in advances across more than 2000 deals with creators in 42 countries. Gleeson, who prior to TuneCore in 2015 held senior roles at Hudson's Bay Company and Lord & Taylor, takes over from Tracy Maddux, who became interim leader after founding CEO Peter Sinclair died in August 2025. Maddux will remain through the leadership transition, and both he and Gleeson have joined the beatBread board of directors. Gleeson commented, "What drew me to beatBread is that Peter and this team solved a real problem for independent artists: how to access growth capital without giving up ownership or control. They've built sophisticated technology and a funding model that consistently gives artists more choice. I've spent much of my career focused on what independent artists will need next, and access to better capital on artist-friendly terms is one of the most important opportunities ahead."

Primary Wave Music, meanwhile, has formed a partnership with Savage Garden singer, songwriter and producer Daniel Jones. Under the deal, Primary Wave will work with Jones on his songwriting catalog from the Australian duo's two studio albums, which includes hits such as "I Want You," "To the Moon and Back" and "Truly Madly Deeply." Mark Shimmel of Primary Wave said, "Having followed the Australian music scene for many years, it's a privilege to help bring Daniel Jones and his incredible catalogue of songs into the Primary Wave family."

Austin, Texas-based alt-rock band Culture Wars have signed with the·Team for worldwide booking representation, with EVP Marty Diamond, VP Andrew Buck, SVP Adele Slater and VP Ryan Penty leading the effort. The band kicks off Leg Three of their 2026 World Tour on September 15 in Toronto, starting a North American headline run in support of their debut album, "Don't Speak," available now via AWAL. Diamond said, "We have been so impressed by the creativity and tenacity of the band to navigate the touring landscape and look forward to building a formidable career with them."

[PIAS] has revived Source, the label associated with acts including Air, Phoenix, Kings of Convenience, Turin Brakes and Simian, with its U.K. and French teams jointly overseeing A&R and creative direction. The label's first four signings are Ifulki, Disgusting Sisters, Epal and Hina. Kenny Gates, Co-Founder and Executive Chairman of [PIAS], said, "Source has a fantastic history, but this isn't about trying to recreate the past. It's about taking the spirit that made the label special – discovering distinctive artists, trusting their vision and giving them the time and support to develop – and applying that to a new generation. Breaking new artists internationally has always been at the heart of what we do at [PIAS]. Bringing our French and UK teams together around Source gives us another way to do that, and these first four signings are a great indication of the ambition and breadth we want the label to have."

Finally, HarbourView Equity Partners has appointed Patrick Morin as Managing Director of Business Development. In the role, Morin will oversee capital formation and the firm's broader business development push, focused on forging lasting relationships with investors. Before HarbourView, he spent time as a Managing Director at Cambridge Associates, where he led Healthcare and Regional Endowments & Foundations Client Solutions, and previously worked at Citi, Merrill Lynch and Morgan Stanley. Sherrese Clarke, founder and CEO of HarbourView Equity Partners, said, "I've known Patrick for over 30 years and have always been impressed with not only his work, but his principles and values as a trusted leader. We're thrilled to welcome him to the HarbourView family as we continue to expand the depth and breadth of our talent and capabilities in support of our partners and investors."