Inside Out Music is a German progressive rock record label originally based in Kleve, North Rhine-Westphalia, and dedicated to the publication of progressive rock, progressive metal and related styles. In 2009, it formed a partnership with Century Media Records and moved its base of operations to Dortmund, also in North Rhine-Westphalia. In August 2015, Century Media was acquired by Sony Music and became its premier label for progressive music.
| Inside Out Music | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Parent company | Sony Music Entertainment |
| Founded | 1993 |
| Founder | Thomas Waber Michael Schmitz |
| Status | Active |
| Distributor(s) | Century Media (Germany) The Orchard (US) Sony Music (International) |
| Genre | Progressive rock, progressive metal |
| Country of origin | Germany |
| Location | Dortmund, Germany |
| Official website | insideoutmusic |
History
editThe label was founded in 1993 by Thomas Waber and Michael Schmitz[1] and started its publications re-issuing albums of new American prog metal acts like Symphony X and Shadow Gallery for the European market and then signing important prog artists like Steve Hackett. Inside Out signed a worldwide distribution contract with the German music company SPV and branched out with the U.S. division InsideOut US, based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
In 2009, SPV had to file for bankruptcy,[2] and Inside Out partnered up with Century Media Records, which had secured a worldwide distribution contract with EMI.[3]
Several important bands of the new school of progressive rock are signed to Inside Out, including Riverside, Haken, Pain of Salvation, Spock's Beard, The Safety Fire, The Flower Kings and Enchant. In addition, the label established links to other relevant bands in the prog scene, issuing the solo albums of Dream Theater vocalist James LaBrie and a selection of Mike Portnoy's side projects.
For some time, Inside Out also published digitally reworked re-releases of albums from the Krautrock era (for example, from the band Kraan) under the sub-label Revisited Records.
The surrounding area of the label headquarters has often served as an inspiration for the album art. For example, the petrol dispenser of Spock's Beard Octane cover is in Kleve as is the lake on Threshold's Subsurface cover.
A characteristic feature for the label's releases is their lavish publication work. Several albums appear in special editions, containing extensive bonus materials such as bonus tracks, extended artwork and/or multimedia segments.
The label's founder, Thomas Waber, won the "Guiding Light" award at the 2013 Progressive Music Awards.[4] The label signed Dream Theater in December 2017, arguably the biggest signing in the label's history at that point.[5]
InsideOut US is the stateside division of the German record label InsideOut Music. It specializes in progressive rock and progressive metal. It is based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Artists
editCurrent
edit- Affector
- Anderson/Stolt
- Anneke van Giersbergen
- ...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead
- AVKRVST
- Banco del Mutuo Soccorso
- Beardfish
- Bent Knee
- Big Big Train
- Bigelf
- Caligula's Horse
- Derek Sherinian
- Devin Townsend
- Dream Theater
- Enchant
- The Flower Kings (except Japan)
- The Fringe
- Frost*
- Haken
- Jakko Jakszyk
- James LaBrie
- Jethro Tull[6]
- Jolly
- Jordan Rudess
- Kaipa
- Kansas
- Karmakanic
- King's X
- Kino
- Knifeworld
- Leprous
- Liquid Tension Experiment[7]
- Lonely Robot
- Long Distance Calling
- Maschine
- The Mute Gods
- Nad Sylvan
- Neal Morse
- Next To None
- OU
- Pain of Salvation
- Pattern-Seeking Animals
- Perfect Beings
- Port Noir
- Premiata Forneria Marconi
- Pure Reason Revolution
- Riverside
- Roine Stolt
- Shadow Gallery
- The Safety Fire
- The Sea Within
- The Shadow Theory
- Sometime in February
- Sons of Apollo
- Spiritual Beggars
- Spock's Beard
- Star One
- Steve Hackett (except Japan)
- The Tangent
- Thought Chamber
- Tim Bowness (from No-Man)
- Toundra
- Transatlantic
- VUUR
- John Wesley
- Whom Gods Destroy
- Yes
Former
edit- Above Symmetry
- A.C.T
- Amaseffer
- Arena
- Arjen Anthony Lucassen (Ayreon)
- Asia
- California Guitar Trio
- Chroma Key
- Conspiracy
- David Lindley
- Deadsoul Tribe
- Derek Sherinian
- Dominici
- Evergrey
- Fates Warning
- GPS (except Japan)
- IQ
- It Bites
- Jadis
- The Jelly Jam
- Jerry Gaskill
- Kevin Moore
- Mastermind
- OSI
- Paatos
- Pallas
- Planet X
- Poverty's No Crime
- Ray Wilson*
- Redemption
- RPWL
- Ryo Okumoto
- Saga
- Slavior
- Sound of Contact
- Stream of Passion
- Stealing Axion
- Steve Howe
- Symphony X
- Threshold
- Tiles
- Trey Gunn (former member of King Crimson)
- Ty Tabor
- Ulysses
- Unitopia
- Vanden Plas
Revisited Records label
editThis label specializes in the reissue of selected Krautrock and electronic pioneers, including:
References
edit- ^ "The Story of InsideOut Music". Archived from the original on 2022-11-06. Retrieved 2021-08-03.
- ^ "German Metal Label SPV Declared Insolvent". Blabbermouth.net. Roadrunner Records. 28 May 2009. Archived from the original on 31 May 2009. Retrieved 29 March 2011.
- ^ "CENTURY MEDIA RECORDS Announces Cooperation With INSIDEOUT MUSIC And SUPERBALL MUSIC". Blabbermouth.net. Roadrunner Records. 16 September 2009. Archived from the original on 6 August 2011. Retrieved 2 June 2011.
- ^ "Prog Awards 2013 - The Winners!". Prog Rock Magazine. 3 September 2013. Archived from the original on 5 September 2013. Retrieved 4 September 2013.
- ^ "Sony Music Signs Dream Theater to a Long-Term Deal via its InsideOutMusic Imprint - Dream Theater". 11 December 2017.
- ^ "Jethro Tull to release new album the Zealot Gene in early 2022". 13 July 2021.
- ^ "LIQUID TENSION EXPERIMENT Announce New Album to be Released on InsideOutMusic in Spring 2021". Twitter. Retrieved 17 December 2020.