About
Dragon’s Eye Recordings is a digital imprint based in Los Angeles and curated by artist and composer Yann Novak. Emphasizing the elevation of marginalized voices in experimental music, our catalog represents a range of sounds, processes, identities, and practices. Since 2005, we’ve published over 100 works of sound art and experimental music with a focus on ambient, field recording, drone, electroacoustic, and acousmatic music. As an independent label, we work to build community for our artists and listeners searching for somewhere to belong.
History
Dragon’s Eye Recordings was originally founded by Paul Novak, (Yann Novak’s father), in 1989 as the audio/visual arm of Only Connect…Publications. Paul was and still is a bread baker and avid record collector. Only Connect…Publications was his first venture to self-publish his bread recipes. Through his new publishing company, Paul designed his book on a Apple Plus computer, commissioned a friend and artist to create the painting for the cover, and recruited a musician to compose an original work to accompany bread making. Due to his love and passion for both music and record collecting, Paul created Dragon’s Eye Recordings to complement his publishing company.
Demo Policy
Dragon’s Eye Recordings is currently only accepting demos from women, artists of color, LGBTQIA+ artists, disabled artists, neurodivergent artists, and other marginalized groups. If you identify as one or more of these please Email us with a description of the work, bio, website/social media links, and a link to where we can stream the work. If you don’t have access to use a streaming site we will accept download links, but when possible use a service without an expiration. Please be patient, it may take us some time to listen and we can’t respond to everyone.
About Our Logo
Our logo was chosen by label founder Paul Novak in 1989. In his search for a logo, he was originally drawn to Japanese symbols. Then, while paging through Rudolf Koch’s The Book of Signs, Novak found the dragon’s eye. The name of the symbol (which would later become the label name) drew him to it. The symbol’s meaning – standing for the balance of love, power, and wisdom – confirmed his choice. On the practical side, it was also the first symbol he liked that did not contain complex curves, something that would be hard for a self publisher to replicate for his book and soundsheet on his Macintosh Plus computer in 1989.
Taking over the label in 2005, Yann Novak chose to build upon his father’s ideals by using the label to support emerging artists with the same ferocity that an established artist in the industry would receive. The label has since chosen to work with a wide range of artists without the expectation of financial reward, but only for the love of helping other artists and a love for music. Yann Novak envisioned the label as a catalyst to build a community for underrepresented artists. Furthermore, as a queer man, he chose to step outside the cis straight white male-dominated electronic music field and support artists from underrepresented communities: women, queers, and artists of color. As part of its commitment to work with a diverse roster of artists, the label rejects any and all associations between the dragon’s eye symbol and contemporary neo-fascist hate groups.