Potlatch
French independent record label founded in 1998 by Jacques Oger, specialising in improvised and experimental music.
Last updated September 27, 2026
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Overview
Potlatch is a French independent record label founded in 1998 by Jacques Oger. It records and produces artists working in improvised and experimental music. The label's name comes from the Native American potlatch ceremony, which is based on gift-giving. Over more than two decades, Potlatch has released a catalogue of albums by musicians such as Derek Bailey, Steve Lacy, Evan Parker, Keith Rowe, John Butcher, Michel Doneda, Joëlle Léandre, Jean-Luc Guionnet, Bertrand Denzler, and many others. The label is known for its carefully curated output, often documenting collaborations between European and international improvisers. Releases are typically issued on CD, with catalogue numbers prefixed by 'P'. The label remains active, with recent releases including Jean-Luc Guionnet's 'L'Epaisseur de l'air' in 2025.
History
Potlatch was founded in 1998 by Jacques Oger as an independent record label focused on improvised and experimental music. The name derives from the Native American potlatch ceremony, which is based on gift-giving. The label's first releases in 1998 included albums by Michel Doneda, Daunik Lazro & Carlos Zingaro, Fred Van Hove, and Derek Bailey & Joëlle Léandre. Throughout the 2000s and 2010s, Potlatch continued to release albums by a wide range of international improvisers, including John Butcher, Keith Rowe, Evan Parker, and many others. The catalogue is organised with a 'P' prefix followed by a number. The label remains active, with releases continuing into the 2020s, such as Jean-Luc Guionnet's 'L'Epaisseur de l'air' in 2025.
- 2025
Release by Jean-Luc Guionnet ('L'Epaisseur de l'air', P125).
- 2022
Release by Bertrand Denzler & Jason Kahn ('Translations', P122).
- 2021
Releases by Patricia Bosshard ('Sillons-Reflets', P221) and Pascal Battus & Michel Doneda ('Miracle', P121).
- 2019
Release by Bertrand Denzler ('Arc', P119).
- 2017
Releases by Pascale Criton ('Infra', P317), Cristiàn Alvear & Seijiro Murayama ('Karoujite', P217), and Michael Pisaro, Didier Aschour & Stéphane Garin ('Resting in a Fold of the Fog', P117).
- 2016
Releases by Jean-Luc Guionnet & Dedalus ('Distances ouïes-dites', P416), Marc Baron ('Un salon au fond d'un lac', P316), Lucio Capece, Kevin Drumm & Radu Malfatti ('The Volume Surrounding The Task', P216), and Pascal Battus & Dafne Vicente-Sandoval (P116).
- 2015
Releases by Bryan Eubanks & Stéphane Rives ('fq', P215) and Michael Pisaro & Cristiàn Alvear ('Melody, Silence', P115).
- 2014
Releases by Jean-Luc Guionnet & Éric La Casa ('Home: Handover Tapes', P314), Marc Baron ('Hidden Tapes', P214), and Sergio Merce ('Microtonal Saxophone', P114).
- 2013
Releases by Klaus Filip & Dafne Vicente-Sandoval ('Remoto', P213) and Antoine Beuger, Jürg Frey & Dedalus ('Dedalus', P113).
- 2012
Releases by Angharad Davies, Alfredo Costa Monteiro & Ferran Fages ('Pluie Fine', P312), 300 Basses ('Sei Ritornelli', P212), and Lucio Capece ('Zero Plus Zero', P112).
Products and positioning
Independent label dedicated to improvised and experimental music, with a curated catalogue of international artists.
2025
L'Epaisseur de l'air
2022
Translations
2021
Sillons-Reflets
2021
Miracle
2019
Arc
2017
Infra
2017
Karoujite
2017
Resting in a Fold of the Fog
2016
Distances ouïes-dites
2016
Un salon au fond d'un lac
2016
The Volume Surrounding The Task
2016
(P116)
2015
fq
2015
Melody, Silence
2014
Home: Handover Tapes
2014
Hidden Tapes
2014
Microtonal Saxophone
2013
Remoto
2013
Dedalus
2012
Pluie Fine
2012
Sei Ritornelli
2012
Zero Plus Zero
2011
E.E. Tension and Circumstance
2011
Axiom For The Duration
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