Brian Eno relaunches Opal Records with two albums that were stuck in Japan for 20 years

Two Brian Eno albums that have been awkward to find outside Japan for close to two decades are back on shelves and streaming services. Drawn From Life (2001) and Another Day on Earth (2005) were reissued on 16 October 2026, in every format, on Opal Records, the label Eno founded in 1988 and has now revived.

Why these two

Both records sit in an odd corner of the Eno catalogue. Neither is ambient music in the way Music for Airports is, and neither is the pop-song Eno of the 1970s. Drawn From Life is a collaboration with the German electronic musician J. Peter Schwalm, the first time Schwalm has had joint billing on it, and it leans on slow, textured instrumentals. Its collaborators include Holger Czukay, Laurie Anderson, violinist Nell Catchpole and guitarist Leo Abrahams.

Another Day on Earth is the one with vocals. It is built around songs, with lyrics co-written with Michel Faber and Danny Hillis. Jon Hopkins, Catchpole, Schwalm and Abrahams all play on it.

What is new in the reissues

Each edition adds something. Another Day on Earth carries "The Demon of the Mines," a bonus track that had only appeared on the Japanese release. Drawn From Life adds an instrumental version of "Bloom." The album runs to 12 songs and about 51 minutes, as listed on its streaming page.

There are also two live films that have never been shown before, both shot in 2001 with a band of Eno, Schwalm, Catchpole, Abrahams, drummer Christoph Buhse, bassist Tim Harries and percussionist Heiko Himmighoffen:

• "Caught Between," filmed at Coliseu do Porto during the Porto Festival on 16 June 2001
• "Persis," filmed at the Fuji Rock Festival at Naeba Ski Resort on 29 July 2001

Physical editions include a standard LP and CD, and a limited translucent purple vinyl pressing sold by some record shops.

The label coming back

Opal ran from 1988 to 1991 as what Eno described at the time as a label for outsiders. Among its artists were his brother Roger Eno, Harold Budd, Laraaji, Daniel Lanois, Jon Hassell and John Cale. It went quiet in 1991 and its catalogue later moved to All Saints Records.

The relaunch has more to come: new releases are planned, said to celebrate the label's past and shape its future, though no titles or dates are out yet.

If you are new to Eno, this is a decent way in from the side door. Start with the live film of "Caught Between," then the song itself on the album, and see whether you want to go back to the ambient records from there. You can find his page on ADMC at /artist/brian-eno.