Various Artists - 25th Anniversary Producer’s Choice Vol. 1 (2025)

In 1999, the idea arose to start our own label, one that had distinctly different rules than those in effect at the time and that would, above all, give more voice to the musicians’ artistic freedom. The programming wasn’t determined by the label, but by the musicians’ explicit wishes. The name Cobra was chosen in resemblance to the painters’ group Cobra (Copenhagen, Brussels, Amsterdam), which rebelled against the established order almost 100 years ago. But Cobra also represents a snake that weaves its way through everything.

In 2000, we presented our first album with the then-promising Osiris Trio. The repertoire choice wasn’t very common, as Messiaen’s “Quator pour la fin du Temps” wasn’t exactly a commercial choice. But the musicians and we agreed that this repertoire deserved to be done justice with a sublime release. The album received rave reviews across the board, leaving us wanting more.