Mo 'wax
| Mo 'wax | |
|---|---|
| Active years | Since 1992 |
| founder | James Lavelle |
| Seat | London , UK |
| Sub-label | Mon Wax Excursions |
| Genre (s) | Trip-hop , hip-hop , acid jazz |
Mo 'Wax is a British record label that became known in the 1990s primarily for its style-defining releases in the field of trip-hop , making it one of the most important labels in the genre.
history
James Lavelle , who was already a record seller, DJ and party organizer in his youth, worked for the London record store Honest Jon's in the early 1990s. During this time he met journalist Cynthia Rose, who helped him write a column entitled Mo Wax Please in Straight No Chaser magazine . Lavelle chose the name after a series of parties he organized. The column resulted in him receiving promos and white labels from numerous new publications.
With £ 1,000 borrowed from Honest Jons CEO Mark Ainley, Lavelle founded Mo 'Wax in 1992 at the age of 18. First release was the single Promise by the group Repercussions, which Lavelle had signed in New York.
After a few deficit releases, which only paid off somewhat through re-releases in other markets such as Japan, Mo 'Wax first achieved profit in 1994 with the album Flower to the Sun by the group The Federation.
With releases by La Funk Mob , Attica Blues , DJ Krush , Money Mark and especially DJ Shadow, Mo 'Wax cemented its reputation as one of the most important trip-hop and acid jazz labels in the electronic music scene. For the time being, however, the label was mostly only known to the initiated.
After DJ Shadow's first single In / Flux was released on Mo 'Wax in 1992, Shadow also released his debut album Endtroducing ..... on Lavelle's label in 1996 . The album made music history as the first album to be composed entirely of samples . It suddenly made Mo 'Wax known to a wider audience.
After the success of Endtroducing ..... Lavelle launched the UNKLE project with DJ Shadow and other artists . After a few singles on Mo 'Wax, UNKLE's debut album Psyence Fiction was released in 1998 with guest contributions from Lateef The Truth Speaker , Lyrics Born , Alice Temple , the London Session Orchestra , Badly Drawn Boy , Jason Newsted , Mike D and Thom Yorke .
Also on Mo 'Wax, Andrea Parker , Air , Innerzone Orchestra , Dr. Octagon , Luke Vibert , As One , Blackalicious , DJ Assault and DJ Magic Mike .
Since 2004 publications have only appeared sporadically.
Artwork
Mo 'Wax has also always been known for its elaborately designed record covers. Lavelle always viewed the entire visual presentation of the label from press photos to flyers for parties organized by Mo 'Wax as an important part of a total work of art.
The artwork of numerous Mo'-Wax releases, including the first two UNKLE albums, bore the signature of the graffiti artist Futura 2000 .
The Japanese designer Nigō ( A Bathing Ape ) also worked for Mo 'Wax. In addition to some cover designs, he also published his own music on Mo' Wax. Robert Del Naja from the group Massive Attack, known under the alias 3D , created further designs .
Many of the lavishly designed Mo'-Wax publications thus became sought-after collector's items .
Web links
swell
- ^ Mo Wax - Article by Michael Reinboth in Frontpage 01/96.
- ↑ a b c d CV: James Lavelle. Founder of Mo Wax Records at independent.co.uk, accessed August 29, 2010
- ^ Repercussions - Promise at discogs.com, accessed August 29, 2010
- ↑ a b c d e The old love is seething - article at orf.at, accessed on August 29, 2010
- ↑ UNKLE - Psyence Fiction at discogs.com, accessed August 29, 2010