Waxploitation Records
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Waxploitation Records record label was founded in 1997 as a home for innovative artists in music. In 2000 the Company expanded into Artist Management and Music Publishing.
The label’s first release was Strictly Ballroom's debut album Hide Here Forever (1997), notable as the first band of Jimmy Tamborello, who later went on to form the Postal Service, Dntel and Figurine.
In the early days of it's formation, Waxploitation established the Company’s reputation for creative risk-taking, handling the producing careers of number of outsider artists including Ministry's Al Jourgensen, Dust Brothers founder Matt Dike, Butthole Surfers' founder Paul Leary, Nine Inch Nails' co-founder Chris Vrenna, Digable Planets' King Britt, Josh Wink as well as short stints with Madlib, Clint Mansell, Peanut Butter Wolf, Scanner and Dave Dederer of Presidents of the United States of America.
Waxploitation has been the longtime artist management company for 6-time Grammy nominated artist and producer Danger Mouse. In recent years, this relationship has expanded to include managing Danger Mouse and Cee-Lo Green’s multi-platinum, 5-time Grammy nominated Gnarls Barkley persona and the Danger Mouse and MF Doom project known as Dangerdoom.
The Waxploitation Records label released the critically hailed 'Attraction to All Things Uncertain' (2001) and '2am Wake Up Call' (2004) albums by Tweaker, the band formed by Nine Inch Nails alumna Chris Vrenna. These two albums featured guest appearances from Will Oldham, David Sylvian, Johnny Marr from The Smiths, Robert Smith from The Cure, Jennifer Charles from Elysian Fields.
The label produced two albums for charitable causes: the Being Black soundtrack, which included tracks from Jurassic 5, Rob Swift, Blackalicious and DJ Spooky and the Genocide in Sudan CD with songs donated by System of a Down, Gorillaz, Yoko Ono, Bad Religion and Thievery Corporation. Other Waxploitation albums of note include KutMasta Kurt’s RNO album (2004) which featured tracks with the Beastie Boys and Mos Def. Waxploitation released Tha Alkaholiks swansong Firewater CD (2006) before the band went into retirement. During a span of a decade, the label dropped memorable singles featuring Will Oldham, Kool Keith, David Sylvian, Del Tha Funkee Homosapean to name a few.
Waxploitation's music publishing side handles catalogs which include classic songs like “Bust a Move”, “Wild Thing” and "Funky Cold Medina", as well as Beastie Boys groundbreaking Paul’s Boutique album.
Since 2003, Waxploitation has been active in raising money and awareness for victims of Genocide, working closely with Oxfam, Human Rights Watch, the Save Darfur Coalition, UNICEF and the UN Refugee Agency.
