Inner-X-Musick

Inner-X Musick was a record label/mail order catalog run by Boston musician John Zewizz. Over the years Inner-X Musick has changed its name 3 times and released well over a hundred releases. At its high point (the mid-1980s) Inner-X-Musick released music by bands such as Sleep Chamber, Controlled Bleeding, Jonathan Briley, 7 From Life, Daze Of Trance, The Flagellents, Hidious In Strength, Women of the SS, Cult Ov The Womb, Mahcanik, Dokument, Noizeclot, Hunting Lodge, Human Flesh, Nurse With Wound, PSI Field, and Psychic TV. By the 1990s Inner-X-Musick was solely promoting Sleep Chamber music, typically co-releasing with other labels such as the Italian label Musica Maxima Magnetica, German label FünfUndVierzig and Cleopatra Records out of L.A.

Innersleeve Records

Innersleeve Records was a record store owned by John Zewizz in Allston, Massachusetts. The small record store carried music mainly from "underground" artists such as Psychic TV, Hunting Lodge, Die Form, Human Flesh, Current 93, David Ball, XTC, Nocturnal Emissions, as well as more traditional alternative bands as The Cure and Talking Heads. Zewizz and friends also sold their own music through Innersleeve Records. These releases were initially released on the label "Innersleeve Records". However, this name was eventually changed to XXX Records or Triple X Records.

Along with John Zewizz working at Innersleeve Records, it was not uncommon for fellow Sleep Chamber member Lawrence Van Horn to be seen working behind the counter, playing and promoting the 'cassette culture' represented not only by the Inner-X army of artists, but other like minded artists as well.

Innersleeve Gallery

In early 1985 Innersleeve records closed, but before John left he held a series of live shows out of the Innersleeve store that featured many of the bands featured on XXX. Beginning December 1 of 1984 and lasting through January 26 of 1985 concerts were held for a small audience of up to 40 people. Portions of these shows were featured on the XXX/Inner-X Musick release "LAST DAZE". According to Zewizz, "In the last days at INNERSLEEVE a rare batch ov people showed up on the doorstep to see shows put on by XXX people. the INNERSLEEVE shop way the retail outlet for TRIPLE-X products along with "other" like-minded records, tapes, and magazines. In the last 8-weeks ov being open, the audiences were seduced, assaulted, suffocated, humored, gassed, and subjected to unheard ov types ov entertainment. Each show being sui generis and totally unique. The record racks were removed and mounted to the side walls. This left the 'space' sort ov narrow but long. (On the idea ov a bowling lane). At the end ov this lane waz a very large Union-Jack taken from a battle ship. (This waz the stage curtain). Backstage-waz a 10 foot by 5 foot square with a door to the right. (the bathroom)" ^[1]

Inner-X Musick

Once Innersleeve closed, XXX changed its name to Inner-X-Musick after an XXX (a.k.a. Triple X) Records label appeared on the west coast. The Inner-X-Musick catalog was still available through a mail order catalog, that advertised the Inner-X Musick was "happy to service the obscure taste in musik for, but a few. We are here for your listening pleasure".^[2] The catalog often offered unique and exclusive materials such as test pressings, personal letters and autographed items. Inner-X Musick shut down in the late 1990s. In 2009 Inner-X-Musick reopened as an online catalog with a number of new releases and reissues ^[3]

Discography

,^[4][5]

See also

List of electronic music record labels

References