Rephlex Records

Rephlex Records was a record label launched in 1991 in Cornwall by electronic musician Richard D. James (aka Aphex Twin) and Grant Wilson-Claridge. The label coined the term braindance to describe output of Aphex Twin and fellow artists.[1]

Rephlex Records
Founded1991
Defunct2014 (2014)
GenreElectronic, IDM, ambient techno, experimental
Country of originUnited Kingdom
LocationCornwall, then London

History

In 1989, Grant Wilson-Claridge met Richard D. James (a.k.a. Aphex Twin) DJing at The Bowgie, a club located just along the coast from Newquay, Cornwall. According to Wilson-Claridge, back in 1989, "the Bowgie was the best club ever...this was before Newquay turned into the Cornish Ibiza" and it was very difficult to hear new and interesting music. Wilson-Claridge and James used to DJ on alternate weeks. When he noticed that James was playing his own tapes rather than records, Wilson-Claridge suggested that they press up some records. In the beginning, committing Aphex Twin recordings to vinyl was a way of making music the duo's friends wanted to hear. Due to their geographical dis-location they did not have access to the music they wanted to hear and so they decided to create their own, and Rephlex as a label was born.[2] Although the label was founded in 1991 in Cornwall, it moved the year after to London.[3]

On a post to an internet newsgroup in 1992, the label stated that its intent was to "promote Innovation in the dynamics of Acid" - a much loved and misunderstood genre of house music" and to "demonstrate to the rest of the world that British dance music can be entirely original"'.[4]

Rephlex has released the music of many notable and influential electronic artists, among them Mike Paradinas, the founder of Planet Mu Records, synth pop revivalist and electro pioneer Ed Upton, prolific dance musician Luke Vibert, and electronic musician and virtuoso bass player Squarepusher. The label has also remastered and re-released the early works of its acid heroes 808 State[5] and The Future Sound of London, and relaunched the career of electronic duo producers Black Devil with a re-release of their first record.

In 2014, James announced the closing of Rephlex Records.[6] James stated that the closure was "something that needed to be done a long time ago. Me and my friend would have drifted apart, but actually the label did keep us together. It got to a point where I’d actually rather be his friend than be in business with him."[6]

Roster

See also

References
  1. "repHlex official sponsors of braindance". Web.archive.org. Archived from the original on 2 March 2001. Retrieved 6 May 2017.
  2. Stuart Aitken (November 2003). "A history of Rephlex Records". Stuartaitken.com.
  3. "Rephlex Records: Recalling Aphex Twin & Grant Wilson-Claridge's label". Orb Mag. 7 May 2018.
  4. "~~~ The definitive RePHLeX ~~~ alt.rave". Alt.rave. 30 November 1992.
  5. Michaels, Sean (18 February 2010). "808 State set to reunite". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 10 August 2019 – via www.theguardian.com.
  6. Hoffmann, Heiko (2014). "25 Questions for Aphex Twin". Groove. Retrieved 10 January 2015.
  7. Jonze, Tim (18 September 2014). "Aphex Twin: Syro review – a tour through brain-bending avenues". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 10 August 2019 – via www.theguardian.com.
  8. Michaels, Sean (11 October 2010). "André 3000 and Squarepusher collaboration 'will happen'". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 10 August 2019 – via www.theguardian.com.
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