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.[1] The label coined the term braindance to describe the output of Aphex Twin and fellow artists.[2]

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.[3] Although the label was founded in 1991 in Cornwall, it moved the year after to London.[4]

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".[5]

Rephlex has released the music of many electronic artists, among them Mike Paradinas, DMX Krew, Luke Vibert, Aleksi Perälä and Squarepusher. The label has also remastered and re-released the early works of 808 State[6] 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.[7] He 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."[7]

Roster

See also

References
  1. Colin Larkin, ed. (1998). The Virgin Encyclopedia of Dance Music (First ed.). Virgin Books. p. 285. ISBN 0-7535-0252-6.
  2. "repHlex official sponsors of braindance". Archived from the original on 2 March 2001. Retrieved 6 May 2017.
  3. Stuart Aitken (November 2003). "A history of Rephlex Records". Stuartaitken.com.
  4. "Rephlex Records: Recalling Aphex Twin & Grant Wilson-Claridge's label". Orb Mag. 7 May 2018.
  5. "~~~ The definitive RePHLeX ~~~ alt.rave". Alt.rave. 30 November 1992.
  6. Michaels, Sean (18 February 2010). "808 State set to reunite". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 10 August 2019.
  7. Hoffmann, Heiko (2014). "25 Questions for Aphex Twin". Groove. Retrieved 10 January 2015.
  8. Jonze, Tim (18 September 2014). "Aphex Twin: Syro review – a tour through brain-bending avenues". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 10 August 2019.
  9. Michaels, Sean (11 October 2010). "André 3000 and Squarepusher collaboration 'will happen'". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 10 August 2019.
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