Man's Ruin Records

Man's Ruin Records was an independent record label owned and founded by San Francisco Bay Area artist Frank Kozik.[1] In total, the record label released over 200 singles and albums, with most of the artwork designed by Kozik.[2][3]

Man's Ruin Records
Founded1994 (1994)
FounderFrank Kozik
Defunct2001 (2001)
StatusDefunct
Country of originUnited States
LocationSan Francisco, California

After the 1995 release of Man's Ruin's first record, Experimental Audio Research (EAR): Delta 6,[4] Kozik worked with artists whom he wanted to release. He also designed all of the sleeve-art for the releases.[5] The catalog of Man's Ruin is vast, including relatively famous bands such as the Hellacopters,[6] Nebula,[7] Kyuss,[8] High on Fire,[9] Entombed, Turbonegro,[10] 13eaver, Queens of the Stone Age,[11] and the Sex Pistols;[12] and also lesser known bands such as FuckEmos,[13] Soulpreacher, Angel Rot, and the Cowslingers.[14] The last record released was from Begotten.[14][15] The label was officially closed by 2002. The label's slogan was "Empty Pleasures and Desperate Measures since 1994".[16]

Operations

Man's Ruin aimed to prioritize the needs and interests of artists. Recordings were licensed for a time period of two to five years, and all copyrights and publishing liberties were retained by the bands.[16][13] Profits on releases were split 50-50 between band and label.[16] The posters and album art spanning Kozik's career, including from the Man's Ruin era, are still very coveted.[17] The limited print vinyl have been rising in value due to two factors: the majority of covers were screen-printed and numbered by Kozik,[18] and most records were released in editions of 5,000 copies or less.[19][3][20] Among the most sought-after records from the Man's Ruin catalog are the Desert Sessions compilations,[21] a brainchild of Kozik,[22] which were released in highly limited editions on clear and colored vinyl.[23] The CD versions of the first six volumes, as well as the rest of the entire Man's Ruin catalog, have gone out of print with the demise of the label.[23] Subsequent volumes of The Desert Sessions were released on Josh Homme's Rekords Rekords.[24]

Man's Ruin specialized in producing and releasing limited edition 10" EP records.[14] Often an album would be released in several different sets, such as the first release from Queens of the Stone Age in 1998, which was released on Man's Ruin in three editions: 2,500 black, 300 green, and 200 orange/yellow. A subsequent pressing of 198 copies on blue vinyl was made independently by the band as a "tour edition".[19][25] The vast majority of records released on the label were colored.[14]

The label was distributed in the US and UK by Mordam Records,[26] and then a brief and unsuccessful switch was made to RED Distribution,[27][14] resulting in the demise of the label after a series of problems.[16] Internationally, Man's Ruin distributed its own music for the most part,[27] though the label also worked with Swedish distributor and record label House of Kicks.[28] Unlike most releases in music today, the international releases from Man's Ruin did not differ from the domestic American releases. However, it was not uncommon for the cover of a vinyl release to differ from that of the CD edition of the release.[14]

As a print shop, Man's Ruin printed its own art as well as posters for other artists such as Coop.[29]

Decline and fall

The label became defunct after a series of distribution changes and problems involving the label having outgrown its original distributor. Man's Ruin also lost its lease at the height of the Bay Area dot-com boom and was shut down for a period of several months while attempting to relocate its offices. This combination led to its demise at the end of 2001.[16][30] The label's website was shut down a few months later. Internet users who wished to view the Man's Ruin website were simply greeted with the message: "sorry mansruin never paid their bill and their site is no longer here".[31] All operations ended and licenses were returned to the various copyright holders in 2002.[16]

After closing Man's Ruin, Kozik dedicated himself to fine art, design, and the burgeoning toy art industry.[32]

Several bands that worked with Man's Ruin, including Fu Manchu,[33] Turbonegro,[10] Acid King,[34] and the Hellacopters,[35] have re-released the albums they recorded with the label, either independently or on other record labels.

See also

References
  1. Kozik, Frank (October 18, 2005). "Frank Kozik Interview". Vinyl Pulse (Interview). Interviewed by Francine. Archived from the original on November 30, 2022. Retrieved May 17, 2023.
  2. Yossman, K. J. (May 10, 2023). "Frank Kozik, Iconic Graphic Artist Behind Album Covers Including the Offpsring's 'Americana,' Dies at 61". Variety. Archived from the original on May 10, 2023. Retrieved May 17, 2023.
  3. Snyder, Michael (July 6, 1995). "Kozik at Vanguard of Vinyl Resurgence, by Design". The San Francisco Chronicle. Archived from the original on May 14, 2023. Retrieved May 28, 2023.
  4. "Experimental Audio Research – Delta 6". Discogs. Archived from the original on May 19, 2023. Retrieved May 18, 2023.
  5. O'Neal, Sean (May 11, 2023). "Frank Kozik Perfected the Rock Poster Into a Fine and Filthy Art". Texas Monthly. Austin: Emmis Publishing. Retrieved May 19, 2023. (subscription required)
  6. "Hellacopters' Debut Out In U.S." MTV. December 15, 1998. Archived from the original on June 1, 2023. Retrieved May 31, 2023.
  7. Pehling, Dave (September 11, 2021). "Stoner Rock Greats Nebula Help Bottom Of The Hill Mark 30 Years of Music". CBS News. Archived from the original on May 18, 2023. Retrieved July 11, 2023.
  8. "New (& Last?) Kyuss Record". MTV. January 11, 1996. Archived from the original on May 31, 2023. Retrieved May 31, 2023.
  9. Jenkins, Mark (September 29, 2000). "HIGH ON FIRE 'The Art of Self-Defense' Man's Ruin". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on June 30, 2023. Retrieved June 30, 2023.
  10. "Turbo Negro - The Turbonegro Story". Pennyblackmusic.co.uk. August 16, 2003. Archived from the original on May 19, 2023. Retrieved May 19, 2023.
  11. van Horn, Teri (November 12, 1998). "Queens Of The Stone Age At Home In Desert". MTV. Archived from the original on September 28, 2022. Retrieved May 31, 2023.
  12. Goldberg, Michael (June 19, 1996). "Rare Sex Pistols Tracks To Surface Soon". MTV. Archived from the original on May 19, 2023. Retrieved May 19, 2023.
  13. Lieck, Ken (September 14, 2001). "Dancing About Architecture". The Austin Chronicle. Archived from the original on May 15, 2021. Retrieved May 31, 2023.
  14. "Man's Ruin Records". Discogs. Archived from the original on January 28, 2023. Retrieved May 28, 2023.
  15. "BEGOTTEN CELEBRATE 20TH ANNIVERSARY OF MAN'S RUIN DEBUT, ANNOUNCE LIMITED EDITION VINYL RELEASE". BraveWords.com. July 21, 2021. Archived from the original on July 22, 2021. Retrieved May 26, 2023.
  16. Schober, Patrick (July 25, 2020). "The Rise and Fall of Man's Ruin Records: Empty Pleasures and Desperate Measures From 1994-2002". Monster Riff. Archived from the original on December 9, 2022. Retrieved May 17, 2023.
  17. Whittaker, Richard (May 12, 2023). "Frank Kozik (1962-2023), the Man Behind a Poster Revolution". The Austin Chronicle. Archived from the original on May 12, 2023. Retrieved May 17, 2023.
  18. "Frank Kozik". South Austin Museum of Popular Culture. Archived from the original on April 19, 2022. Retrieved May 19, 2023.
  19. Bennett, J. (October 21, 2020). "WHITE WHALE VINYL: QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE'S DEBUT IS THE ONE THAT GOT AWAY". Revolver. Archived from the original on December 3, 2022. Retrieved May 20, 2023.
  20. Hernandez, Raoul (September 12, 1997). "I'm Sorry, Yogi". The Austin Chronicle. Archived from the original on May 12, 2023. Retrieved May 19, 2023.
  21. "Muere Frank Kozik, uno de los grandes del diseño gráfico rock". Mondo Sonoro (in Spanish). Barcelona. May 10, 2023. Archived from the original on May 17, 2023. Retrieved July 16, 2023.
  22. Kaufman, Gil (October 17, 1997). "Ex-Kyuss Guitarist Surfaces From '70s Desert Flashback". MTV. Archived from the original on May 19, 2023. Retrieved May 31, 2023.
  23. "The Desert Sessions". Discogs. Archived from the original on March 15, 2023. Retrieved May 28, 2023.
  24. "Rekords Rekords". Discogs. Archived from the original on February 27, 2023. Retrieved May 19, 2023.
  25. "Queens Of The Stone Age / Beaver". Discogs. Archived from the original on April 9, 2022. Retrieved May 19, 2023.
  26. Kozik, Frank (March 14, 2007). "Frank Kozik (#71, 08-1998)". Trust Fanzine (Interview) (in German). Interviewed by Andreas. Mainz, Germany. Archived from the original on January 28, 2023. Retrieved May 20, 2023.
  27. Kozik, Frank (January 26, 2000). "Frank Kozik". The A.V. Club (Interview). Interviewed by Scott Tobias. Chicago: G/O Media. Archived from the original on November 17, 2017. Retrieved June 1, 2023.
  28. "House of Kicks". Discogs. Archived from the original on December 28, 2022. Retrieved May 20, 2023.
  29. Ashare, Matt (July 18, 1996). "Poster Children". Tucson Weekly. Archived from the original on February 14, 2021. Retrieved May 29, 2023.
  30. Pehling, Dave (May 10, 2023). "Influential graphic artist and designer Frank Kozik dead at age 61". CBS News. Archived from the original on May 10, 2023. Retrieved May 17, 2023.
  31. S., Ilya (November 23, 2008). "Label Profile – Man's Ruin Records". IHeartNoise. Archived from the original on December 1, 2022. Retrieved May 20, 2023.
  32. "Biography". FrankKozik.net. Archived from the original on December 5, 2022. Retrieved May 17, 2023.
  33. "Fu Manchu Biography". Musicianguide.com. Archived from the original on July 28, 2021. Retrieved May 17, 2023.
  34. "SF Stoner Rock Favorites Headline The Chapel". CBS News. June 5, 2016. Archived from the original on May 17, 2023. Retrieved May 19, 2023.
  35. "The Hellacopters". Discogs. Archived from the original on December 17, 2015. Retrieved May 19, 2023.
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