Van Richter Records

Van Richter Records was founded in November 1993 in San Diego, California, by longtime industrial music fan Paul Van Richter (formerly known as Paul Abramson).[1] "Van richter," meaning "on the richer scale" in Dutch, was chosen as the record label's name after Van Richter recognized the lack of exposure many European industrial bands were facing and the increasingly dying presence of the industrial scene in the United States.[2][3] Using the experience and knowledge he had gained from working at KCR College Radio,[4] Arista Records, and Wax Trax! Records, Van Richter aimed to provide a space for artists who sought to challenge conventional musical norms and express themselves through unconventional soundscapes.[5]

In 1999, the label made an early entry into the ecommerce space by launching its own online retail store, Muzik Non-Stop, which offered CD retail and downloadable music in Liquid Audio format.[6] In 2003 Van Richter Records was one of the first labels to sign with Itunes (later known as Apple Music). In 2006 the label released its last ever physical recording which was an exclusive compilation for Hot Topic entitled "Hellfire". Since that time Van Richter Records has been releasing music in digital only formats.

The label is based out of Los Angeles, California and is self-distributed (previously distributed by Fontana Distribution,[7] Navarre Corporation, and Ryko Distribution Partners).[8]

When first founded, the label signed two German bands: Testify and The Fair Sex.[9] Since then, Van Richter Records has signed five more leading industrial bands including Death and Horror Inc., Girls Under Glass, Plastic Noise Experience, Sielwolf, and Underwater Pilots.[1] The label has also released various compilations of their artists and side projects including Trauma,Schuldt and Paracont.[9]

• Testify – "Testify 01" (1994)
• The Fair Sex – "Machine Bites" (1994)
• Plastic Noise Experience – "-196°C" (1994)
• Various – "hu H Techno Issue" (1995)
• Testify – "Ballroomkiller/The Blitzkrieg Mixes" (1995)
• Sielwolf – "Metastasen" (1995)
• Plastic Noise Experience – "Neural Transmission" (1995)
• The Fair Sex – "Labyrinth" (1995)
• Various – "Mind Ripper" (1995)
• Death And Horror Inc. – "Bitter Alloys/Pressures Collide" (1996)
• Testify – "MMMYAOOOO" (1996)
• Sielwolf – "Magnum Force" (1997)
• The Fair Sex – "Fine. We Are Alive" (1997)
• Sielwolf – "Nachtstrom" (1997)
• Death And Horror Inc. – "Transmissions From The Chemical Land" (1997)
• Various – "Moonraker Volume 4" (1998)
• Testify – "Crack The Mind" (1999)
• Girls Under Glass – "Nightmares" (1999)
• Various – "Van Richter Records Label Sampler" (2001)
• Girls Under Glass – "Frozen" (2001)
• Testify – "Triviality Beyond Acceptance" (2002)
• The Fair Sex – "The Dark Ages" (2002)
• Plastic Noise Experience – "Noised" (2002)
• Various – "Mind Ripper II" (2002)
• Girls Under Glass – "Equilibrium" (2005)
• The Fair Sex – "Drop Your Anxiety" (2005)
• Testify – "Aggro" (2006)
• Underwater Pilots – "Tranquil Places" (2006)
• Various – "Hellfire" (2006)
• Girls Under Glass – "Traumatized" (2006)
• Death And Horror Inc. – "Terror Serenity Devastation" (2006)
• Plastic Noise Experience – "EBM" (2009)
• The Fair Sex – "The Dark Ages II" (2009)
• Sielwolf – "IV" (2011)
• Sielwolf – "V Remixes" (2012)
• Sielwolf – "Sielwolf" (2013)
• Various – "Abby (The Compilation Part 4.2)" (2014)
• Girls Under Glass – "Minddiver" (2014)
• Trauma – "Digital Anthology" (2018)
• Plastic Noise Experience V Paracont – "Plastic Noise Experience V Paracont" (2018)
• Underwater Pilots – "Endless" (2019)
• The Fair Sex – "TFS" (2020)
• Schuldt/Jung – "Schuldt V Jung" (2020)
• Klinik/Paracont – "Brain/Get Out" (2020)
• Various – "Live" (2021)
• Various – "Killer Covers" (2022)
• Paracont – "Xtra 1" (2023)
• Girls Under Glass – "Seven" (2024)

• Official Website
• Van Richter Records on Discogs