Mo' Wax
Encyclopedia
Mo' Wax was a UK
-based record label
owned by James Lavelle
, who founded it in the early 1990s with Tim Goldsworthy. Steve Finan became co-owner shortly after. The label came to recognition for being at the forefront of trip hop
, turntablism
and alternative rap during the mid-90s
. The label is also responsible for bringing attention to the graffiti artist Futura 2000
by using his artwork on many of its releases in the early to mid 1990s. Lavelle ended up signing partial ownership of Mo' Wax over to A&M Records
(now part of the Universal Music Group
) in 1996. Currently, some of the Mo' Wax catalogue is part of the Beggars Group
, but there are rumors that the label itself has folded and is no longer putting out new releases.
The name 'Mo' Wax' is a shortened form of 'Mo' Wax Please', which was the title of a column James Lavelle wrote in the magazine Straight No Chaser
and the club night he ran (Saturdays at the Fridge in Brixton and with Patrick Forge at the Gardening Club). This in turn was influenced by the Freddie Roach
LP, 'Mo' Greens Please' on Blue Note records. The original Mo' Wax logo as used on the early releases was designed by UK graphic designer Swifty, but the label excelled their reputation by featuring artwork contributions from Futura, Robert Del Naja
(from Massive Attack
) and Req 1. Ben Drury
was the main designer responsible for the art direction and design of the label. In 2005, Lavelle started a clothing line called Surrender, and launched Mo' Wax Arts. Mo' Wax Arts is a new company managed by Henry Lavelle (James' brother), who translated Futura's talent into merchandise, toys and fashion with the label Surrender. Henry Lavelle presented Futura's works under Mo' Wax Arts in an international design conference.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
-based record label
Record label
In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing and promotion,...
owned by James Lavelle
James Lavelle
James Lavelle is a DJ, electronic recording artist and record label boss.-Early years:Born into a family with a strong tradition of music, Lavelle first began by learning the cello with his grandmother in Oxford....
, who founded it in the early 1990s with Tim Goldsworthy. Steve Finan became co-owner shortly after. The label came to recognition for being at the forefront of trip hop
Trip hop
Trip hop is a music genre consisting of downtempo electronic music which originated in the early 1990s in England, especially Bristol. Deriving from "post"-acid house, the term was first used by the British music media and press as a way to describe the more experimental variant of breakbeat which...
, turntablism
Turntablism
Turntablism is the art of manipulating sounds and creating music using phonograph turntables and a DJ mixer.The word 'turntablist' was coined in 1995 by DJ Babu to describe the difference between a DJ who just plays records, and one who performs by touching and moving the records, stylus and mixer...
and alternative rap during the mid-90s
1990s
File:1990s decade montage.png|From left, clockwise: The Hubble Space Telescope floats in space after it was taken up in 1990; American F-16s and F-15s fly over burning oil fields and the USA Lexie in Operation Desert Storm, also known as the 1991 Gulf War; The signing of the Oslo Accords on...
. The label is also responsible for bringing attention to the graffiti artist Futura 2000
Futura 2000
Futura 2000 is a graffiti artist. He started to paint illegally on New York's subway in the early seventies, working with other artists such as ALI. In the early eighties he showed with Patti Astor at the Fun Gallery, along with Keith Haring, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Richard Hambleton and Kenny Scharf...
by using his artwork on many of its releases in the early to mid 1990s. Lavelle ended up signing partial ownership of Mo' Wax over to A&M Records
A&M Records
A&M Records is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group that operates under the mantle of its Interscope-Geffen-A&M division.-Beginnings:...
(now part of the Universal Music Group
Universal Music Group
Universal Music Group is an American music group, the largest of the "big four" record companies by its commanding market share and its multitude of global operations...
) in 1996. Currently, some of the Mo' Wax catalogue is part of the Beggars Group
Beggars Group
Beggars Group is a British record company that owns or distributes several other labels, including 4AD, Rough Trade Records, Matador Records, and XL Recordings...
, but there are rumors that the label itself has folded and is no longer putting out new releases.
The name 'Mo' Wax' is a shortened form of 'Mo' Wax Please', which was the title of a column James Lavelle wrote in the magazine Straight No Chaser
Straight No Chaser (magazine)
Straight No Chaser was an influential British music magazine, based in London, which covered various forms of black music and electronic music....
and the club night he ran (Saturdays at the Fridge in Brixton and with Patrick Forge at the Gardening Club). This in turn was influenced by the Freddie Roach
Freddie Roach (organist)
See Freddie Roach for the boxer.Freddie Roach is a soul jazz Hammond B3 organist born in the Bronx, New York. He was one of a handful of legendary jazz organists that made history in the 1960s, the golden era of the Hammond organ...
LP, 'Mo' Greens Please' on Blue Note records. The original Mo' Wax logo as used on the early releases was designed by UK graphic designer Swifty, but the label excelled their reputation by featuring artwork contributions from Futura, Robert Del Naja
Robert Del Naja
Robert Del Naja , also known as 3D, is an English artist and musician. Initially gaining notoriety as a graffiti artist and member of the Bristol collective known as "The Wild Bunch", Del Naja went on to become a founding member of the band Massive Attack where he is active to this day.-Music:Del...
(from Massive Attack
Massive Attack
Massive Attack are an English DJ and trip hop duo from Bristol, England consisting of Robert "3D" Del Naja and Grant "Daddy G" Marshall. Working with co-producers, as well as various session musicians and guest vocalists, they make records and tour live. The duo are considered to be of the trip...
) and Req 1. Ben Drury
Ben Drury
Ben Drury , is a British freelance designer.He was art director of Mo' Wax recordings and has worked extensively in the music industry, creating album artwork for Turin Brakes and Dizzee Rascal amongst others...
was the main designer responsible for the art direction and design of the label. In 2005, Lavelle started a clothing line called Surrender, and launched Mo' Wax Arts. Mo' Wax Arts is a new company managed by Henry Lavelle (James' brother), who translated Futura's talent into merchandise, toys and fashion with the label Surrender. Henry Lavelle presented Futura's works under Mo' Wax Arts in an international design conference.
Discography
- MW 001 V.A. - Jazz Hip Jap Project
- MW 002 Federation - Flower To The Sun
- MW 003 V.A. - Royaltie$ Overdue
- MW 025 DJ KrushDJ Krush, better known as DJ Krush, is a producer and DJ. He is known for his atmospheric instrumental production which incorporates sound elements from nature and extensive use of jazz and soul samples.-Biography:...
- Strictly TurntablizedStrictly TurntablizedStrictly Turntablized is the second album by the Trip hop artist, DJ Krush. It was released in 1994.-Track listing:#"Intro" – 1:04#"Lunation" – 3:34#"Fucked-Up Pendulum" – 4:26#"Kemuri" – 4:42#"The Loop" – 1:53#"Silent Ungah " – 4:23... - MW 026 V.A. -HeadzHeadzHeadz is a compilation released by the record label Mo'Wax. It was released as a 2 CD set with artwork by 3D from Massive Attack. It was one of the first albums to popularise the term Trip Hop even tough it described itself as "Abstract Hip Hop". It featured early tracks by artists such as DJ...
- MW 034 Money MarkMoney MarkMark Ramos-Nishita aka Money Mark is a producer and musician who has collaborated with the Beastie Boys many times. He also appears on the first Banyan album in 1997 as the "Freeway Keyboardist".-Career:...
- Mark's Keyboard RepairMark's Keyboard RepairMark's Keyboard Repair is an album by Money Mark released on the Mo' Wax label in 1995. The album is a series of low key keyboard-driven lounge and funk songs. Mark only sings on a few of the records... - MW 039 DJ Krush - MeisoMeiso, meaning “Straying”, is the third album released by DJ Krush.- Track listing :# "Only the Strong Survive" featuring CL Smooth - 4:16# "Anticipation" - 4:45# "What's Behind Darkness?" - 3:06# "Meiso" featuring Black Thought and Malik B...
- MW 046 Dr Octagon - Dr. OctagonecologystDr. OctagonecologystDr. Octagonecologyst is the debut solo album of American rapper Keith Thornton and the first album he released under the alias Dr. Octagon. It was released May 6, 1996, on Bulk Recordings in the United States and Mo' Wax in the United Kingdom, and re-released in the US on DreamWorks Records in...
- MW 059 DJ ShadowDJ ShadowJoshua Paul Davis better known as DJ Shadow is an American music producer, DJ and songwriter. He is considered a prominent figure in the development of instrumental hip hop and first gained notice with the release of his highly acclaimed debut album Endtroducing....., which was constructed...
- Endtroducing... - MW 061 V.A. - Headz 2AHeadzHeadz is a compilation released by the record label Mo'Wax. It was released as a 2 CD set with artwork by 3D from Massive Attack. It was one of the first albums to popularise the term Trip Hop even tough it described itself as "Abstract Hip Hop". It featured early tracks by artists such as DJ...
- MW 062 V.A. - Headz 2BHeadzHeadz is a compilation released by the record label Mo'Wax. It was released as a 2 CD set with artwork by 3D from Massive Attack. It was one of the first albums to popularise the term Trip Hop even tough it described itself as "Abstract Hip Hop". It featured early tracks by artists such as DJ...
- MW 064 Dr Octagon - Instrumentalyst (Octagon Beats)Instrumentalyst (Octagon Beats)Instrumentalyst is a remix album by American emcee Keith Thornton, credited under the title Dr. Octagon. Released in 1996, it is the instrumental version of Dr. Octagonecologyst. It is Thornton's second album under the Dr. Octagon alias...
- MW 072 Luke VibertLuke VibertLuke Vibert is a British recording artist and producer known for his work in many subgenres of electronic music. Vibert began his musical career as a member of the Hate Brothers, only later branching out into his own compositions...
- Big SoupBig SoupBig Soup is an album by Luke Vibert, released in 1997 on Mo' Wax.- CD release :# "Intro - Welcome" - 1:34# "Rank Rink Ring" - 6:39# "Voyage into the Unknown" - 7:04# "Fused into Music" - 6:05# "No Turn Unstoned" - 8:27# "Reality Check" - 6:03... - MW 073 SukiaSukia (band)Sukia were a Camarillo, California-based electronic band that featured former child actor Ross Harris, who in the 1970s acted in shows such as CHiPS and the Little House on the Prairie....
- Contacto Espacial Con El Tercer Sexo - MW 077 DJ Krush - MiLightMiLightis an album by DJ Krush, released in 1997. The album title means "future" and is a wordplay with the pronunciation of "MiLight/mirai".-Track listing:#"Intro"#"from Rino"#"Shin-Sekai" featuring Rino#"Jikan No Hashi 1"#"from Stash"#"Real" featuring Tragedy...
- MW 078 Liquid LiquidLiquid LiquidLiquid Liquid is a New York City post-punk, post-disco band, originally active from 1980 to 1983. They are perhaps best known for their track, "Cavern", which was covered by the Sugar Hill Records house band as the backing track for Grandmaster + Melle Mel's old school rap classic, "White Lines "...
- Liquid Liquid - MW 080 Attica BluesAttica BluesAttica Blues are a UK trip-hop band, who made their debut releases on the Mo' Wax label. Taking their name from an Archie Shepp album, the band have also provided remixes for Ultra Naté, Sneaker Pimps, Silent Poets and DJ Krush.-History:...
- Attica Blues - MW 082 V.A. - The Original Artform
- MW 085 UNKLEUNKLEUnkle are a British musical outfit founded in 1994 by school friends James Lavelle and Tim Goldsworthy. Originally categorized as trip-hop, the group once included producer DJ Shadow and have employed a variety of guest artists and producers.-First incarnation :Lavelle and Goldsworthy were joined...
- Psyence FictionPsyence Fiction-Samples:*"Intro "**Quannum MCs – "Blue Flames"**Massive Attack – "Teardrop"**Air – "All I Need"**Invisibl Skratch Piklz – "Invisibl Skratch Piklz vs... - MW 088 DJ Krush - Holonic-The Self MegamixHolonic-The Self MegamixHolonic-The Self Megamix is an album by Hip-Hop artist DJ Krush that was released February 2, 1998 on Mo' Wax Records.As the title implies, the album is a self made remix, but rather than solely being a remix of previous tracks in a manner similar to typical remixes, the album uses samples from...
- MW 090 Money Mark - Push The ButtonPush the Button (Money Mark album)Push the Button is an album by Money Mark. "Hand in Your Head" and "Maybe I'm Dead" were released as singles.-Track listing:#"Push the Button" – 2:55 #"Too Like You" – 2:46 #"Monkey Dot" – 2:03 #"Tomorrow Will Be Like Today" – 3:36...
- MW 099 Andrea ParkerAndrea Parker (DJ)Andrea Parker is a British electronic music producer, record label proprietor and DJ from Yalding, Kent. Despite having a background in cello playing, Parker was heavily influenced by electronic pioneers such as Art Of Noise and Jean Michel Jarre...
- Kiss My Arp - MW 101 V.A. - Time Machine
- MW 102 Urban TribeUrban TribeUrban Tribe is the alias used by Sherard Ingram, an electronic musician from Detroit.Urban Tribe's first releases were issued on Carl Craig's labels, Retroactive and Planet E. He signed with Mo Wax and released an EP for the label in 1996...
- The Collapse Of Modern Culture - MW 104 Tommy GuerreroTommy GuerreroTommy Guerrero is an American skateboarder and musician. As a teen, he was one of the prominent members of the Bones Brigade, Powell Peralta's professional skateboarding team that was successful during the 1980s...
- A Little Bit Of Somethin - MW 105 Major Force West - 93-97
- MW 110 V.A. - Quannum SpectrumQuannum SpectrumQuannum Spectrum is a hip hop compilation album by artists associated with the Quannum Projects record label. The album was released on July 27, 1999 and was...
- MW 112 Blackalicious - Nia
- MW 115 DJ AssaultDJ AssaultCraig De Sean Adams , better known by his stage name DJ Assault is a hip hop musician from Detroit, Michigan. Collecting 12" and 45's since age 7, he would go on to be one of the most recognized DJs and producers of Detroit Dance music.-Biography:Together with producer Mr...
- Bella Isle Tech - MW 121 DJ Magic MikeDJ Magic MikeDJ Magic Mike from Orlando, Florida is one of the most pivotal Miami bass producers.- Career :Magic Mike made his debut in the world of Miami Bass productions when he met Miami based producer/rapper Rod Whitehead in 1986...
- The Journey (Era Of Bass Part 1) - MW 122 Divine StylerDivine StylerDivine Styler is an alternative hip hop artist from Brooklyn, New York.-History:He first emerged as part of Ice-T's Rhyme Syndicate. His first LP, Word Power, was hailed by critics and fans, but was not a commercial success. His second album, the wildly experimental Spiral Walls Containing Autumns...
- Wordpower, Vol. 2: DirectrixWordpower, Vol. 2: DirectrixWordpower, Vol. 2: Directrix is the third album by Divine Styler, released in 1999 on Mo' Wax. This was his first album released in seven years, his last being 1992's Spiral Walls Containing Autumns of Light. However, this album could be considered more as a sequel to his debut album, Word Power,... - MW 129 NigoNigois a Japanese music producer, DJ and the creator of the urban clothing line A Bathing Ape, otherwise known as Bape.-Fashion background:Nigo's venture into fashion started in a small store selling a few Bape t-shirts and camouflage print hoodies, which became very popular among the teen demographic...
- Ape Sounds - MW 132 SouthSouth (U.K. band)South were a British rock band. The band consisted of Joel Cadbury, Brett Shaw, and Jamie McDonald. Each member was a multi-instrumentalist and they shared duties on guitars, bass, percussion, keyboards. Cadbury was responsible for the lead vocals.-Career:...
- From Here On In - MW 141 David AxelrodDavid Axelrod (musician)David Axelrod is an American composer, arranger and producer, working in several musical genres.-Biography:...
- David Axelrod - MW 143 Malcom CattoMalcom CattoMalcom Catto is an English drummer and musician, known as DJ Shadow's tour drummer, a member of The Perfect Disaster and his recent work for Stones Throw Records....
- Popcorn Bubble Fish - MW 145 V.A. - Now Thing
- MW 152 Malcom Catto - Bubblefish Breaks
- MW 155 Jordan Fields- Moments In Dub
- MW 158 Tommy Guerrero - Soul Food TaqueriaSoul Food TaqueriaSoul Food Taqueria is the third studio album by former professional skateboarder and Quannum Projects-member Tommy Guerrero, released April 8, 2003 on Mo' Wax Records in the United States and April 14, 2003 in the United Kingdom through the same label. The album was also released on April 26 of...
- MW 159 Parsley Sound - Parsley Sounds
- MWU 001 UNKLEUNKLEUnkle are a British musical outfit founded in 1994 by school friends James Lavelle and Tim Goldsworthy. Originally categorized as trip-hop, the group once included producer DJ Shadow and have employed a variety of guest artists and producers.-First incarnation :Lavelle and Goldsworthy were joined...
- Never, Never, LandNever, Never, LandNever, Never, Land is the second album by the British electronic music act UNKLE, released on . On an expanded edition entitled Never, Never, Land Revisited was released. The original album debuted at #71 in Australia... - MW 001 Love TKO - Headturner
- MW 01 BlackaliciousBlackaliciousBlackalicious is an American hip hop duo from Sacramento, California made up of rapper Gift of Gab and DJ/producer Chief Xcel . They are noted for Gift of Gab's often "tongue-twisting", multisyllabic, complex rhymes and Chief Xcel's "classic" beats...
- Melodica