Rephlex Records

Rephlex Records was a record label started in 1991 by electronic musician Richard D. James (aka Aphex Twin) and Grant Wilson-Claridge. Rephlex coined the term braindance to describe the otherwise uncategorisable output of Aphex Twin and Rephlex Records. The official definition is as follows:

Braindance is the genre that encompasses the best elements of all genres, e.g traditional, classical, electronic music, popular, modern, industrial, ambient, hip hop, electro, house, techno, breakbeat, hardcore, ragga, garage, drum and bass, etc.

In 1989, Grant Wilson-Claridge met Aphex Twin DJing at The Bowgie, a club located just along the coast from Newquay, Cornwall. As Wilson-Claridge points out, 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 Aphex Twin used to DJ on alternate weeks. When he noticed that Aphex Twin was playing his own tapes rather than records, Wilson-Claridge suggested that they press up some records. In the beginning, committing Aphex Twin’s recordings to vinyl was a way of making music the duo's friends wanted to hear. Due to their geographical dislocation they did not have access to the music they wanted to hear and so they decided to create their own. And so was born the Rephlex label.