Wax Trax! Records

Wax Trax! Records is an independent record label in the United States. Wax Trax! began as a record shop in Denver, Colorado opened by Jim Nash and Dannie Flesher. They sold the store in 1978 and, in November of that year, opened a new one under the same name at 2449 North Lincoln Avenue in Chicago, Illinois in the Lincoln Park neighborhood. This store would become the center of the new wave, punk rock and industrial music scenes in Chicago.

The original label was purchased in 1992 by TVT Records, and subsequently discontinued in 2001. In 2014, it was re-established by Julia Nash (cofounder Jim Nash's daughter).

Origins

The record store became a record label slowly at first, initially releasing limited edition records such as Brian Eno's "Wimoweh/Deadly Seven Finns" seven inch. The first official Wax Trax! release was Strike Under's Immediate Action twelve inch EP in 1980, followed by Divine's Born To Be Cheap seven inch. But it was the release of Cold Life by Ministry — along with the licensing of Front 242's Endless Riddance EP — that set the stage for Wax Trax! to become America's preeminent industrial label of the 1980s and 1990s.

Trax Records

Trax Records is a house-music record label based in Chicago. It played a major part in the development of house music with records such as Jamie Principle & Frankie Knuckles's "Your Love."

Larry Sherman and Screamin’ Rachael Cain, co-owners and founders of Trax Records, began operations in 1983 by purchasing Musical Products, and Trax Records began in 1984. The label design and initial artist signings were done by Vince Lawrence. The first release was "Wanna Dance/Certainly" by Le Noiz, TX-101 (matrix number 85 indicated the year of release). Trax Records may be best known for inventing the squelchy acid-house sound on tracks like "Dream Girl" and "Acid Tracks."

Trax was an important outlet for house music in its early days, releasing many classics including "No Way Back" by Adonis, Larry Heard's "Can You Feel It," and the first so-called house anthem in 1986, "Move Your Body" by Marshall Jefferson. This latter tune gave a massive boost to house music, extending recognition of the genre outside of Chicago. In Early 2007, Rachael Cain being the driving force and face of the label—she founded a new record label called Phuture Trax Records, which she currently owns and operates along with her TV show Trax Television. Ms. Cain still owns all her interests in Trax Records along with 100% of the legendary Trax trademark.