| Well, Hi-Dee-Hey! Happy 2020 and here is wishing a very industrious Year Of The Rat to all you Chinese zodiac loving MoFo’s! Let’s get right to it – shall we? |
| WAAAAAY back in 1980 when the Chicago storefront was still pumping out illegal bootlegs and flirting with the idea of licensing a new UK band called Bauhaus to start a label (Jeeze, I would love to visit the alternative universe where that actually happened), No one from that shop at 2449 Lincoln Ave. could ever have imagined that the WAX TRAX! RECORDS imprint would still be meaningful 40 years later. I have to admit, after my dad passed away and TVT had picked the label’s bones clean before discarding the carcass, even I thought the golden age of WAX TRAX! would end up as a history footnote or music folklore told on random barstools from time to time. (<In my best drunk speak> “Remember that time we saw Revolting Cocks tripping balls with drag queens breathing fire and farm animals?? – Those were the day”) For those of you paying attention and keeping score, the road from ruin has been roughly 10 years in the making, starting officially with the three day sold out RETROSPECTACLE in 2011. What some of you may not know is that a dedicated crew behind the scenes has slowly and methodically been putting many of the pieces back together. Our primary goal has been to establish the legacy of Jim & Dannie and honor their work in a way that we hope will be passed down through the larger universe of music history. This has been achieved through the recent WAX TRAX! Documentary as well as reigniting important relationships with the artists that inspired my dad and Dannie in the first place. But – As I’ve said many times in interviews, WAX TRAX! doesn’t exist without Jim & Dannie and we would never try to replace them and moving ahead would have to make sense in the larger picture. Our intent has never been to officially reestablish the label in an expanded way…Until now. For the 40th anniversary of the WAX TRAX! label, we are kicking off the year right with a release that is not only symbolic to the label’s origin, but also featured in the <Insert shameless plug here> award winning INDUSTRIAL ACCIDENT: The Story of Wax Trax! Records. |
| STRIKE UNDER – IMMEDIATE ACTION 12-inch will be released this April through waxtrax.com and record stores throughout the US. This long out of print EP is widely considered WAX 001 and has eluded collectors for decades. We are happy to start the next 40 years with a trip back to mark the label’s humble beginnings. That would be news enough but as you know, WAX TRAX! likes to go above and beyond. Do we have anything special for all you pre-orderers? Well, of course we do. In addition to the standard 12-inch edition, we have produced two special numbered editions with alternative covers, colored vinyl and bundled with a very limited 7-inch that includes unreleased tracks from the first STRIKE UNDER show in 1980. This is ONLY AVAILABLE AS A PRE-ORDER BUNDLE. This means after April 18, 2020, they will go away. I wouldn’t sit too long on these. When they’re gone – They’re gone. Both the 12-inch and 12-inch + 7-inch bundle are available starting today, 2/07/20 and will ship in mid April. You may be thinking “Hmmm – Does this mean it might be the start of more new or reissued material coming from the label?” Well, duh. |
| Okay let’s take this 40th year thing and kick it up a notch or two GOIN’ BACK TO CALI |
| What are you doing this September? Let’s hang out in So-Cal as we bring our posse to the Mayan Theater in Los Angeles. That is right, we are teaming up with COLD WAVES to showcase the WAX TRAX! originals – Front 242, The Young Gods, My Life With The Thrill Kill Kult and Paul Barker & Chris Connelly. This one night show on September 24 will also feature an official WAX TRAX! POP-UP SHOP filled with new and vintage goodies from the WAX TRAX! vault. GA and VIP tickets are on sale now and can be purchased here |
| MY KIND OF TOWN |
| If you can’t make it to LA, please join us as we work with COLD WAVES FESTIVAL here in Chicago on September 17. This includes 3 Nights of incredible artists including WAX TRAX! originals as well as another WAX TRAX! pop-up shop for collectors. limited VIP tickets available through COLD WAVES |
| CASSETTE PET Okay, this next one is for the collectors and completist out there. We are in the process of filling in the original/vintage cassettes at waxtrax.com. This month, we will be adding most of our still sealed tape stock that we have in our archives. So – If you don’t immediately see the releases that you are looking for, check back and you will be rewarded (COIL & KLF fans – I’m talking directly to you!) In addition to the cassettes, we have a new WAX TRAX! baseball cap and logo shirt color for those looking to expand their fabulous wardrobe. |
| DUSTY MOOVE Oh – And this happened last month. For the first time in over 20 years, WAX TRAX! RECORDS will have a permanent spot in Chicago. That’s right, we are moving our headquarters to 1120 N. Ashland. If that address sounds familiar to some of you audiophiles, it should. We have occupied the third floor of another legendary record store – Dusty Groove. Right now we are still getting settled as we set up the new location for our mail order and distribution HQ. Will we open to the public every now and then for special opportunities? Stay tuned to find out. That should cover things. As always, please join the official WAX TRAX! Facebook, twitter and instagram pages. or contact us directly at waxtrax.com Ciao for now xo-J |
Wax Trax! Records 