Lex Records Explained

Lex Records
Founded:2001
Founder:Tom Brown
Genre:Alternative hip hop, electronic, alternative rock
Country:England
Location:Camden, London

Lex Records is a British independent record label. Most releases on the label are alternative hip hop, alternative rock or electronic music.[1] [2] [3] Dazed described Lex as a label "...whose wildly creative output spans over a decade of landmark releases that have changed the music industry no end."[4]

History

2001–2011

Lex, founded in 2001, was originally an imprint of Warp.[5] By the end of 2003, Lex had released several albums including debuts by Boom Bip, Non-Prophets and Danger Mouse and the success of these albums allowed Lex to expand.[6]

In 2004, Lex managed The Grey Album campaign, establishing Danger Mouse as a critically successful artist.[7] Damon Albarn got a copy of The Grey Album and this led to Danger Mouse being approached to produce Gorillaz's second album Demon Days.[4] [8] Demon Days was released by Parlophone in May 2005 and sold millions of copies[9] [10] establishing Danger Mouse as a commercially successful producer by the summer of 2005.[11] [12]

In September 2005, Brown bought Warp's share of the label.[13] The next release was Danger Doom The Mouse and the Mask. It was Lex's best selling release to date.[14] Gnarls Barkley's multi platinum debut St. Elsewhere followed in 2006, released on Warner with Lex branding.

In March 2008, Gnarls Barkley's second album The Odd Couple was released on Warner with Lex branding. In the same month, Lex released Neon Neon Stainless Style which was nominated for the Mercury Prize in 2008.

In 2009, Lex released MF Doom's Born Like This.

In July 2010, Lex released an audiobook of Alan Moore & Mitch Jenkins' Unearthing, narrated by Moore and scored by Crook & Flail. They performed it live at the Old Vic Tunnels.[15] Also in July, Danger Mouse, Sparklehorse & David Lynch's Dark Night of the Soul was released on Parlophone with Lex branding.

In May 2011, Danger Mouse & Daniele Luppi's album Rome featuring Jack White and Norah Jones was released on Parlophone with Lex branding.

On 5 November 2011, Lex marked its tenth anniversary with a show at The Roundhouse in Camden featuring performances by Ghostface Killah, MF Doom and Jneiro Jarel,[16] and released Complex, a compilation album.[17] [18]

2012–2021

In August 2012 Lex released JJ Doom's Key to the Kuffs.[19] Later in 2012 Lex launched Charlie White and Boom Bip's art project Music For Sleeping Children which includes photography, video, electronic music and spoken word recordings.[20] Lex's first two short films, written by Alan Moore and directed by Mitch Jenkins were previewed online in November 2012.[21] [22]

In 2013, Lex released Neon Neon's second album Praxis Makes Perfect.[23] The album was presented live as an immersive theatre performance with National Theatre Wales.[24]

In November 2013, Lex and ATP co-promoted a show with MF Doom, BadBadNotGood and Bishop Nehru at the Kentish Town Forum.[25] MF Doom went on to collaborate with BadBadNotGood and Bishop Nehru on Lex. BadBadNotGood remixed the JJ Doom track "Guv'nor"; MF Doom produced the Bishop Nehru mini-album NehruvianDoom; and MF Doom appeared on BadBadNotGood & Ghostface Killah's album Sour Soul.

Eyedress released his first single on Lex in 2016.[26] His debut studio album, Manila Ice, was released on Lex in May 2017, followed by Sensitive G in November 2018.[27] [28]

Lex released singles from Eyedress’ third album Let's Skip to the Wedding, including "Jealous" on 19 December 2019 and “Romantic Lover” on 12 January 2020.[29] “Jealous” and “Romantic Lover” became viral hits after the release of the album.[30] “Jealous” was certified gold in Australia, Canada, Poland and the US in 2021, and 3x platinum in the US in March 2024. "Romantic Lover" was certified platinum in the US in March 2023. The album was certified gold in the US in May 2024.[31] [32] [33]

Lex's first feature film, The Show, written by Alan Moore and directed by Mitch Jenkins was an official selection for SXSW 2020.[34] Following SXSW's cancellation due to the COVID-19 pandemic film had a world premiere at Sitges Film Festival 2020,[35] and was licensed to Starz.[36]

On 31 December 2020, MF Doom's death was announced on social media.[37]

In August 2021 Lex released Eyedress’ fourth studio album Mulholland Drive.[38] The first single from the album, “Something About You” became a viral hit in the US with Rolling Stone citing the track as the fastest-rising song on American streaming services for the week ending 23 September 2021.[39] "Something About You" was certified gold in the USA in May 2022, and platinum in October 2023.[32]

During 2021, Lex marked its twentieth anniversary by releasing a series of remixes of recordings in its catalogue under the project title Lex-XX.[40]

Awards

Grammy Awards (USA)

Plug Independent Music Awards (USA)

British Animation Awards (UK)

Certifications

RIAA certification (USA)

Music Canada certification (Canada)

Brit Certified (UK)

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Ten Records I Wish I'd Released by Lex Records' Tom Brown, Introduction. Culture Critic. Rhys. Griffiths. 10 July 2010.
  2. Nicola Slade, "Life Blood: Lex Records," (Record Of The Day, 11 June 2009)
  3. Web site: Lex Records: Hip-hop that won't stop!. Liberation Frequency. Imran. Mirza. 10 July 2010.
  4. Web site: Lex Records: Through the Years in Video. Dazed Digital. Terence. Teh. 18 May 2012.
  5. Web site: Llex records label profile. BBC. Paul. Clarke. 30 April 2004. dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20041027154454/https://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/collective/A2580806 . 2004-10-27.
  6. [Rob Young (writer)|Young, Rob]
  7. Web site: Lex Records London, UK . Redbull Music Academy Radio . 2 November 2011 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20120104090211/http://redbullmusicacademyradio.com/shows/4659/ . 4 January 2012 .
  8. Web site: Danger Mouse. Good Bad Queen. dead. https://archive.today/20130124195930/http://www.goodbadqueen.com/dangermouse.html. 24 January 2013. dmy-all.
  9. Web site: Gorillaz: Plastic Beach. The A.V. Club. Noel. Murray. 9 March 2010.
  10. Web site: Gorillaz RIAA certifications . 7 December 2008 . . https://web.archive.org/web/20150903230335/http://www.riaa.com/goldandplatinumdata.php?table=SEARCH_RESULTS&artist=Gorillaz&format=ALBUM&go=Search&perPage=50 . 3 September 2015 . dead .
  11. Web site: Steve Lamacq "Dangermouse and the strange tale of Gnarls Barkley". BBC Radio One. 3 April 2006.
  12. Web site: Lex Records at 20: 'I'm still running off those old rules of thumb - sign artists you believe in and invest in long-term deals'. Independent Music Insider. 30 November 2021.
  13. Web site: Lex Records . https://archive.today/20130201144933/http://preview.remixmag.com/artists/electronic/remix_lex_records/ . dead . 2013-02-01 . Remix Magazine . 1 December 2007.
  14. Web site: Declarations of independents. Music Week. 15 September 2007.
  15. Web site: Alan Moore's Unearthing, Old Vic Tunnels. The Arts Desk. Joe. Muggs. 30 July 2010.
  16. Web site: Video: MF Doom and Ghostface Killah Perform Together in London. Pitchfork Media. Carrie. Battanon. 7 November 2011.
  17. Web site: Doom Collaborates With Thom Yorke . Clash Magazine. Robin. Murray. 27 October 2011.
  18. Web site: Thom Yorke, Jonny Greenwood, and Doom: "Retarded Fren". Pitchfork Media. Jenn. Pelly. 2 November 2011.
  19. Web site: BBC Website Key to the Kuffs Review. Bbc.co.uk.
  20. News: 'Music for Sleeping Children' turns teen angst into song. https://web.archive.org/web/20150922162056/http://articles.latimes.com/2012/nov/17/entertainment/la-et-ms-childrens-music-20121118. dead. 22 September 2015. The Los Angeles Times. Randall. Roberts. 17 November 2012.
  21. Web site: Watch: More Alan Moore Film. The Quietus. Laurie. Tuffrey. 27 November 2012.
  22. News: Alan Moore: why I turned my back on Hollywood. The Observer. Tom. Lamont. 15 December 2012.
  23. Web site: Neon Neon: Praxis Makes Perfect Album Review Pitchfork. Pitchfork.com. en. 2017-03-03.
  24. Web site: Praxis Makes Perfect.
  25. Web site: Doom + BadBadNotGood + Bishop Nehru + Jon 1st - All Tomorrow's Parties. All Tomorrow's Parties. en. 2017-03-03.
  26. Web site: Halloween Freak - Single by Eyedress . Apple Music . 2 September 2021.
  27. Web site: Seshadri . Pooja . Eyedress Made An Album About Love And Survival In Manila . . March 30, 2017 . March 6, 2020.
  28. Web site: Kochhar . Nazuk . Eyedress is bleeding and fed up in "No Fun" . The Fader . February 19, 2021 . en . October 26, 2018.
  29. Web site: Let's Skip to the Wedding by Eyedress . 7 August 2020 . Apple Music . February 17, 2021.
  30. Web site: Eyedress shares two new songs "Spit on Your Grave" and "Something About You" featuring Dent May . . 3 June 2021.
  31. Canada. Eyedress. 16 March 2023.
  32. United States. Eyedress. 26 March 2024.
  33. Poland. Eyedress . Jealous. Platinum. 3. single. 2023. 26 March 2024.
  34. Web site: SXSW Schedule . . 2020. 31 August 2021.
  35. Web site: The Show Review . . Kirsty . Puchko. 8 October 2021. 31 August 2021.
  36. Web site: Watch The Show Online . Starz.com . 27 March 2022.
  37. Atkinson. Katie. 2020-12-31. Masked Rapper MF Doom Dies at 49. 2021-05-02. Billboard. en. January 26, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210126232926/https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/hip-hop/9506021/mf-doom-dead. live.
  38. Web site: Mulholland Drive by Eyedress . 27 August 2021 . Apple Music . September 2, 2021.
  39. Web site: Trending 25 The fastest-rising songs of the week. Rolling Stone. 1 October 2021.
  40. Web site: Krups. Daniel. 2021-08-12. Hear Thom Yorke's 'Man on Fire' Remix of MF Doom's 'Gazzillion Ear' . RollingStone.com. en.
  41. News: Danger Mouse. Grammy Awards. 2021 . 31 August 2021.
  42. News: I stayed for the National . BrooklynVegan. 3 February 2006 . 31 August 2021.
  43. Web site: Corpse Bride is top animated film. BBC. 9 March 2006.
  44. United States. Eyedress. 22 March 2024.
  45. United States. Gnarls Barkley. 31 August 2021.
  46. News: Gold/Platinum. . 2024 . 11 March 2024.
  47. News: Gold/Platinum. . 2021 . 2 November 2021.
  48. United Kingdom. single. Jealous. Eyedress. Gold. 1. 2024. 13212-6138-1. 22 April 2024.
  49. United Kingdom. album. St. Elsewhere. Gnarls Barkley. Platinum. 3. 2020. 1549-519-1. 11 March 2024.
  50. United Kingdom. single. Crazy. Gnarls Barkley. Platinum. 3. 2016. 1549-519-1. 2 September 2021.

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Lex Records".

Except where otherwise indicated, Everything.Explained.Today is © Copyright 2009-2024, A B Cryer, All Rights Reserved. Cookie policy.