Reflex Records Explained

Reflex Records
Country:	U.S.
Location:	Minneapolis, Minnesota

Reflex Records was an American independent record label formed by the members of hardcore punk band Hüsker Dü and Terry Katzman. It was formed to help promote independent bands, after Twin/Tone Records rejected Hüsker Dü's first single in 1979. (Bassist Greg Norton told Rolling Stone in 2017 that the label was named after their experience with Twin/Tone: "We named our label Reflex Records because that was our reflex to being rejected.")^[1]

The label was funded by a loan from Hüsker drummer Grant Hart's mother's credit union.^[2]

Under Katzman's guidance, the label would also release several compilations of regional underground and alternative bands, as well as albums by local post-punk bands Rifle Sport, Man Sized Action, Otto's Chemical Lounge, and Articles of Faith, as well as the Minutemen's 1985 EP Tour-Spiel.^[3]

Both Katzman and the Hüsker Dü members became too busy with other projects, and the label quietly folded in 1985.^[4]

In 2008, Hart revived the Reflex name to issue a three-song live CD by Hüsker Dü recorded in 1982-83 featuring their friend John Clegg on saxophone, Live Featuring J.C.

Reflex Records discography

Hüsker Dü, "Statues" b/w "Amusement" 7" single (1981)

Barefoot and Pregnant cassette compilation (1982)

Kitten cassette compilation (1982)

Hüsker Dü, Everything Falls Apart 12" LP (1983)

Rifle Sport, Voice of Reason 12" LP (1983)

Man Sized Action, Claustrophobia 12" LP (1983)

Final Conflict, Final Conflict 7" four-song EP (1983)

Ground Zero, Ground Zero 12" LP (1983)

Articles of Faith, Give Thanks 12" LP (1983)

Man Sized Action, Five-Story Garage 12" LP (1984)

Ground Zero, Pink 12" LP (1985)

Minutemen, Tour-Spiel 7" four-song EP (1985)

Hüsker Dü, Live Featuring J.C. (2008)

Hüsker Dü, Tonite LONGHORN (2023)^[5]

Notes and References

Grow . Kory . 5 September 2017 . Inside Husker Du's Early-Years Box Set Treasure Trove . . San Francisco . 10 November 2019.
Book: Bob Mehr. Trouble Boys: The True Story of the Replacements. 1 March 2016. Hachette Books. 978-0-306-82203-2. 392–.
Book: Michael Azerrad. Our Band Could Be Your Life: Scenes from the American Indie Underground, 1981-1991. 1 December 2012. Little, Brown. 978-0-316-24718-4. 94–.
Book: Andrew Earles. Husker Du: The Story of the Noise-Pop Pioneers Who Launched Modern Rock. 15 November 2010. Voyageur Press. 978-1-61673-979-9. 95–.
Book: Andrew Earles. Husker Du: The Story of the Noise-Pop Pioneers Who Launched Modern Rock. https://books.google.com/books?id=6K6l38haOK4C&pg=PT95. 15 November 2010. Voyageur Press. 978-1-61673-979-9. "Appendix VIII: Reflex Records Discography".