American record label
Jim Nash
Dannie Flesher
Industrialpunknew wavepost-punk
United States
Chicago
www.waxtraxchicago.com
www.waxtrax.com
Wax Trax! Records is an American independent record label based in Chicago. It began as a record shop in Denver, Colorado, opened by life partners Jim Nash and Dannie Flesher, who sold the store in 1978 and moved to Chicago. In November of that year, they opened a store under the same name in the Lincoln Park neighborhood. During the 1980s and 1990s, the accompanying record label became a strong presence on the industrial music scene as well as the punk rock scene in Chicago, and an outlet for European bands. The label was purchased by TVT Records in 1992 and was discontinued in 2001. In 2014, it was re-established by Julia Nash, daughter of co-founder Jim Nash.
Richard Giraldi of the Chicago Sun-Times wrote, \"As important as Chess Records was to blues and soul music, Chicago\'s Wax Trax imprint was just as significant to the punk rock, new wave and industrial genres.\" According to critic Greg Kot, the legacy of Wax Trax is trusting the artist.
In June 2014, Jim Nash\'s daughter Julia Nash re-established Wax Trax! Records with the release of a 12-inch single from Cocksure. This was followed shortly afterward with the release of a 7-inch single for Front 242 to mark the band\'s 30th anniversary in the US.
This was accompanied by a pop-up store at the Metro Chicago music venue on June 15, 2014.
Documentary
In 2016 Julia Nash began work on directing and producing a documentary about the history and impact of her father and his partner\'s independent store and label. The film, titled INDUSTRIAL ACCIDENT: The Story of Wax Trax! Records won numerous awards and international acclaim during the 2018 festival circuit.
After seeing the documentary, Vans became an executive producer on the project to help make the film commercially available. In 2019, Vans sponsored in coordination with Record Store Day, a 6 city North American tour to promote the film. The tour included showcasing the Wax Trax! band Ministry with an early era set.
Discography
Main article: Wax Trax! Records discography
