Waxploitation Records

Waxploitation is an artist-management company, record label and music publisher based in Los Angeles. It was founded in 1996, by music industry entrepreneur Jeff Antebi, as "a home for innovative artists in music."

Management

Waxploitation is best known as an artist-management company. It currently manages Danger Mouse, Gnarls Barkley, DangerDoom and Black Moth Super Rainbow.

Waxploitation broke with the industry tradition of managing "producer/engineers" and began to manage artists as record producers, blurring the distinction between the two. Waxploitation has helped establish the production careers of artists including Al Jourgensen, Paul Leary, Chris Vrenna, Josh Wink, KutMasta Kurt, King Britt and others. The company managed the production career of E-Swift, which led to a relationship with his group Tha Alkaholiks. Waxploitation currently manages Danger Mouse’s career as a producer, which includes work with Beck, Gorillaz, The Black Keys, The Good, The Bad & The Queen, Sparklehorse, The Rapture, Martina Topley-Bird and The Shortwave Set.

Record Label

The Waxploitation Records label debuted in 1997, with the release of Strictly Ballroom’s "Hide Here Forever". Jimmy Tamborello, a member of Strictly Ballroom, went on to form The Postal Service and Dntel.

Later releases include the soundtrack for "Being Black", which includes songs by Will.i.am, Jurassic 5 and others. The label released KutMasta Kurt’s "RNO" which features the Beastie Boys, Linkin Park and others.

Waxploitation released two albums by Tweaker , the band formed by Nine Inch Nails alumnus Chris Vrenna. The album "2 a.m. Wakeup Call" includes collaborations with Will Oldham, The Cure's Robert Smith, and David Sylvian. Tweaker's debut "Attraction to All Things Uncertain" includes collaborations with David Sylvian, Will Oldham and Elysian Fields' Jennifer Charles.

In 2005 Waxploitation Records released the "Genocide in Sudan" CD to benefit the UN Refugee Agency. The album includes songs by System of a Down, Gorillaz and Yoko Ono.

In 2006 Waxploitation released "Firewater", the final album from one of hip hop's most influential artists, Tha Alkaholiks.

In 2007 the label released "Causes 1", an album to benefit Doctors Without Borders, Human Rights Watch and Oxfam America. The album includes The Shins, Bright Eyes, Animal Collective, The Cure, Spoon, The Black Keys among others.

The label released Teargas & Plateglass' Black Triage album in 2008.

Publishing

Waxploitation handles publishing catalogs including Young MC's "Bust a Move," Tone Loc's "Wild Thing" and "Funky Cold Medina," and the Beastie Boys' album "Paul's Boutique".

"Causes" and Activism

In 2003, Waxploitation Records released the compilation "Genocide in Sudan", with songs donated by System of a Down, Gorillaz, Yoko Ono, Bad Religion, Thievery Corporation and others. This was the start of Waxploitation's charity work, which has become a core attribute of the company.

In 2007, the label released "Causes 1", a benefit for non-profit organizations working in Darfur. The album includes songs from The Shins, Death Cab for Cutie, The Cure, Thievery Corporation, The Black Keys, Spoon, Animal Collective and others.

"Causes 2" is currently in production.

Awards

Since 2005, Waxploitation's artists have been nominated for seven Grammy Awards: Producer of the Year (2005), Record of Year (2006), Album of Year (2006), Best Alternative Album (2006), Best Urban Alternative Performance (2006), Producer of the Year (2006) and Best Short Form Music Video (2007). Waxploitation artists won two Grammy Awards in 2006 for Best Alternative Album and Best Urban Alternative Performance.

Since 2007 Waxploitation artists have won 5 MTV Video Music Awards: Best Editing (2006), Best Direction (2006), Best Editing (2007), Best Art Direction (2008) and Best Choreography (2008).

Affiliated Artists

* Black Moth Super Rainbow
* Cee-Lo Green
* Dangerdoom
* Danger Mouse
* Gnarls Barkley
* Strictly Ballroom
* Teargas & Plateglass
* Tha Alkaholiks
* Tweaker

ee also

* List of record labels

External links

* [http://www.waxploitation.com/ Official Waxploitation homepage]
* [http://www.gnarlsbarkley.com/ Gnarls Barkley homepage]
* [http://www.dangerdoom.com/ Dangerdoom homepage]
* [http://www.laweekly.com/special/la-people-2008/danger-dude-without-borders/19150/ Profiled in LA Weekly]
* [http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/extendedplay/2008/03/gnarls-barkley.html March '08 Interview with L.A. Times]
* [http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/25/arts/music/25sisa.html?ex=1196658000&en=329b636f3675bef3&ei=5070&emc=eta1/ Discussion with New York Times on Western Artists in China]
* [http://www.urb.com/features/392/10YearsofWaxploitation.php/ Profile in URB Magazine]
* [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9E07E0D61431F932A15750C0A9629C8B63&sec=technology&spon=&partner=permalink&exprod=permalink/ Quoted in New York Times story about the Grey Album]
* [http://www.newyorker.com/archive/2004/02/09/040209ta_talk_greenman/ Quoted in New Yorker about the Grey Album]
* [http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/06/arts/music/06chan.html?_r=1&ref=arts&oref=slogin/ Quoted in New York Times feature on Gnarls Barkley]