Wax Trax! Records Documentary Screening Question and Answer Period in Los Angeles Will Feature Members of Front 242, Revolting Cocks, Ministry and My Life With The Thrill Kill Kult

Tori Adams October 25th, 2017 - 2:09 PM

On November 9th, the legendary label, Wax Trax!, will present a screening of their recently completed documentary, INDUSTRIΛL ΛCCIDENT: The Story Of Wax Trax! Records, at Montalban Theater in Hollywood. The screening will be completed by a Question & Answer session moderated by DJ Lance Rock of Yo Gabba Gabba with: Richard 23 (Front 242), Chris Connelly (Revolting Cocks, Ministry, etc), Paul Barker (Ministry) and various members of My Life With the Thrill Kill Kult. Frontline Assembly members and former members of KMFDM will also be at the meet and greet portion of the event. In addition to the screening and Q&A session, Wax Trax will present a pop-up shop featuring several very rare items. Head over to the documentary’s official site to find the tickets. This will be the only West Coast screening of the documentary. Tickets include a limited Wax Trax! poster. VIP tickets are also available and include (in addition to the poster, screening and Q+A session included with the standard ticket) a private artist meet/greet & signing, a limited Wax Trax! t-shirt, reserved seating and first entry into the pop-up shot.

Paul Barker: bassist from the band Ministry (featured image is of his bandmate, Al Jourgensen, who was the vocalist for the band)

Wax Trax Records began in Denver Colorado in 1975, under the guidance of founders Jim Nash and Dannie Flesher. They relocated their independent record store to Chicago soon after, in 1978.

Chicago had always been a hotbed for music. In the first quarter of the 20th century, Jelly Roll Morton and King Oliver popularized a unique kind of Chicago jazz. In the 1950s and 60s, Chicago was dominated by Record Row: a 12-block stretch of neighborhood that recorded soul music. One of the most prominent companies to do so, was Chess Records. They recorded renowned artists such as Muddy Waters, Bo Diddley and The Moonglows. By the 70s, funk, disco and rock (in particular psychedelic rock) dominated the BillBoard Hot 100 chart.

Steve Albini: music journalist turned producer/musician, multi-instrumentalist for bands like Big Black, Shellac, Rapeman and Flour

Amidst these mainstream styles, Wax Trax created a space for obscure, underground music that did not conform to the charts. They imported experimental European albums covering genres like new -wave, punk rock and industrial. Many bands like Joy Division, Throbbing Gristle and Cabaret Voltaire were first introduced to American consumers because of Wax Trax. Wax Trax became a center point of countercultural discussion and a safe space for nonconformist kids.

Ian Mackaye: vocalist for Minor Threat, Fugazi, The Evens and Wax Trax! band Pailhead (along with Al Jourgensen)

in 1980, Nash and Flesher decided to move beyond retail, and began recording artists. Their first few artists, Strike Under, Divine and Ministry set the tone for the future of the label. The success Ministry found overseas in the Euro-club scene, helped solid the label, and provided important resources for the dup to continue seeking out new nonconformist artists. The label dominated in the 80s and 90s and created a hybrid dance-punk style that was unlike anything being recorded at the time.

Jello Biafra: vocalist for The Dead Kennedys

The documentary covers the aforementioned history of the groundbreaking label in detail, and gives first hand accounts of the origin story, and the rise and fall of the label from artists like Front 242, My Life With the Kill Kult, FrontLine Assembly and many others. The film also details never revealed information about many of their infamous DIY side projects.