is a record label owned by Japanese entertainment conglomerate Avex Inc. The label was launched in September 1988, and was the first label by the Group.
History
Two years after Max Matsuura began a career distributing studio albums from other countries, he and his two Avex co-founders, Tom Yoda and Ken Suzuki, decided to found their own label. Aiming to compete with more established labels such as Nippon Columbia, Nippon Crown, BMG Victor, Victor Musical Industries, Toshiba-EMI, CBS/Sony, Teichiku Records, King Records, Nippon Phonogram and PolyGram K.K., they created the Avex Trax label.
The first artist to sign to the label was the band TRF, which became a success. This led to Avex Trax becoming a "house of refuge" for artists who had left their former labels (e.g. Bananarama from Polydor K.K., Ayumi Hamasaki from Nippon Columbia, Namie Amuro from Toshiba-EMI, Ami Suzuki from Sony Music Japan). It also appealed to artists not content with their current labels (e.g. Gackt from Nippon Crown).
Formerly distributed by until 1992 and then by the Nippon Crown label from 1992 on, in 1997 Avex became a self-distributed label together with Cutting Edge, which was formerly distributed by Toshiba-EMI.
Sub-labels Current B-ME – joint venture with Bluestar Records (Since 2019) – formerly a sub-label of Cutting Edge Love Life Records – Hitomi's private label motorod (Since 2002) – formerly a sub-label of Cutting Edge - joint venture with Level-5 影別苦須 虎津苦須 – Kishidan's vanity label
Defunct J-Friends Project (1997–2003) – joint venture with Johnny & Associates
Notable artists
Groups @onefive Boku ga Mitakatta Aozora Bridear Chō Tokimeki Sendenbu DA-ICE Do As Infinity Every Little Thing Exo GENIC Kamen Rider Girls Ketsumeishi kolme lol Mameshiba no Taigun NCT Red Velvet SKE48 Super Junior TRF Tohoshinki Tokyo Girls' Style
Soloists Aina the End Shinjiro Atae Beverly BoA Che'Nelle Ayumi Hamasaki Chiaki Ito Hitomi Kaji Keiko m.c.A.T Michael Fortunati Michi/michimemoir Nissy Seiko Oomori Ai Otsuka Pikotaro Shuta Sueyoshi Misako Uno Naoya Urata Takuro Yoshida
Labels B-ME Be First Novel Core Sky-Hi
Bluestar Records
Love Life Records Hitomi
motorod Nanase Aikawa
影別苦須 虎津苦須 Kishidan
Former artists Groups AAA After School SweetS
Soloists Sae Ōtsuka Hitomi Shimatani Namie Amuro
Duos Soul Control
J-Friends Project J-Friends
motorod Dead End Janne Da Arc Oblivion Dust
Notes
References
External links
Parent Company website