Avex Trax

Avex Trax
Parent company	Avex Inc.
Founded	September 1990 (September 1990)
Founder	Max Matsuura
Distributor(s)	Avex Entertainment (since 1997) Former distributors SOHBI Corporation (1990–1992) Nippon Crown Co. Ltd. (1992–1997)
Genre	Various (mostly J-pop and Dance)
Country of origin	Japan
Location	Minato, Tokyo
Official website	www.avexnet.jp

Avex Trax (Japanese: エイベックス トラックス, Hepburn: Eibekkusu Torakkusu) is a record label owned by Japanese entertainment conglomerate Avex Inc. The label was launched in September 1990, 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 either ended contracts with their former labels (e.g. Namie Amuro, Ami Suzuki). It also appealed to artists not content with their current labels (e.g. Gackt).

Formerly distributed by the Nippon Crown label excluding several early releases from 1990 to 1992 which were distributed by SOHBI Corporation, in 1997 it became a self-distributed label together with Cutting Edge, which was formerly distributed by Toshiba-EMI.

Sub-labels

Current

• B-ME - joint venture with BMSG
• 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
• 影別苦須 虎津苦須 - Kishidan's vanity label

Defunct

• J-Friends Project (1997-2003) - joint venture with Johnny & Associates

Artists

See also: Category:Avex Trax artists and List of artists under the Avex Group

Groups

• Aina the End
• Bridear
• BsGirls
• Chō Tokimeki Sendenbu
• DA-ICE
• Do As Infinity
• et-and
• Every Little Thing
• Exo
• Gems Company
• Kamen Rider Girls
• Ketsumeishi
• kolme
• lol
• Mameshiba no Taigun
• MaRiNaSu
• Michael Fortunati
• mzsrz
• NCT
• Nissy
• ＠onefive
• One Love One Heart
• Seiko Oomori
• Ai Otsuka
• Piko Taro
• Red Velvet
• SKE48
• Super Junior
• TRF
• Tohoshinki
• Tokyo Girls' Style

Soloists

• Aina the End
• Shinjiro Atae
• Beverly
• BoA
• Che'Nelle
• Ayumi Hamasaki
• Satoshi Hayashibe
• Hirai Dai
• Chiaki Ito
• Hitomi Kaji
• Keiko
• Kohana Lam
• m.c.A.T
• Michael Fortunati
• Miyuu
• Nissy
• Seiko Oomori
• Ai Otsuka
• Piko Taro
• Tsubasa Sakiyama
• Shuta Sueyoshi
• Emiko Suzuki
• Akira Takano
• Misako Uno
• Naoya Urata
• Vicke Blanka
• Takuro Yoshida
• yukaDD

Labels

B-ME

• Be First
• Novel Core
• Sky-Hi (Since 2013-2020 at the main label and 2020-present; co-founder)

Bluestar Records

• MASH

Love Life Records

• Hitomi (Since 1994-2005 at the main label and 2005-present)

motorod

• Nanase Aikawa

影別苦須 虎津苦須

• Kishidan

Former artists

Groups

• AAA (2005-2021; currently on indefinite hiatus. All members except Yukari Goto are still under the label as soloists.)

Soloists

• Sae Ōtsuka (2020-2023; now under Great Romance Records)
• Hitomi Shimatani (1999-2021; now under AI.R LAND RECORD/Daiki Sound)

J-Friends Project

• J-Friends

motorod

• Dead End
• Janne Da Arc
• Oblivion Dust

External links

• Official website (in Japanese)
• Parent Company website (in Japanese)
• Avex Trax discography at Discogs
• Avex Trax at Anime News Network's encyclopedia