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 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 Sohbi Corporation 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 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
Frame - 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
Labels
B-ME
Be First
Novel Core
Sky-Hi
Bluestar Records
MASH
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