Avex Trax logo

Avex Trax or Avex Entertainment Corporation is a music record label originally from Japan. The label is also known sometimes as Avex Entertainment Inc.. The origin of the word Avex comes from the English words Audio Visual Expert. Avex is one of the largest independent record labels in the world, since they are not associated with any of the "Big Four".^{[citation needed]} Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... The concept of an independent record label is a record label operating without the funding of one of the major record labels, which are generally defined to be the handful of media corporations which have recently dominated the recorded music industry in the West. ... The world music market, or global music market consists of record companies, labels and publishers that distribute recorded music products internationally and that often control the rights to those products. ...

Avex was Japan's leading dance record company during the nineties, and continues producing and recording some of Japan's most famous J-pop singers. Avex Trax also provides theme music soundtracks to many anime and a few video games. J-pop (or Jpop) is an abbreviation of Japanese pop. ...

History

The company was established in 1988 as "AVEX D.D., INC", a CD wholesaler. They opened a recording studio and created Avex Trax as a music label in 1990. In the same year, they created "MUSIQUE FOLIO INC.", a music publishing company, which later became "PRIME DIRECTION INC." In 1993, they created a U.S. branch, called "AV EXPERIENCE AMERICA INC." The year also marked the first of Avex's yearly events. It was held in Tokyo Dome under the name "avex rave '93" and attracted 50,000 attendees. In 1994, they formed two UK subsidiaries, "RHYTHM REPUBLIC LIMITED" and "AVEX U.K. LIMITED". Later that year, they opened a disco, claimed on their website to be "the world's largest scale disco" [1].

In 1997, they opened a series of concert halls called "Zepp" along with Sony Music Entertainment Japan. In early 1999, they signed an agreement with Walt Disney Records and Hollywood Records to handle both companies' Japanese CD releases. Later that year "Avex Mode", an animation company, was established. Avex Mode has since released the movie Initial D: Third Stage Sony Music Entertainment (Japan) Inc. ... Walt Disney Records is a record company and part of The Walt Disney Company. ... Hollywood Records is a record label owned by Disney. ...

In 2001, Avex opened "avex artists academy", a music school. In 2002, they released the "CCCD", a type of copy-protected CD. In 2003, they opened a classical music business. In 2004, they began selling Japanese music CDs in Korea. Copy control logo Copy Control is the generic name of a copy protection system, used from 2001 until 2006 on several digital audio disc releases by EMI and Sony BMG Music Entertainment in several regions (Europe, Canada, the United States, Australia). ...

In 2004, Avex President Max Matsuura "spotted" former-idol Suzuki Ami performing live at the annual festival of their school, Nihon University. He subsequently signed her to the Avex label.^[1] President of Avex Trax and producer for Ayumi Hamasaki. ... One of the latest pictures of Ami Suzuki. ... Nihon University (日本大学; Nihon Daigaku abbreviated as 日大 Nichidai) is the largest university in Japan. ...

In 2005, Avex acquired distribution rights for Aozora Records' catalogue including all future Hitomi Yaida releases.^[2] Aozora Records ) is a Japanese Record company owned by Clear Sky Corporation. ... Hitomi Yaida (矢井田瞳 Yaida Hitomi born July 28, 1978 in Toyonaka, Osaka, Japan[1]) is a Japanese folk rock singer/songwriter and guitarist. ...

A-Nation

Each year since 2002, Avex has hosted a summer concert tour around Japan, "a-nation", featuring the company's most successful acts. Top Avex acts like TRF, Ai Otsuka, hitomi, BoA, Koda Kumi, Every Little Thing, Tohoshinki, Tackey & Tsubasa and Ayumi Hamasaki have performed to major crowds each year. TRF in 2006 from left to right: Chiharu, Sam, Yu-Ki, Etsu and DJ Koo TRF (Tetsuya Komuro Rave Factory) is a Japanese popular music group. ... Ai Otsuka , born September 9, 1982) is a Japanese pop female singer-songwriter and pianist from Osaka, Osaka Prefecture, Japan. ... This article discusses the Japanese singer hitomi. ... This article is about the Korean pop singer. ... On the cover of the October 2005 issue of Popteen Kumi Koda (倖田 來未 Kōda Kumi, born November 13, 1982), is a Japanese solo rhythm and blues singer. ... Every Little Thing ), is a J-pop and soft rock duo from Japan who debuted in August 1996 with the release of their first single called Feel My Heart. Their name is usually written in English, and only rarely in katakana or rōmaji. ... TVXQ (Tong Vfang Xien Qi) is a Korean boy band. ... Hideaki Takizawa, 23, and Tsubasa Imai, 23, form the very popular Johnny & Associates group Tackey & Tsubasa (タッキー&翼). Tsubasa is most know for his amazing dancing ability and Takizawa, Tackey for short, for his bishounen good looks. ... Ayumi Hamasaki , born October 2, 1978) is an award-winning J-Pop singer. ...

Artists

See Avex Trax artists. This is a list of Avex trax artists. ...

Sub-labels

• Avex Entertainment (BeForU, Riyu Kosaka's label)
• Avex Mode
• Avex Trance
• Avex Tune (DA PUMP, move's label)
• Avex Globe (globe's label)
• Cutting Edge (Fantastic Plastic Machine, and Olivia Lufkin's label)
• RHYTHM REPUBLIC (elly Eriko Imai)
• Rhythm Zone (TVXQ, m-flo, Exile, Kumi Koda's label)
• Espionage Records (Heartsdales's label)
• Disc Du Soleil
• Mad Pray Records (Tsuchiya Anna's label)
• Motorod Records (Aikawa Nanase's label)
• Love Life Records (hitomi's label)
• Sonic Groove (hiro Hiroko Shimabukuro, Uehara Takako, HITOE Arakaki)
• Tearbridge Records
• True Song Music (Dai Nagao's label)
• J-more

DA PUMP ) is a popular Japanese singing and dancing hip hop group consisting of four members from Okinawa, Japan. ... From left to right: motsu, yuri, and t-kimura m. ... globe is a dance-oriented Japanese pop band, formed in 1995 by legendary producer and songwriter Tetsuya Komuro. ... Tomoyuki Tanaka ) is a J-pop artist/DJ, better known by his stage name of Fantastic Plastic Machine. ... Olivia Lufkin, often known simply as OLIVIA, born December 9, 1979, in Okinawa, a bilingual Japanese singer (her first language is english). ... Eriko Imai (Imai Eriko, 今井絵理子; born September 22, 1983 in Okinawa, Japan) was the second youngest member in SPEED. She was one of the main vocals in the group. ... Rhythm Zone is a label in the avex records group which releases all kinds of contemporary Japanese music. ... TVXQ is the acronym for Tong Vfang Xien Qi, the 5-member Korean boy band formed by SM Entertainment. ... m-flo is a Japanese hip hop group currently consisting of producer and DJ Taku Takahashi and emcee VERBAL. As to the origins of the groups name, VERBAL explains: It was originally meteorite flow, but for the Japanese thats pretty long, so (Avex) asked us to shorten it... Exile ) is a 7-member Japanese pop music band. ... Kumi Koda ) (born Kumiko Kōda ) on November 13, 1982) is a Japanese pop singer from Kyoto who debuted in Japan in 2000 with Take Back. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Tsuchiya Anna is a Japanese singer, songwriter, model, and actress born on March 11, 1984. ... Nanase Aikawa (相川七瀬, Aikawa Nanase February 16, 1975- ) is a Japanese rock musician. ... This article discusses the Japanese singer hitomi. ... In Polynesian mythology, Hiro was a hero who explored the western Pacific Ocean and returned with the ability to wank, which he introduced to the people of Rapa Nui (Easter Island). ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Uehara Takako was a member of the JPop group, SPEED, which disbanded in 2000. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ...

See also

• List of record labels

This is a list of record labels. ...

References

External links

• Avex Group Holdings (in English)
• Avex Group Holdings (in Japanese)
• Avex Group Holdings (in Simplified Chinese)
• Avex Network (in Japanese)
• Avex Asia (in Traditional Chinese)
• Avex Taiwan (in Traditional Chinese)
• Avex China (in Simplified Chinese)