FAX +49-69/450464 (also known as simply Fax or Fax Label[1][2]) was a German record label founded in Frankfurt[3] in 1992 by ambient musician Peter Kuhlmann[4] (who recorded as Pete Namlook, a phonetic inversion of his surname). It was originally devoted to Namlook's collaborations with other German electronic artists, primarily in hard trance and hardcore[5] styles, but soon expanded with the debut of the ambient Silence and Air projects;[1][6] consequently, ambient and downtempo music became the predominant focus of the label.[6]
| FAX +49-69/450464 | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Founded | 1992 |
| Founder | Peter Kuhlmann |
| Defunct | 2012 |
| Status | Inactive |
| Genre | Ambient, Techno, Trance |
| Country of origin | Germany |
| Location | Traben-Trarbach |
Recordings
editMain label
editThe main label had three principal subdivisions, indicated by the first two letters of a given record's catalog number.[4]
• PK was typically for Namlook's solo releases.
• PW (Peter's World) was for collaborations with international artists – including Turkish folk musician Burhan Öçal as Sultan, English DJ Mixmaster Morris as Dreamfish and Japanese ambient artist Tetsu Inoue as Shades of Orion, 2350 Broadway and 62 Eulengasse.
• PS (Peter's Sub-label) released records by other artists[1][4]—without Namlook—of diverse nationalities and idioms, including US guitarist Robert Musso, bassist Bill Laswell, German techno producer David Moufang (aka Move D), and Canadian sound artist Chris Meloche.[4]
• PI (Peter's iTunes) released exclusives for iTunes, such as Music for Babies.
Sub-labels
editIn addition to these divisions, there were three sub-labels: Yesterday & Tomorrow (YT), Ambient World (AW) and Rather Interesting (RI).
• The Yesterday & Tomorrow sub-label issued a series of albums juxtaposing ambient and the "ambient side" of classical chamber music[7] (which was unofficially discontinued in 1995).
• Ambient World was dedicated to the re-issuing of otherwise out-of-print Fax discs, particularly those from the 1990s.[8]
• Rather Interesting was a label maintained by German IDM musician Uwe Schmidt, with the vast majority of its catalog being his solo material, issued under a multitude of aliases.[1][9]
Further details
editUntil the creation of the Ambient World sub-label and the subsequent release of its discography on the iTunes Store,[10] all FAX records were issued in extremely limited quantities, with typically 500–1000 pressings depending on the project.[1][4] This resulted in FAX originals fetching high prices on eBay and other online auction Web sites.[1]
Label founder Pete Namlook died of a heart attack on 8 November 2012,[11] although no official statement regarding the label's future was ever made.[12][13][14]
See also
editExternal links
editReferences
edit- ^ a b c d e f barcodexl. "Peter Namlook Interview". Barcodezine.com. Archived from the original on 11 June 2013. Retrieved 16 November 2012.
- ^ "FAX +49-69/450464". Music.hyperreal.org. 8 November 2012. Retrieved 16 November 2012.
- ^ "Pete Namlook Discography at Discogs". Discogs. Retrieved 16 November 2012.
- ^ a b c d e "Fax +49-69/450464 – CDs and Vinyl at Discogs". Discogs. Retrieved 16 November 2012.
- ^ "FAX +49-69/450464". Music.hyperreal.org. 8 November 2012. Retrieved 16 November 2012.
- ^ a b "Information about FAX +49-69/450464". Music.hyperreal.org. Retrieved 16 November 2012.
- ^ "Yesterday & Tomorrow – CDs and Vinyl at Discogs". Discogs. Retrieved 16 November 2012.
- ^ "Ambient World – CDs and Vinyl at Discogs". Discogs. 2 December 2005. Retrieved 16 November 2012.
- ^ "Rather Interesting—CDs and Vinyl at Discogs". Discogs. Retrieved 16 November 2012.
- ^ "FAX +49-69/450464". Namlook.de. 5 November 2012. Retrieved 16 November 2012.
- ^ "NMLK: A tribute to Pete Namlook and Fax Records: Pete Namlook – Official statement". 20 July 2013.
- ^ Si Truss (16 November 2012). "German synth pioneer Pete Namlook passes away". MusicRadar. Retrieved 11 December 2022.
- ^ "RIP Pete Namlook · News ⟋ RA". Resident Advisor. Retrieved 11 December 2022.
- ^ "R.I.P. Pete Namlook". Stereogum. 15 November 2012. Retrieved 11 December 2022.