Reflex Records was an American independent record label formed by the members of

hardcore punk Hardcore punk (also known as simply hardcore) is a punk rock music genre and subculture that originated in the late 1970s. It is generally faster, harder, and more aggressive than other forms of punk rock. Its roots can be traced to earlier p ...

band

Hüsker Dü Hüsker Dü () was an American punk rock band formed in Saint Paul, Minnesota, in 1979. The band's continual members were guitarist/vocalist Bob Mould, bassist/vocalist Greg Norton, and drummer/vocalist Grant Hart. They first gained notabili ...

and Terry Katzman. It was formed to help promote independent bands, after

Twin/Tone Records Twin/Tone Records was an independent record label based in Minneapolis, Minnesota, which operated from 1977 until 1994. It was the original home of influential Minnesota bands the Replacements and Soul Asylum and was instrumental in helping the T ...

rejected Hüsker Dü's first single in 1979. (Bassist

Greg Norton Gregory James Norton (born March 13, 1959) is an American musician, formerly of the band Hüsker Dü. Early life Norton was born in Davenport, Iowa, as this was the most local Catholic hospital to his family’s home in Rock Island, Illinois. He ...

told ''

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first known for its ...

'' in 2017 that the label was named after their experience with Twin/Tone: “We named our label Reflex Records because that was our reflex to being rejected.”) The label was funded by a loan from Hüsker drummer

Grant Hart Grantzberg Vernon Hart (March 18, 1961 – September 13, 2017) was an American musician, best known as the drummer and co-songwriter for the punk rock band Hüsker Dü. After the band's breakup in 1988, he released his first solo album '' ...

's mother's credit union. Under Katzman's guidance, the label would also release several compilations of regional underground and alternative bands, as well as albums by local post-punk bands Rifle Sport,

Man Sized Action Man Sized Action was a post-punk group from Minneapolis. John Leland of ''Trouser Press'' described the band as an "unpretentious lot" in the vein of Hüsker Dü who "opened up punk structures with distorted, ringing guitar, some off-kilter rhyt ...

, Otto's Chemical Lounge, and Articles of Faith, as well as the Minutemen's 1985 EP ''

Tour-Spiel ''Tour-Spiel'' is an EP by Minutemen, released in 1985. It contains four songs, all covers. A studio version of track 1 appears on ''Double Nickels on the Dime''. Studio versions of "Lost" and "The Red and The Black", with different musical arra ...

''. Both Katzman and the Hüsker Dü members became too busy with other projects, and the label quietly folded in 1985. In 2008, Hart revived the Reflex name to issue a three-song live CD by Hüsker Dü recorded in 1982-83 featuring their friend John Clegg on saxophone, ''Live Featuring J.C.''

Reflex Records discography

, "

Statues A statue is a free-standing sculpture in which the realistic, full-length figures of persons or animals are carved or cast in a durable material such as wood, metal or stone. Typical statues are life-sized or close to life-size; a sculpture t ...

" b/w "Amusement" 7" single (1981)

''Barefoot and Pregnant'' cassette compilation (1982)

''Kitten'' cassette compilation (1982)

, ''

Everything Falls Apart ''Everything Falls Apart'' is the debut studio album by Hüsker Dü released in January 1983 by Reflex Records. Critical reception In a 1983 ''Trouser Press'' review, Jon Young said, "Yeah! Hyperspeed agression!...Buzzsaw guitars! Shouting! A ...

'' 12" LP (1983)

Rifle Sport, ''Voice of Reason'' 12" LP (1983)

, ''Claustrophobia'' 12" LP (1983)

Final Conflict, ''Final Conflict'' 7" four-song EP (1983)

Ground Zero, ''Ground Zero'' 12" LP (1983)

Articles of Faith, ''Give Thanks'' 12" LP (1983)

, ''Five-Story Garage'' 12" LP (1984)

Ground Zero, ''Pink'' 12" LP (1985)

Minutemen, ''

'' 7" four-song EP (1985)

Hüsker Dü, ''Live Featuring J.C.'' (2008)

References

Record labels established in 1979 Record labels disestablished in 1985 American independent record labels Independent record labels based in Minnesota Alternative rock record labels Defunct companies based in Minneapolis Indie rock record labels {{US-independent-record-label-stub