Skin Graft Records (officially capitalized SKiN GRAFT Records) is an independent record label specializing in no wave and

noise rock Noise rock (sometimes called noise punk) is a noise-oriented style of experimental rock that spun off from punk rock in the 1980s. Drawing on movements such as minimalism, industrial music, and New York hardcore, artists indulge in extre ...

, originally based in

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

, Illinois. The label is largely responsible for spawning "now wave" genre, an updated version of the late 1970s/early 1980s no wave movement.

History

In 1986, SKiN GRAFT was begun by Mark Fischer and Rob Syers as a small-scale publisher of bizarre

comic book A comic book, also called comicbook, comic magazine or (in the United Kingdom and Ireland) simply comic, is a publication that consists of comics art in the form of sequential juxtaposed panels that represent individual scenes. Panels are of ...

s and fanzines. Some of its comics included ''The Kidz'' and ''Cynicalmanson''. The label's first record was released at the end of 1991. Founder Mark Fischer said of the label in 2000, "Skin Graft is a comic book company that puts out records. " The label's

mascot A mascot is any human, animal, or object thought to bring luck, or anything used to represent a group with a common public identity, such as a school, professional sports team, society, military unit, or brand name. Mascots are also used as fi ...

is Hot Satan, a simply drawn cartoon devil, usually shown issuing the " heavy metal horns" hand sign. Bands who have recorded for the label include

Dazzling Killmen Dazzling Killmen was an American math rock band from the St. Louis, Missouri area. Formed in 1990, the group issued four singles and two full-lengths before officially ending in 1995, with a majority of it released through the independent label ...

, Koenjihyakkei,

Brise-Glace Brise-Glace (French for " ice-breaker", as in the type of boat) was a 1990s instrumental avant-rock " supergroup" composed of Jim O'Rourke (guitar, organ, tape and "razor blade"), Darin Gray (bass guitar), Dylan Posa (guitar), and Thymme Jones (d ...

(featuring Jim O'Rourke,),

Cheer-Accident Cheer-Accident is an American progressive rock ensemble headed by Thymme Jones. Jones took the name of the band from a Hallmark Cards shopping display, and first formed the group in 1981 with singer Jim Drummond and drummer Mike Greenlees. Biog ...

, The Strangulated Beatoffs, Zeek Sheck, The Chinese Stars,

The Flying Luttenbachers The Flying Luttenbachers is an American instrumental unit led by multi-instrumentalist/ composer/ improviser/ producer Weasel Walter. The Flying Luttenbachers have created a body of work focused on musical extremity and dissonance. Over the cou ...

Lake Of Dracula A lake is an area filled with water, localized in a basin, surrounded by land, and distinct from any river or other outlet that serves to feed or drain the lake. Lakes lie on land and are not part of the ocean, although, like the much larger ...

Gorge Trio Gorge Trio is an American experimental rock band based in Oakland, California. It is composed of three-fourths of the critically acclaimed math rock band Colossamite, which disbanded in 1998, and is survived by three releases on Skin Graft Records. ...

, Colossamite,

Shorty Shorty is a nickname, usually for a short person. See Shorty (nickname). Shorty may also refer to: Music Artists * Ras Shorty I, Trinidadian artist and founder of Soca music, soca music. * Shorty (band), an American rock band formed in 1991 * Sh ...

, U.S. Maple, ZZZZZ, Made In Mexico,

Melt-Banana Melt-Banana is a Japanese noise rock band that is known for playing extremely fast noise rock mixed with experimental, electronica and pop-based song structures. Since forming in 1992 the band has released ten albums and toured worldwide extensi ...

, Quintron, Flossie And The Unicorns, Yona-Kit, You Fantastic!,

Ruins Ruins () are the remains of a civilization's architecture. The term refers to formerly intact structures that have fallen into a state of partial or total disrepair over time due to a variety of factors, such as lack of maintenance, deliberate ...

Space Streakings ''Space Streakings'' was a noise rock band from Japan formed in 1993 by four video game programmers. That year the band issued its debut album, '' Hatsukoi'', through NUX Organization. The Space Streakings then signed with Skin Graft Records, wh ...

Zeni Geva Zeni may refer to: * Zeni (letter), a letter of the Georgian alphabet * Zeni, Iran, a village in South Khorasan Province, Iran * Zeni Husmani (born 1990), Macedonian footballer * Zeni (surname), surname See also * Zenigata Heiji , usual ...

AIDS Wolf __NOTOC__ AIDS Wolf was a Canadian noise rock band, founded in Montreal in 2003, by the graphic arts team of Chloe Lum (aka Special Deluxe) and Yannick Desranleau (aka Hiroshima Thunder), otherwise known as Seripop. They were joined by Myles Brosco ...

, Mount Shasta,

Arab On Radar Arab on Radar was a Providence, Rhode Island-based noise rock band founded in 1994. They went on hiatus in 2002. Members of the band went on to form or join the bands including The Chinese Stars, Athletic Automaton, Made in Mexico, and Doomsda ...

Yowie Yowie is one of several names for an Australian folklore entity that is reputed to live in the Outback. The creature has its roots in Aboriginal oral history. In parts of Queensland, they are known as ''quinkin'' (or as a type of quinkin), an ...

, Athletic Automaton, and PRE. In keeping with the label's origins, many SKiN GRAFT musical releases (particularly 7" records and LPs) have included mini comic books as inserts. The label has also used non-traditional packaging with some of their releases. The early vinyl copies of U.S. Maple's first album were packaged in metal sheets, and Colossamite's 1998 untitled EP came packaged with 5-inch frisbees of varying colors. From 1994 to 1998, and in 2002, SKiN GRAFT curated the OOPS(!) Fests, featuring many of its bands, along with sideshows and various styles of impromptu performance art.Skin Graft Records' OOPS Fests
/ref> In the late 1990s, the label purported (as a thinly veiled hoax) that a European record label named SiN RAFT was illegally issuing

bootleg Bootleg or bootlegging most often refers to: * Bootleg recording, an audio or video recording released unofficially * Rum-running, the illegal business of transporting and trading in alcoholic beverages, hence: ** Moonshine, or illicitly made ...

copies of SKiN GRAFT releases.

Roster

* Athletic Automaton * AIDS Wolf versus Athletic Automaton * Big'n *

* Cellular Chaos *

* Child Abuse * The Chinese Stars * Chrome Jackson * Colossamite *

The Denison/Kimball Trio ''The Denison/Kimball Trio'' (sometimes known as DK3) were a musical duo consisting of American guitarist Duane Denison and American drummer Jim Kimball. Their music was completely instrumental and heavily influenced by jazz, the avant-garde and ...

* Doomsday Student * Flossie and the Unicorns *

* Fruitcake * Gay Beast *

* Holy Smokes * Koenjihyakkei * Korekyojinn * Lake Of Dracula * Lovely Little Girls * Made In Mexico * Mama Tick *

* Mount Shasta * My Name Is Rar-Rar * PRE * Point Line Plane * Quintron * Q Electronics *

* Ruins Alone * Sax Ruins * Satanized * Shakuhachi Surprise *

* Skryptor *

* Strangulated Beatoffs * UFO Or Die * U.S. Maple * Yona-Kit * You Fantastic! * Xaddax *

* Zeek Sheck *

References

External links

Official website
{{Authority control Record labels established in 1991 American independent record labels Alternative rock record labels Noise music record labels 1991 establishments in Illinois