Fringe Product (or Fringe Records) is a defunct Canadian

independent record label An independent record label (or indie label) is a record label that operates without the funding or distribution of major record labels; they are a type of small- to medium-sized enterprise, or SME. The labels and artists are often represented ...

which was owned by Ben Hoffman. Genres on the label included punk, rock,

metal A metal (from ancient Greek, Greek μέταλλον ''métallon'', "mine, quarry, metal") is a material that, when freshly prepared, polished, or fractured, shows a lustrous appearance, and conducts electrical resistivity and conductivity, e ...

, hardcore,

death metal Death metal is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal music. It typically employs heavily distorted and low-tuned guitars, played with techniques such as palm muting and tremolo picking; deep growling vocals; aggressive, powerful drumming, fe ...

, industrial and

electronic music Electronic music is a genre of music that employs electronic musical instruments, digital instruments, or circuitry-based music technology in its creation. It includes both music made using electronic and electromechanical means ( electro ...

. Hoffman was also proprietor of Record Peddler Distribution (specializing in UK and US imports) and The Record Peddler from the late 1970s to the year 2000. Acts on the Fringe Product label included HYPE, Dirty Rotten Imbeciles,

Dayglo Abortions The Dayglo Abortions (sometimes abbreviated to DGA) are a Canadian hardcore punk and metal band from Victoria, British Columbia. Their lyrics reflect a genre-typical disregard for societal norms. The band was formed in 1979 and released their first ...

, Guilt Parade, Teenage Head,

A Neon Rome A Neon Rome was a Canadian alternative rock band, active from 1984 to 1987. Commonly described as a cross between The Sex Pistols, The Doors and The Velvet Underground,Michael Barclay, Ian A.D. Jack and Jason Schneider, '' Have Not Been the Same ...

, Breeding Ground,

Sacrifice Sacrifice is the offering of material possessions or the lives of animals or humans to a deity as an act of propitiation or worship. Evidence of ritual animal sacrifice has been seen at least since ancient Hebrews and Greeks, and possibly exis ...

, Slaughter, Corpus Vile, Razor, Vital Sines, UIC, TBA, Sudden Impact, YouthYouthYouth,

The Demics The Demics were a Canadian punk rock band that formed in 1977 in London, Ontario. Biography Originally formed in London, Ontario in 1977, the band consisted of vocalist Keith Whittaker, guitarist Rob Brent, bassist Iain Atkinson-Staines and dru ...

, Change of Heart, Bunchofuckingoofs and Random Killing. Fringe Product is also noteworthy for licensing bands such as

Bad Brains Bad Brains are an American rock band formed in Washington, D.C. in 1976. Originally a jazz fusion band under the name Mind Power, they are widely regarded as pioneers of hardcore punk, though the band's members have objected to the use of this t ...

Dead Kennedys Dead Kennedys are an American punk rock band that formed in San Francisco, California, in 1978. The band was one of the defining punk bands during its initial eight-year run. Dead Kennedys' lyrics were usually political in nature, satirizing ...

Butthole Surfers Butthole Surfers are an American rock band formed in San Antonio, Texas, by singer Gibby Haynes and guitarist Paul Leary in 1981. The band has had numerous personnel changes, but its core lineup of Haynes, Leary, and drummer King Coffey has ...

, Killdozer, Rapeman, Jello Biafra, Die Kreuzen, Corrosion of Conformity, Gang Green, Swans, and Black Flag for distribution in Canada via Record Peddler Distribution. Fringe usually released albums and mini-lps in two formats at once. First on vinyl and cassette, then on CD and cassette. The first CDs came out in the winter of 1987-1988, but they were re-releases of big sellers like '' Forward to Termination''. The last vinyl was the Disciples of Power Powertrap LP, which was released at the beginning of April 1990.

Obscenity charges

In 1988, obscenity charges were laid against Fringe Product and Record Peddler, on the basis of their distribution of two albums by

. It was the first time that the Canadian obscenity laws, established in 1959, were used against a record label. A jury cleared the companies of the charges in a trial in November 1990.

References

Record labels established in 1900 Record labels disestablished in 2000 Canadian independent record labels Punk record labels Industrial record labels Heavy metal record labels 1988 in Canadian music 1990 in Canadian music Defunct record labels of Canada {{Authority control

Obscenity charges

See also

References