Lex Records is a British independent record label based in Camden,

London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

, England.

Style

Lex has a varied musical output. Most releases are alternative hip hop,

alternative rock Alternative rock, or alt-rock, is a category of rock music that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1970s and became widely popular in the 1990s. "Alternative" refers to the genre's distinction from mainstream or commerci ...

electronic Electronic may refer to: *Electronics, the science of how to control electric energy in semiconductor * ''Electronics'' (magazine), a defunct American trade journal *Electronic storage, the storage of data using an electronic device *Electronic co ...

. The label works with a small group of artists.Nicola Slade, "Life Blood: Lex Records," (Record Of The Day, 11 June 2009) Due to the small roster, Lex has a low volume of releases, rarely releasing more than three albums annually.

Dazed ''Dazed'' (''Dazed & Confused'' until February 2014) is a bi-monthly British style magazine founded in 1991. It covers music, fashion, film, art, and literature. Dazed is published by Dazed Media, an independent media group known for producing ...

described Lex as a label "...whose wildly creative output spans over a decade of landmark releases that have changed the music industry no end." Many Lex albums are collaborations between members of the label roster. The collaborative groups include Danger Mouse with

MF Doom Daniel Dumile ( ; July 13, 1971October 31, 2020), best known by his stage name MF Doom or simply Doom (both stylized in all caps), was a British-American rapper and record producer. Noted for his intricate wordplay, signature metal mask, and ...

Danger Doom DANGERDOOM was a hip hop project consisting of Danger Mouse and MF DOOM. Their first album, '' The Mouse and the Mask'', was released in 2005, and followed by the ''Occult Hymn'' EP in 2006. Background Danger Mouse and MF DOOM had previously co ...

Boom Bip Bryan Charles Hollon (born June 22, 1974), better known by his stage name Boom Bip, is an American record producer and musician. He is one half of Neon Neon along with Gruff Rhys. He is based in Los Angeles, California. Biography Boom Bip star ...

with

Gruff Rhys Gruffudd Maredudd Bowen Rhys (; born 18 July 1970) is a Welsh musician, composer, producer, filmmaker and author. He performs solo and with several bands, including Super Furry Animals, which obtained mainstream success in the 1990s. He formed ...

Neon Neon Neon Neon is a collaborative project from producer Boom Bip and Gruff Rhys, the frontman for the Welsh rock band Super Furry Animals. They began work on the project in October 2006 originally under the moniker Delorean. In March 2008 the duo, by ...

, Jneiro Jarel with MF Doom as

JJ Doom JJ DOOM was an American alternative hip-hop duo composed of Jneiro Jarel and MF DOOM. History On 15 February 2012 the website ''Pitchfork'' ran an article stating that JJ DOOM's debut album would be called ''Key to the Kuffs'' and released via ...

, Fly Anakin with Pink Siifu and

Eyedress Idris Vicuña (born May 28, 1990), known professionally as Eyedress, is a Filipino singer-songwriter, rapper, and record producer. Early life Eyedress was raised in an area in the Philippines which he described as "ghetto", and began playing ...

with Zzzahara as The Simps. Lex packaging is often striking with elaborate print. Much of the Lex sleeve artwork up to 2011 was created by Ehquestionmark. Other sleeve artwork has been created by Braindead, ESPO, David Lynch, Kid Acne, James Jarvis, Yu Sato, Eric Hu and Commission Studio.

History

2001–2011

Lex Records was founded by Tom Brown in 2001. It was originally an imprint of

Warp Records Warp Records (or simply Warp) is a British independent record label founded in Sheffield in 1989 by record store employees Steve Beckett and Rob Mitchell and record producer Robert Gordon.Southern, Richard (2003) "Label of Love: WARP", X-RAY, ...

and run from its North London offices. The label was initially intended only to release 12-inch singles. However, as Lex approached artists to contribute music, most artists offered a full album. By the end of 2003, Lex had released several albums including debuts by

, Non-Prophets and Danger Mouse. The early success of these albums allowed Lex to expand. Young, Rob, ''Labels Unlimited: Warp'', ( Black Dog Publishing, 2005) (), pp. 134–135 In 2004, Lex managed ''

The Grey Album ''The Grey Album'' is a mashup album by Danger Mouse, released in 2004. It mixes an a cappella version of rapper Jay-Z's '' The Black Album'' with samples from the Beatles' self-titled ninth album, commonly known as "The White Album". ''The G ...

'' campaign, co-ordinating the promo on what would become the music story of the year and propel Danger Mouse into the spotlight of mainstream media, establishing him as a critically successful artist. Tom Brown got a copy of ''The Grey Album'' to Damon Albarn. Damon's enthusiasm for ''The Grey Album'' led directly to Danger Mouse being brought on board to produce Gorillaz's second album ''

Demon Days ''Demon Days'' is the second studio album by British virtual band Gorillaz. It was first released on 11 May 2005 in Japan and on 23 May 2005 in the United Kingdom by Parlophone and in the United States by Virgin Records. Produced by the band, ...

''. ''Demon Days'' was released in May 2005 and went on to sell millions of copies worldwide and established Danger Mouse as a commercially successful producer by the summer of 2005. In September 2005, Tom Brown bought Warp's share of the label and set up in new offices. Lex kept its existing roster including Boom Bip, Danger Mouse and

Doseone Adam Drucker (born April 21, 1977), better known by his stage name Doseone, is an American rapper, producer, poet and artist. He is a co-founder of the indie hip hop record label Anticon. He has also been a member of numerous groups including ...

. The first release after the separation was

's first album ''

The Mouse and the Mask ''The Mouse and the Mask'' is an album by Danger Doom, a collaboration between the hip hop artists Danger Mouse and MF Doom. It was released on October 11, 2005, by the independent punk label Epitaph Records in the United States. It was also r ...

''. It was Lex's biggest selling release to date.

Gnarls Barkley Gnarls Barkley are an American soul duo, composed of singer-songwriter CeeLo Green and producer Danger Mouse. They released their debut studio album, ''St. Elsewhere'', in 2006. It contained their hit single "Crazy", which peaked at number two ...

's multi platinum first album '' St. Elsewhere'' followed in 2006, released on

Warner Music Group Warner Music Group Corp. ( d.b.a. Warner Music Group, commonly abbreviated as WMG) is an American multinational entertainment and record label conglomerate headquartered in New York City. It is one of the " big three" recording companies and t ...

with Lex branding. The growth of the label allowed Lex to sign new artists to the roster. In 2005, Lex signed Doomstarks for the world excluding North America. In 2006, Lex signed multi album deals with MF Doom and Jneiro Jarel. In March 2008, Gnarls Barkley's second album '' The Odd Couple'' was released on Warner Music Group with Lex branding. In the same month,

's first album '' Stainless Style'' was released, going on to be nominated for the

Mercury Prize The Mercury Prize, formerly called the Mercury Music Prize, is an annual music prize awarded for the best album released in the United Kingdom by a British or Irish act. It was created by Jon Webster and Robert Chandler in association with the B ...

in 2008. In 2009, Lex released MF Doom's ''

Born Like This ''Born Like This'' (stylized in all caps) is the sixth and final solo studio album by British-American rapper/producer MF DOOM. It was released under the pseudonym "DOOM" on March 24, 2009 through Lex Records. It debuted at number 52 on the ''Bi ...

'', his last solo album and the only Willie Isz album, '' Georgiavania''. In July 2010, Lex released a two-hour audiobook and score of

Alan Moore Alan Moore (born 18 November 1953) is an English author known primarily for his work in comic books including '' Watchmen'', ''V for Vendetta'', '' The Ballad of Halo Jones'', ''Swamp Thing'', ''Batman:'' ''The Killing Joke'', and '' From He ...

& Mitch Jenkins' ''

Unearthing ''Unearthing'' is an essay written by Alan Moore and originally published in Iain Sinclair's ''London: City of Disappearances'' in 2006. It has subsequently been developed into a photographic book in collaboration with Mitch Jenkins and a spoke ...

''. It was narrated in its entirety by Alan Moore and scored live by

Crook Crook is another name for criminal. Crook or Crooks may also refer to: Places * Crook, County Durham, England, a town * Crook, Cumbria, England, village and civil parish * Crook Hill, Derbyshire, England * Crook, Colorado, United States, a ...

Flail A flail is an agriculture, agricultural tool used for threshing, the process of separating cereal, grains from their husks. It is usually made from two or more large sticks attached by a short chain; one stick is held and swung, causing the othe ...

. They performed it live at the Old Vic Tunnels. In the same month, Danger Mouse, Sparklehorse & David Lynch's ''

Dark Night of the Soul ''Dark Night of the Soul'' ( es, La noche oscura del alma) is a poem written by the 16th-century Spanish mystic and poet St. John of the Cross. The author himself did not give any title to his poem, on which he wrote two book-length commentari ...

'' was released through

Parlophone Parlophone Records Limited (also known as Parlophone Records and Parlophone) is a German–British record label founded in Germany in 1896 by the Carl Lindström Company as Parlophon. The British branch of the label was founded on 8 August 192 ...

with Lex branding. In May 2011, Danger Mouse & Daniele Luppi's album ''

Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus (legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg , map_caption ...

'' featuring

Jack White John Anthony White (; born July 9, 1975), commonly known as Jack White, is an American musician, best known as the lead singer and guitarist of the duo the White Stripes. White has enjoyed consistent critical and popular success and is widely c ...

and

Norah Jones Norah Jones (born Geethali Norah Jones Shankar; March 30, 1979) is an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. She has won several awards for her music and as of 2012, has sold more than 50 million records worldwide. ''Billboard'' named her the ...

was released on Parlophone with Lex branding. On 5 November 2011, Lex marked its tenth anniversary with a show at

The Roundhouse The Roundhouse is a performing arts and concert venue situated at the Grade II* listed former railway engine shed in Chalk Farm, London, England. The building was erected in 1846–1847 by the London & North Western Railway as a roundhous ...

in Camden featuring performances by

Ghostface Killah Dennis Coles (born May 9, 1970), better known by his stage name Ghostface Killah, is an American rapper and a member of the hip hop group Wu-Tang Clan. After the group achieved breakthrough success in the aftermath of ''Enter the Wu-Tang (36 C ...

, MF Doom and Jneiro Jarel. Lex also released '' Complex Volume 1'', a compilation album to mark the occasion.

2012–2021

In August 2012 Lex released

's ''

Key to the Kuffs ''Key to the Kuffs'' is a collaborative album by alternative hip hop artists Jneiro Jarel and MF DOOM under the moniker JJ Doom. It was released on Lex Records on August 20, 2012. Recording Jneiro Jarel produced the music in his studio in New ...

'', MF Doom's third successive studio album for the label. Later in 2012 Lex launched Charlie White and Boom Bip's art project ''Music For Sleeping Children'' which includes photographic, electronic music and spoken word recordings. Lex also developed its first two short films as part of an ongoing episodic series, written by Alan Moore and directed by Mitch Jenkins were previewed online in November 2012. In 2013, Lex released Neon Neon's sophomore album ''

Praxis Makes Perfect ''Praxis Makes Perfect'' is the second studio album by the pop- electronica- hip hop duo Neon Neon, which was produced by Boom Bip and Gruff Rhys, and the album was released on 29 April 2013 by Lex Records. ''Praxis Makes Perfect'' is a concep ...

''. The album was presented live as an immersive theatre performance with

National Theatre Wales National Theatre Wales (NTW) is a theatre company known for its large-scale site-specific productions and its grassroots work with diverse Welsh communities. It is the English-language national theatre of Wales, and refers to Theatr Genedlaet ...

. In November 2013, Lex and

All Tomorrow's Parties "All Tomorrow's Parties" is a song by the Velvet Underground and Nico, written by Lou Reed and released on the group's 1967 debut studio album, ''The Velvet Underground & Nico''. Inspiration for the song came from Reed's observation of Andy Warh ...

brought MF Doom,

BadBadNotGood BadBadNotGood (stylized in all caps) is a Canadian instrumental band and production team from Toronto, Canada. The group was founded in 2010 by bassist Chester Hansen, keyboardist Matthew Tavares, and drummer Alexander Sowinski. In 2016, they w ...

and Bishop Nehru to the

O2 Forum Kentish Town The O Forum Kentish Town is a concert venue in Kentish Town, London, England owned by MAMA & Company, and originally built in 1934. History The venue was built in 1934 and was originally used as an art deco cinema. After the cinema was clos ...

. MF Doom went on to collaborate with BadBadNotGood and Bishop Nehru on Lex. BadBadNotGood remixed the JJ Doom track "Guv'nor" in 2013. MF Doom produced the Bishop Nehru mini-album

NehruvianDoom ''NehruvianDoom'' is the collaborative studio album by American hip hop duo NehruvianDoom which consists of MF DOOM and Bishop Nehru. The album was released on October 7, 2014, by Lex Records. Background In January 2014, during an interview ...

in 2014. MF Doom appeared on BadBadNotGood & Ghostface Killah's 2015 album '' Sour Soul''.

released his first single on Lex in 2016. His debut studio album, ''Manila Ice'', was released on Lex in May 2017, followed by ''Sensitive G'' in November 2018. Lex released singles from Eyedress’ third album ''

Let's Skip to the Wedding ''Let's Skip to the Wedding'' is the third studio album by Filipino singer-songwriter Eyedress, released on August 7, 2020, through Lex Records. The album was produced by Eyedress. Reception ''The Fader'' wrote that "the latest album from cult ...

'', including "

Jealous Jealousy generally refers to the thoughts or feelings of insecurity, fear, and concern over a relative lack of possessions or safety. Jealousy can consist of one or more emotions such as anger, resentment, inadequacy, helplessness or disgust. ...

" on 19 December 2019 and “ Romantic Lover” on 12 January 2020. “Jealous” and “Romantic Lover” became viral hits after the release of the album. “Jealous” was certified gold in Australia, Canada, Poland and the US in 2021, and platinum in the US in March 2022. "Romantic Lover" was certified gold in the US in April 2022. Lex's first feature film, '' The Show'', written by Alan Moore and directed by Mitch Jenkins was an official selection for SXSW 2020. Following SXSW's cancellation due to the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identi ...

film had a world premiere at Sitges Film Festival 2020, and was licensed to Starz. On 31 December 2020, MF Doom's death was announced on social media. In August 2021 Lex released Eyedress’ fourth studio album ''

Mulholland Drive Mulholland Drive is a street and road in the eastern Santa Monica Mountains of Southern California. It is named after pioneering Los Angeles civil engineer William Mulholland. The western rural portion in Los Angeles and Ventura Counties is nam ...

''. The first single from the album, “ Something About You” became a viral hit in the US with ''

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 ...

'' citing the track as the fastest-rising song on American streaming services for the week ending 23 September 2021. "Something About You" was certified gold in the USA in May 2022. During 2021, Lex marked its twentieth anniversary by releasing a series of remixes of recordings in its catalogue under the project title '' Lex-XX''.

Artists past and present

Awards and certifications

RIAA CERTIFICATION (USA) *

, " Something About You" - Gold digital single *Eyedress " Romantic Lover" - Gold digital single *Eyedress "

" - Platinum digital single *

, '' St. Elsewhere'' - Platinum album *Gnarls Barkley, " Crazy" - 4× Platinum digital single *Gnarls Barkley, "Crazy" - Platinum mastertone A2IM LIBERA AWARDS (USA) *2022, Eyedress, ''

'' - Marketing Genius (finalist) GRAMMY AWARDS (USA) *2012, Danger Mouse, ''

'' - Producer of the Year, Non-Classical (nominated) *2011, Danger Mouse, ''

'' - Producer of the Year, Non-Classical (won) *2009, Gnarls Barkley, " Going On" - Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals (nominated) *2009, Gnarls Barkley, '' The Odd Couple'' - Best Alternative Music Album (nominated) *2009, Danger Mouse, ''The Odd Couple'' - Producer of the Year, Non-Classical (nominated) *2009, Gnarls Barkley, " Who's Gonna Save My Soul" - Best Short Form Music Video (nominated) *2008, Gnarls Barkley, "

Gone Daddy Gone "Gone Daddy Gone" is a song written by Gordon Gano and originally recorded by his group Violent Femmes as the first single for their first album, '' Violent Femmes''. The lyrics use a complete verse from Willie Dixon's 1954 song " I Just Want ...

" - Best Short Form Music Video (nominated) *2007, Danger Mouse, ''St. Elsewhere'' - Producer of the Year, Non-Classical (nominated) *2007, Gnarls Barkley, ''St. Elsewhere'' - Best Alternative Music Album (won) *2007, Gnarls Barkley, ''St. Elsewhere'' - Album of the Year (nominated) *2007, Gnarls Barkley, "Crazy" - Record of the Year (nominated) *2007, Gnarls Barkley, "Crazy" - Best Urban/Alternative Performance (won) *2006, Danger Mouse, ''

The Mouse And The Mask ''The Mouse and the Mask'' is an album by Danger Doom, a collaboration between the hip hop artists Danger Mouse and MF Doom. It was released on October 11, 2005, by the independent punk label Epitaph Records in the United States. It was also r ...

'' - Producer of the Year, Non-Classical (nominated) Plug Independent Music Awards (USA) *2006,

''The Mouse And The Mask'' - Hip-Hop Album of the Year (won) Music Canada Certification (Canada) *Eyedress, "Something About You" - Gold single *Eyedress, "Jealous" - Platinum single *Gnarls Barkley, ''St. Elsewhere'' - Platinum album *Gnarls Barkley, "Crazy" - Double Platinum ringtone Juno Music Prize (Canada) *2016,

'' Sour Soul'' - Rap Recording of the Year (nominated), Polaris Music Prize (Canada) *2015, BadBadNotGood & Ghostface Killah ''Sour Soul'' (shortlisted) Brit Certified (UK) *Eyedress "Jealous" - Silver single *

, '' Stainless Style'' - Bronze / Breakthrough album *Gnarls Barkley, ''St. Elsewhere'' - 2× Platinum album *Gnarls Barkley, "Crazy" - 3× Platinum single Mercury Prize (UK) *2017,

Kae Tempest Kae Tempest (formerly Kate Tempest; born 22 December 1985) is an English spoken word performer, poet, recording artist, novelist and playwright. At the age of 16, Tempest was accepted into the BRIT School for Performing Arts and Technology in ...

– '' Let Them Eat Chaos'' (shortlisted) *2008, Neon Neon – ''Stainless Style'' (shortlisted) Brit Awards (UK) *2007, Gnarls Barkley – Best International Group (nominated) *2007, Gnarls Barkley – International Breakthrough Act (nominated) *2007, Gnarls Barkley ''St. Elsewhere'' – International Album (nominated) British Animation Awards (UK) *2006, Director SSSR, Subtle "Swan Meat" video - Best Music Video (won)

References

External links

Official website

Ehquestionmark
{{Authority control Electronic music record labels British independent record labels Record labels established in 2001 Hip hop record labels Alternative rock record labels