The Ajna Offensive is an American
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 releases
extreme metal
Extreme metal is a loosely defined umbrella term for a number of related heavy metal music subgenres that have developed since the early 1980s. It has been defined as a "cluster of metal subgenres characterized by sonic, verbal, and visual tra ...
,
experimental music
Experimental music is a general label for any music or music genre that pushes existing boundaries and genre definitions. Experimental compositional practice is defined broadly by exploratory sensibilities radically opposed to, and questioning of, ...
and
neofolk records, and books related to
occultism
The occult, in the broadest sense, is a category of esoteric supernatural beliefs and practices which generally fall outside the scope of religion and science, encompassing phenomena involving otherworldly agency, such as magic and mysticism a ...
, ritual work,
magic theory and meta-history.
The proprietor of the label is Tyler Davis, who had met a man with a music project called Plecid and who subsequently worked with
Stephen O'Malley
Stephen O'Malley (sometimes referred to as SOMA; born July 15, 1974) is an American guitarist, producer, composer, and visual artist from Seattle, Washington, who has conceptualized and participated in numerous drone doom, death/doom, and expe ...
on the black metal
fanzine
A fanzine (blend of '' fan'' and ''magazine'' or ''-zine'') is a non-professional and non-official publication produced by enthusiasts of a particular cultural phenomenon (such as a literary or musical genre) for the pleasure of others who share t ...
''Descent''.
O'Malley was later involved with the development of The Ajna Offensive record label.
Ajna
Ajna ( sa, आज्ञा, IAST: , ), brow or third eye chakra, is the sixth primary chakra in the body according to Hindu tradition and signifies the unconscious mind, the direct link to Brahman (ultimate reality). The third eye is said ...
, a
Sanskrit
Sanskrit (; attributively , ; nominalization, nominally , , ) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan languages, Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in South Asia after its predecessor languages had Trans-cul ...
word meaning command, is the
third eye
The third eye (also called the mind's eye or inner eye) is a mystical invisible eye, usually depicted as located on the forehead, which provides perception beyond ordinary sight. In Hinduism, the third eye refers to the ajna (or brow) chakra. I ...
chakra
Chakras (, ; sa , text=चक्र , translit=cakra , translit-std=IAST , lit=wheel, circle; pi, cakka) are various focal points used in a variety of ancient meditation practices, collectively denominated as Tantra, or the esoteric or ...
, the sixth primary chakra in the body, according to
Hindu tradition.
History
The Ajna Offensive label evolved in 1992 out of the "Warloch" label then managed by Davis.
Davis and O'Malley first met after Davis sent O'Malley a very excitable letter upon reading the first issue of ''Descent''. Tyler offered all of his energy to ''Descent'', while Stephen offered his energies towards The Ajna Offensive record label.
In reviewing metal bands for the magazine, Davis felt that black metal had not yet reached its potential. At one point, he and O'Malley listened to a trunk of about 150 demos, giving some of them positive reviews in ''Descent''.
The first album released from the label was ''Plecid''.
According to
Stylus Magazine
''Stylus Magazine'' was an American online music and film magazine, launched in 2002 and co-founded by Todd L. Burns. It featured long-form music journalism, four daily music reviews, movie reviews, podcasts, an MP3 blog, and a text blog.
Addi ...
, The Ajna Offensive appears to be an aesthetically steered label, from the color and layout of the website to the bands it chooses to distribute and promote.
Estimated annual sales of The Ajna Offensive is 86,000 copies. The label's
Standard Industrial Classification code is 7389 and its
North American Industry Classification System
The North American Industry Classification System or NAICS () is a classification of business establishments by type of economic activity (process of production). It is used by government and business in Canada, Mexico, and the United States of ...
code is 561990.
Artists
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88MM
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