Avex Trax

History

Two years after Max Matsuura began a career distributing studio albums from other countries, he and his two Avex co-founders, Tom Yoda and Ken Suzuki, decided to found their own label. Aiming to compete with more established labels such as Nippon Columbia, Nippon Crown, BMG Victor, Victor Musical Industries, Toshiba-EMI, CBS/Sony, Teichiku Records, King Records, Nippon Phonogram and PolyGram K.K., they created the Avex Trax label.

The first artist to sign to the label was the band TRF, which became a success. This led to Avex Trax becoming a "house of refuge" for artists who had left their former labels (e.g. Bananarama from Polydor K.K., Ayumi Hamasaki from Nippon Columbia, Namie Amuro from Toshiba-EMI, Ami Suzuki from Sony Music Japan). It also appealed to artists not content with their current labels (e.g. Gackt from Nippon Crown).

Formerly distributed by until 1992 and then by the Nippon Crown label from 1992 on, in 1997 Avex became a self-distributed label together with Cutting Edge, which was formerly distributed by Toshiba-EMI.

Sub-labels

Current

• B-ME – joint venture with
• Bluestar Records (Since 2019) – formerly a sub-label of Cutting Edge
• Love Life Records – Hitomi's private label
• motorod (Since 2002) – formerly a sub-label of Cutting Edge
• • joint venture with Level-5
• 影別苦須 虎津苦須 – Kishidan's vanity label

Defunct

• J-Friends Project (1997–2003) – joint venture with Johnny & Associates

Notable artists

;Groups

• @onefive
• Boku ga Mitakatta Aozora
• Bridear
• Chō Tokimeki Sendenbu
• DA-ICE
• Do As Infinity
• Every Little Thing
• Exo
• GENIC
• Kamen Rider Girls
• Ketsumeishi
• kolme
• lol
• Mameshiba no Taigun
• NCT
• Red Velvet
• SKE48
• Super Junior
• TRF
• Tohoshinki
• Tokyo Girls' Style

;Soloists

• Aina the End
• Shinjiro Atae
• Beverly
• BoA
• Che'Nelle
• Ayumi Hamasaki
• Chiaki Ito
• Hitomi Kaji
• Keiko
• m.c.A.T
• Michael Fortunati
• Nissy
• Seiko Oomori
• Ai Otsuka
• Pikotaro
• Shuta Sueyoshi
• Misako Uno
• Naoya Urata
• Takuro Yoshida

Labels

B-ME

• Be First
• Novel Core
• Sky-Hi

Bluestar Records

Love Life Records

• Hitomi

motorod

• Nanase Aikawa

影別苦須 虎津苦須

• Kishidan

Former artists

;Groups

• AAA
• After School
• SweetS

;Soloists

• Sae Ōtsuka
• Hitomi Shimatani
• Namie Amuro

;Duos

• Soul Control

J-Friends Project

• J-Friends

motorod

• Dead End
• Janne Da Arc
• Oblivion Dust

Notes

References

References

1. "Avex Group {{!}} About Avex Group {{!}} History".
2. (2023-11-16). "なぜ浜崎あゆみは平成で最も売れた女性歌手になったのか...ファンの心を一気につかんだラジオ番組での告白 若さ特有の孤独や不安を､歌に昇華させた".
3. (2015-01-15). "業界は冷ややか...安室奈美恵"エイベックス移籍"の全舞台裏".
4. "鈴木亜美のプロフィール・作品情報".
5. (2010-04-17). "Gackt、エイベックスへの移籍を発表".
6. "SOHBI Corporation (Label)".