Avant Records was a record label in Japan that specialized in avant-garde jazz,

avant rock Experimental rock, also called avant-rock, is a subgenre of rock music that pushes the boundaries of common composition and performance technique or which experiments with the basic elements of the genre. Artists aim to liberate and innovate, with ...

, and

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, ...

. The label released more than 80 albums between 1992 and 2004.

History

New York saxophonist

John Zorn John Zorn (born September 2, 1953) is an American composer, conductor, saxophonist, arranger and producer who "deliberately resists category". Zorn's avant-garde and experimental approaches to composition and improvisation are inclusive of jaz ...

was signed to Nonesuch, but his band Naked City recorded music that required a different label. He started Avant in 1992 as a division of DIW/Disk Union in Japan and produced its first albums. The label's roster included Derek Bailey, Duck Baker, Cyro Baptista, Joey Baron, Steve Beresford, Anthony Coleman, Sylvie Courvoisier,

Dave Douglas David or Dave Douglas may refer to: Entertainment * David Douglas (director) (born 1953), Canadian cinematographer, director and writer * Dave Douglas (trumpeter) (born 1963), American jazz trumpeter * Dave Douglas (drummer) (born 1979), America ...

, Mark Feldman, Erik Friedlander, Wayne Horvitz, Joe Maneri, Misha Mengelberg, William Parker, Bobby Previte, and Min Xiao-Fen. In 1995 Zorn and Kazunori Sugiyama started Tzadik Records in New York as a vehicle for Zorn's albums and for musicians who recorded for Avant.

Discography

* Avan 001: Naked City – ''

Heretic Heresy is any belief or theory that is strongly at variance with established beliefs or customs, in particular the accepted beliefs of a church or religious organization. The term is usually used in reference to violations of important religi ...

'' * Avan 002: Naked City – '' Grand Guignol'' * Avan 003: Naked City – '' Radio'' * Avan 004: Naked City – ''

Absinthe Absinthe (, ) is an anise-flavoured spirit derived from several plants, including the flowers and leaves of ''Artemisia absinthium'' ("grand wormwood"), together with green anise, sweet fennel, and other medicinal and culinary herbs. Historical ...

'' * Avan 005: Various Artists – ''In His Own Sweet Way: A Tribute to Dave Brubeck'' * Avan 006: DNA – '' DNA (Last Live at CBGB's)'' * Avan 007: Buckethead – ''

Bucketheadland Bucketheadland is the debut studio album by American guitarist and songwriter Buckethead. It was released on John Zornʼs Japanese record label, Avant, in 1992. It features several samples of the 1960s Japanese television series, '' Giant Robot'' ...

'' * Avan 008:

Fushitsusha Fushitsusha (不失者) is a Japanese rock band specialising in experimental and psychedelic rock genres. The band consists of electric guitarist and singer Keiji Haino, and a shifting cast of complementary musicians. The group released the majo ...

– ''

Allegorical Misunderstanding ''Allegorical Misunderstanding'' is a 1993 album by the band Fushitsusha. The album was produced by John Zorn and was the first studio album from the band. Critical reception In a review for AllMusic, John Dougan called the album "a reserved outi ...

'' * Avan 009: Anton Fier – ''Dreamspeed'' * Avan 010: Blind Idiot God – '' Cyclotron'' * Avan 011: Anthony Coleman – ''Disco by Night'' * Avan 012: Peter Garland – ''Nana & Victorio'' * Avan 013: David Shea – ''Shock Corridor'' * Avan 014:

George E. Lewis George Emanuel Lewis (born July 14, 1952) is an American composer, performer, and scholar of experimental music. He has been a member of the Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians ( AACM) since 1971, when he joined the organization ...

– ''Voyager'' * Avan 015: Lee Hyla – ''In Double Light'' * Avan 016: John Oswald – ''Plexure'' * Avan 017: Rough Assemblage – ''Construction and Demolition'' * Avan 018: Zeena Parkins – ''Isabelle'' * Avan 019: Dave Soldier – ''SMUT'' * Avan 020: David Weinstein – ''Perfume'' * Avan 021: Min Xiaofen – ''With Six Composers'' * Avan 022: Stephen Drury – ''Faith, The Loss of Faith, and the Return of Faith'' * Avan 023: Romero Lubambo – ''Lubambo'' * Avan 024: John French – ''O Solo Drumbo'' * Avan 025: Naked City – ''Radio, Vol. 2'' (Never Recorded) * Avan 026:

Boredoms Boredoms () (later known as V∞redoms) is a rock band from Osaka, Japan formed in 1986. The band's sound is often referred to as noise rock, or sometimes Japanoise (Japan’s noise music scene), though their more recent records have moved towar ...

– ''Wow 2'' * Avan 027: Pigpen – ''

V as in Victim ''V as in Victim'' is an album by American keyboardist and composer Wayne Horvitz' band Pigpen recorded in 1993 and released on the Japanese Avant Records, Avant label.

'' * Avan 028: James Plotkin – ''The Joy of Disease'' * Avan 029:

Cake Like Cake Like was an all-female indie rock band based in New York City. Its members were bassist and lead singer Kerri Kenney, drummer Jody Seifert, and vocalist and guitarist Nina Hellman. The band came together in 1993 when Kenney and Hellman met ...

– ''Delicious'' * Avan 030: Ikue Mori – ''Painted Desert'' * Avan 031: Various – ''Disco Bhangra: Wedding Bands From Rajasthan'' * Avan 032: God Is My Co-Pilot – ''Mir Shlufn Nisht'' * Avan 033: Marc Ribot – '' Shrek'' * Avan 034: Z'EV – ''Heads & Tales'' * Avan 035: Ben Goldberg – ''Twelve Minor'' * Avan 036: Bobby Previte's Empty Suits – '' Slay the Suitors'' * Avan 037: Phillip Johnston's Big Trouble – ''The Unknown'' * Avan 038: Misha Mengelberg Trio – ''Who's Bridge'' * Avan 039: Steve Beresford – '' Signals for Tea'' * Avan 040: Duck Baker – '' Spinning Song: Duck Baker Plays the Music of Herbie Nichols'' * Avan 041:

Bob Ostertag Robert "Bob" Ostertag (born April 19, 1957) is a musician, writer, and political activist based in San Francisco. He has published seven books, one feature film, a DVD, twenty-six albums, and collaborated with numerous musicians. Musically, he ...

– ''Fear No Love'' * Avan 042: Chris Cochrane – ''Bath'' * Avan 043: Weird Little Boy – ''

Weird Little Boy ''Weird Little Boy'' is a one-off album by a band of the same name, performed by John Zorn (alto saxophone, keyboards, samplers), Trey Spruance (guitar, drums, keyboards), William Winant (percussion), Mike Patton (drums, vocals) and Chris Cochrane ...

'' * Avan 044: Eugene Chadbourne – ''Pain Pen'' * Avan 045: Jenny Scheinman Quartet – ''Live at Yoshi's'' * Avan 046:

Liu Sola Liu Sola (Chinese: 刘索拉; pinyin: Liú Suǒlā; b. Beijing, China, 1955) is a Chinese composer, vocalist, music producer, and author. Biography After graduating from the Central Conservatory of Music with a degree in composition, she publ ...

& Wu Man – ''China Collage'' * Avan 047: Smarnamisa! – ''Resia Valley Music'' * Avan 048: Andy Haas – ''Arnhem Land'' * Avan 049: Makigami Koichi – '' John Zorn's Cobra: Tokyo Operations '94'' * Avan 050: Derek Bailey & Min Xiao–Fen – ''Viper'' * Avan 051: Dim Sum Clip Job – ''Harmolodic Jeopardy'' * Avan 052: Jad Fair & The Shapir–O'Rama – ''We Are The Rage'' * Avan 053: Prelapse – ''

Prelapse ''Prelapse'' is an album by the Boston-based band of the same name featuring John Zorn. The album was released on the Japanese Avant label in 1999 and features 10 tracks originally written by Zorn for the band Naked City. The band came to Zorn's ...

'' * Avan 054: Pieces – ''I Need 5 Minutes Alone'' * Avan 055: Larval – ''Larval'' * Avan 056: Derek Bailey/

/ William Parker – ''

Harras ''Harras'' is an album of improvised music by Derek Bailey, John Zorn & William Parker. The album was released by the Japanese Avant label in 1996. Towards the end of the track "Evening Harras" there is 10 minutes of silence followed by a Bailey ...

'' * Avan 057: Erik Friedlander – '' Chimera'' * Avan 058: Arcado String Trio – ''Live in Europe'' * Avan 059: Joey Baron & Barondown – ''

Crackshot ''Crackshot'' is an album by drummer Joey Baron and his group Barondown, trombonist Steve Swell and saxophonist Ellery Eskelin, which was released by the Avant Records, Avant label in 1995. Reception The AllMusic review by Al Campbell said "All c ...

'' * Avan 060: Derek Bailey – ''Guitar, Drums N Bass'' * Avan 061: Cyro Baptista – ''

Vira Loucos ''Vira Loucos'' (subtitled ''Cyro Baptista Plays the Music of Villa-Lobos'') is an album by percussionist Cyro Baptista performing the compositions by or inspired by Heitor Villa-Lobos which was released on the Japanese Avant label in 1997.

'' * Avan 062: Drums of Death * Avan 063: Bernard Woma – ''Live at the Pito Bar'' * Avan 064: Abdulai Bangoura – ''Sigiri'' * Avan 065: Mark Feldman & Sylvie Courvoisier – '' Music for Violin and Piano'' * Avan 066:

– '' Sanctuary'' * Avan 067: Joe Maneri – ''

Paniots Nine ''Paniots Nine'' is an album by saxophonist and composer Joe Maneri which was recorded as a demo for Atlantic Records in 1963 and released on the Avant label in 1998 with an additional live recording from 1981.Jamie Saft/ Cuong Vu – '' Ragged Jack'' * Avan 069: Bruce Ackley – ''The Hearing'' * Avan 070: Marie McAuliffe – ''Plays the Music of Burt Bacharach'' * Avan 071: Whistling Hangmen – ''Barhopping'' * Avan 072: Alva – ''Fair-Haired Guilletine'' * Avan 073: EasSide Percussion – ''ESP'' * Avan 074: Keiji Haino– ''An Unclear Trial: More Than This'' * Avan 075: Dragon Blue – ''Hades Park'' * Avan 076: Dying Ground – ''Dying Ground'' * Avan 077: David Watson – ''Skirl'' * Avan 078: Harriet Tubman – ''Prototype'' (2000) * Avan 079: Vivian Sisters – ''Vivian Sisters'' * Avan 080: Wayne Horvitz Four Plus One Ensemble – '' From a Window'' * Avan 081: Bill Laswell vs. Submerged (DJ) – ''Brutal Calling''

References

{{Authority control Japanese independent record labels Record labels established in 1992 Jazz record labels Experimental music record labels