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 and medium-sized enterprise, small- to medium-sized enterprise, or SME. The labels ...

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

punk Punk or punks may refer to: Genres, subculture, and related aspects * Punk rock, a music genre originating in the 1970s associated with various subgenres * Punk subculture, a subculture associated with punk rock, or aspects of the subculture s ...

, rock,

metal A metal () is a material that, when polished or fractured, shows a lustrous appearance, and conducts electrical resistivity and conductivity, electricity and thermal conductivity, heat relatively well. These properties are all associated wit ...

, hardcore,

death metal Death metal is an extreme metal, 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 death growl, growling vocals; aggressive ...

, industrial and

electronic music Electronic music broadly is a group of music genres that employ electronic musical instruments, circuitry-based music technology and software, or general-purpose electronics (such as personal computers) in its creation. It includes both music ...

. 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, Guilt Parade, Teenage Head, A Neon Rome, Breeding Ground,

Sacrifice Sacrifice is an act or offering made to a deity. A sacrifice can serve as propitiation, or a sacrifice can be an offering of praise and thanksgiving. Evidence of ritual animal sacrifice has been seen at least since ancient Hebrews and Gree ...

, Slaughter, Corpus Vile, Razor, Vital Sines, UIC, TBA, Sudden Impact, YouthYouthYouth, The Demics, Change of Heart, Bunchofuckingoofs and Random Killing. Fringe Product is also noteworthy for licensing bands such as

Bad Brains Bad Brains are an American punk rock band formed in Washington, D.C., in 1976. They are widely regarded as pioneers of hardcore punk, though the band's members have objected to the use of this term to describe their music. They are also an ade ...

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. Initially consisting of lead guitarist East Bay Ray, bassist Klaus Fl ...

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 Dayglo Abortions. 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