Initial Records was an

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 ...

in Louisville, Kentucky, that was founded in 1992. The label released music by Falling Forward,

Boysetsfire boysetsfire is an American post-hardcore band from Newark, Delaware. Formed in October 1994, boysetsfire is composed of guitarists Chad Istvan and Josh Latshaw, vocalist Nathan Gray, and bassists Chris Rakus and Robert Ehrenbrand. Lyrical theme ...

and Ink & Dagger, and created the annual weekend long music festival, Krazy Fest.

History

Initial was founded in 1992 in a

Dunkin' Donuts Dunkin' Donuts LLC, also known as Dunkin' and by the initials DD, is an American multinational coffee and doughnut company, as well as a quick service restaurant. It was founded by Bill Rosenberg (1916–2002) in Quincy, Massachusetts, in 195 ...

in suburban Detroit by three high school friends, Dennis Hepinstall, Carolyn Smith and Andy Rich. Their first issue was a re-release of the 7" single from local Detroit based hardcore band Pittbull. Carolyn's interest waned early in the project after her long standing relationship with Dennis ended and she bowed out. Dennis would stick around for another few years while Andy attended the Haworth College of Business at Western Michigan University. By 1995 Dennis had enough and ended his tenure with the label as well. After graduating college with a bachelor of business administration in 1996 Andy relocated to Louisville, KY and took the label with him. Over the next few years Initial would blossom into one of independent music's most well known labels. The April 1998 issue of Playboy magazine declared Initial one of the country's ten hottest record labels. The May 1998 issue of '' Alternative Press'' magazine named Initial as one of "Ten independent labels that have helped to change not only the way hardcore sounds, but the way it does business."

Krazy Fest

Krazy Fest was founded by several Initial Records employees. It was a weekend long music and lifestyle festival that ran annually for six years from 1998 through 2003, with a reprisal in 2011.

Final release

Initial's last release to date was a posthumous CD from Louisville hardcore band By The Grace Of God in 2004. It was a benefit to help pay medical bills for local Louisville scenester Adele Collins. The band also played a reunion show in conjunction with the release.

Epilogue

Longtime Initial Records label chief Andy Rich now resides in Las Vegas where he is the Director of Poker Operations at Golden Nugget Hotel & Casino. The label's impact was described by '' Alternative Press'' in 2013: "While largely associated with Louisville, Kentucky, hardcore, Initial did more than just (exhaustively) cover that scene—it focused on the Midwest, covering bands from Detroit, Chicago, Omaha and more."13 Classic Record Labels We Really, Really Miss
''Alternative Press'', October 17, 2013.

Bands

* Black Cross * Black Widows *

Blood Red The colour blood red is a dark shade of the colour red meant to resemble the colour of human blood (which is composed of oxygenated red erythrocytes, white leukocytes, and yellow blood plasma). It is the iron in hemoglobin specifically that gi ...

* Blue Sky Mile *

Criteria Criterion, or its plural form criteria, may refer to: General * Criterion, Oregon, a historic unincorporated community in the United States * Criterion Place, a proposed skyscraper in West Yorkshire, England * Criterion Restaurant, in London, Eng ...

* Despair * Elliott * The Enkindels * Falling Forward * Guilt * Harkonen * Helicopter Helicopter * Ink & Dagger * The Jazz June *

Lords Lords may refer to: * The plural of Lord Places *Lords Creek, a stream in New Hanover County, North Carolina * Lord's, English Cricket Ground and home of Marylebone Cricket Club and Middlesex County Cricket Club People *Traci Lords (born 1 ...

* Blue Sky Mile * The Movielife *

The National Acrobat The National Acrobat was an American hardcore punk band "whose popularity rose after its brief existence". The band was formed in late 1998 by guitarists Evan Patterson and Robby Scott, bassist Ty Kreft, vocalist Casper Adams, and drummer Phil Sto ...

Pittbull Pit bull is a term used in the United States for a type of dog descended from bulldogs and terriers, while in other countries such as the United Kingdom the term is used as an abbreviation of the American Pit Bull Terrier breed. The term was ...

Planes Mistaken for Stars Planes Mistaken for Stars is an American rock band formed in Peoria, Illinois in 1997. Working with several different labels, they released three studio albums and four EPs before breaking up in 2008. While rooted in the post-hardcore and emo ...

The Reputation The Reputation was an indie rock band from Chicago, Illinois. The band was fronted by former Sarge singer-songwriter Elizabeth Elmore, with other positions filled by various members. The band, which formed while Elmore was attending law school, ...

* Ricochet * Roy * Peter Searcy * Shipping News * Silent Majority * Slugfest *

Ultimate Fakebook Ultimate Fakebook is an American three-piece power pop musical band, band from Manhattan, Kansas, Manhattan, Kansas, United States. Albums and EPs Ultimate Fakebook has released five albums and an Extended play, EP: ''Electric Kissing Parties' ...

* The White Octave

References