Load Records was an American

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, ...

-oriented

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 ...

based out of

Providence, Rhode Island Providence is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Rhode Island. One of the oldest cities in New England, it was founded in 1636 by Roger Williams, a Reformed Baptist theologian and religious exile from the Massachusetts Bay ...

. "Load Records might possibly be in possession of the world's most challenging record roster," writes Mark Hensch of Thrash Pit. "Rounded out by some of the most uncompromising noise/avant-garde/experimental artists in all of music's sordid underbelly, Load has always prided itself on remaining outside of common taste and maybe even common sense."

History

Load Records was started by Ben McOsker in order to put a 7-inch record out for the band Boss Fuel. The label quickly became the most prominent source for noise music coming out of Providence, Rhode Island - loosely functioning in the same way that

Sub Pop Sub Pop is a record label founded in 1986 by Bruce Pavitt and Jonathan Poneman. Sub Pop achieved fame in the early 1990s for signing Seattle bands such as Nirvana, Soundgarden, and Mudhoney, central players in the grunge movement. They are oft ...

served grunge out of

Seattle Seattle ( ) is a port, seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. It is the county seat, seat of King County, Washington, King County, Washington (state), Washington. With a 2020 population of 737,015, it is the largest city in bo ...

in the early 1990s. "Ben McOsker got into the business of running a label on a whim," said Stylus Magazine, "and now, after more than ten years of operation, Load Records has become one of the preeminent names in noise music. By signing acts like Lightning Bolt,

Sightings Discovery is the act of detecting something new, or something previously unrecognized as meaningful. With reference to sciences and academic disciplines, discovery is the observation of new phenomena, new actions, or new events and providing ...

and

Noxagt Noxagt is a Norwegian noise rock band. It started as a Kjetil Brandsdal solo project in 1999, but was expanded to a power trio in 2002, with Brandsdal on bass, Nils Erga on viola and Jan Christian L. Kyvik on drums. Erga was replaced by Anders Ha ...

, McOsker has expanded the notions of noise and helped bring numerous Providence bands to the ears of discerning listeners." Some claim McOsker and Mullen have released some of the most exciting noise/experimental music of the early 2000s, including music from Lightning Bolt,

Neon Hunk Neon Hunk was a husband/wife noise music duo from Milwaukee, composed of Jennifurmium (Mothmaster) - vocals and analog synthesizer/ ring modulator, and Pink Diamond (Mossmaster) - Drums, Vocals, and Modular Digital Synthesizer. Neon Hunk formed ...

, Metalux,

, and Friends Forever. Others have attributed a cookie-cutter aesthetic to the label, mostly in terms of the masks/costumes worn by a number of the bands. However, later records released by Load have run the gamut from strict noise-based squeal of

Prurient Ian Dominick Fernow is an American experimental musician, poet and multimedia artist. He is best known for extreme music released under the stage name Prurient, as well as numerous other aliases including Vatican Shadow and Rainforest Spiritual ...

and the Yellow Swans. Load also features a number of bands operating in a more metal vein such as

Khanate A khaganate or khanate was a polity ruled by a khan, khagan, khatun, or khanum. That political territory was typically found on the Eurasian Steppe and could be equivalent in status to tribal chiefdom, principality, kingdom or empire. ...

OvO ''OVO'' (also released as ''OVO: The Millennium Show'') is a soundtrack album by English singer-songwriter and musician Peter Gabriel and his eleventh album overall. It was released on 12 June 2000 by Real World Records as the soundtrack to ...

, Necronomitron, and Brainbombs. The music of Load Records is popularized and reviewed through national zines like Blastitude,

Arthur Arthur is a common male given name of Brythonic origin. Its popularity derives from it being the name of the legendary hero King Arthur. The etymology is disputed. It may derive from the Celtic ''Artos'' meaning “Bear”. Another theory, more w ...

, and Dead Angel. On April 11, 2017, the label revealed they would be coming to an end: "After 24 years of Load Records its time to move on. Will be contacting bands to arrange next steps. Thanks for a great ride."Mr P (April 11, 2017)
"RIP: Load Records, experimental Providence label that put out seminal releases by Lightning Bolt, Prurient, White Suns, and more"
''

Tiny Mix Tapes ''Tiny Mix Tapes'' (also ''TMT'' or ''tinymixtapes'') is an online music and film webzine that focuses primarily on new music and related news. In addition to its reviews, it is noted for its subversive, political, and sometimes surreal news, ...

''. Retrieved April 11, 2017.

Roster

Air Conditioning Air conditioning, often abbreviated as A/C or AC, is the process of removing heat from an enclosed space to achieve a more comfortable interior environment (sometimes referred to as 'comfort cooling') and in some cases also strictly controlling ...

Arab On Radar Arab on Radar was a Providence, Rhode Island-based noise rock band founded in 1994. They went on hiatus in 2002. Members of the band went on to form or join the bands including The Chinese Stars, Athletic Automaton, Made in Mexico, and Doomsday ...

* Astoveboat * Brainbombs *

Burmese Burmese may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to Myanmar, a country in Southeast Asia * Burmese people * Burmese language * Burmese alphabet * Burmese cuisine * Burmese culture Animals * Burmese cat * Burmese chicken * Burmese (hor ...

* Coughs * Excepter * Fat Day * Fat Worm of Error * Forcefield * Friends Forever * Gerty Farish * Giant Jesus * Hawd Gankstuh Rappuh MC's *

the Hospitals The Hospitals were an American noise rock band from San Francisco, California, United States, active from 2002 to 2009. They were formed by Adam Stonehouse (Drums and vocals) and Rod Meyer (Guitar) in 2002 in Portland, Oregon, US. The Hospitals ...

thee Hydrogen Terrors The word ''thou'' is a second-person singular pronoun in English. It is now largely archaic, having been replaced in most contexts by the word ''you'', although it remains in use in parts of Northern England and in Scots (). ''Thou'' is the n ...

Kites A kite is a tethered heavier-than-air or lighter-than-air craft with wing surfaces that react against the air to create lift and drag forces. A kite consists of wings, tethers and anchors. Kites often have a bridle and tail to guide the face ...

* Kites/Prurient * Landed * Lightning Bolt * Men's Recovery Project * Metalux * Mindflayer *

Monotract Monotract is a three-piece experimental music group based in Brooklyn, New York but originated in Miami, Florida. The group consists of Nancy Garcia, Carlos Giffoni and Roger Rimada. Alberto Laburu recently joined the group in 2008. Early yea ...

Mr. California and the State Police ''Mister'', usually written in its contracted form ''Mr.'' or ''Mr'', is a commonly used English honorific for men without a higher honorific, or professional title, or any of various designations of office. The title 'Mr' derived from earlier ...

Mystery Brinkman Mystery, The Mystery, Mysteries or The Mysteries may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Fictional characters *Mystery, a cat character in ''Emily the Strange'' Films * ''Mystery'' (2012 film), a 2012 Chinese drama film * ''Mystery'' ( ...

* Nautical Almanac * Necronomitron *

the Ohsees Osees are an American rock band formed in San Francisco, California in 1997, now based in Los Angeles, California. The band currently consists of primary songwriter and core member John Dwyer (vocals, guitar), Tim Hellman (bass), Dan Rincon (dru ...

(aka OCS) *

Olneyville Sound System Olneyville is a neighborhood in Providence, Rhode Island bordered by Atwells Avenue to the north, U.S. Route 6 to the south and Rhode Island Route 10 to the east. The Woonasquatucket River runs through the southern portion of the neighborhood. Th ...

* Pink and Brown * Pleasurehorse *

* the Scissor Girls *

* Silver Daggers *

Six Finger Satellite Six Finger Satellite (a.k.a. 6FS) are an American synthesizer-based post-hardcore band, based in Providence, Rhode Island, United States. History The band formed in 1990 around a line-up of J. Ryan (singer/keyboards), John MacLean (guitar), P ...

* Swordheaven *

Thee Hydrogen Terrors The word ''thou'' is a second-person singular pronoun in English. It is now largely archaic, having been replaced in most contexts by the word ''you'', although it remains in use in parts of Northern England and in Scots (). ''Thou'' is the n ...

Tinsel Teeth Tinsel is a type of decorative material that mimics the effect of ice, consisting of thin strips of sparkling material attached to a thread. When in long narrow strips not attached to thread, it is called "lametta", and emulates icicles. It was o ...

Total Shutdown Total may refer to: Mathematics * Total, the summation of a set of numbers * Total order, a partial order without incomparable pairs * Total relation, which may also mean ** connected relation (a binary relation in which any two elements are compa ...

* the USAISAMONSTER * Ultralyd * Vincebus Eruptum *

John Von Ryan John is a common English name and surname: * John (given name) * John (surname) John may also refer to: New Testament Works * Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John * First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John * Second ...

* Vaz *

the White Mice The White Mice are an experimental, industrial, noise rock, and noisegrind band from Providence, Rhode Island. They consist of vocals, drums, bass, and electronics but, live, often have a rotation of guest members playing guitars, electronica, ...

Whore Paint Prostitution is the business or practice of engaging in sexual activity in exchange for payment. The definition of "sexual activity" varies, and is often defined as an activity requiring physical contact (e.g., sexual intercourse, non-penet ...

Wizardzz Wizardzz is an electropop/noise pop band consisting of Brian Gibson (of Lightning Bolt) on drums and Rich Porter (of Bug Sized Mind) on synthesizer. Their debut album ''Hidden City of Taurmond'' was released on March 21, 2006, under the indepe ...

References

External links

Official website (archived)
{{Authority control American independent record labels Record labels established in 1993 Noise music record labels Experimental music record labels

History

Roster

See also

References

External links