R.E.X. Records, also known as R.E.X. Music, 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 and medium-sized enterprise, small- to medium-sized enterprise, or SME. The labels ...

founded by Doug Mann and Gavin Morkel, which operated from 1987 until running into financial difficulty in 1995. Operations were based in

Chicago Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...

until 1990 when the company moved to

Nashville Nashville, often known as Music City, is the capital and List of municipalities in Tennessee, most populous city in the U.S. state of Tennessee. It is the county seat, seat of Davidson County, Tennessee, Davidson County in Middle Tennessee, locat ...

. The label was artistic in nature, and though they were especially active in the

Christian metal Christian metal, also known as white metal, Jesus metal, or heavenly metal, is heavy metal music distinguished by its Christian-themed song lyrics and the dedication of the band-members to Christianity. Christian metal is typically performed by ...

genre some acts (such as

Circle of Dust Circle of Dust is an industrial music project from New York City created by Klayton, who later became known as Celldweller. The project was active as a band from 1988 to 1998 and then re-started in 2015 after Klayton gained back ownership of his ...

) were also marketed to mainstream audiences. Sublabels included Storyville Records and Street Level Records, founded by

Randy Stonehill Randall Evan Stonehill (born March 12, 1952) is an American singer and songwriter from Stockton, California, best known as one of the pioneers of contemporary Christian music. His music is primarily folk rock in the style of James Taylor, but ...

Operations

In Christian markets, their records were distributed by the

Diamante Music Group Diamante Music Group was a Newport Beach, California–based independent record label distributor active from 1993 through 2004. Diamante was home to several dozen small independent record labels, some of whose artists later gained worldwide reco ...

until 1995 when they switched to Light Distribution (see

Light Records Light Records is a gospel record label founded in 1966 by Ralph Carmichael, as a joint venture with the Waco, Texas-based Word Records. It is a subsidiary of the MNRK Music Group. History Light Records' first roster included Ralph Carmichae ...

), by then a division of Platinum Entertainment. In general markets they were distributed by

RED Red is the color at the long wavelength end of the visible spectrum of light, next to orange and opposite violet. It has a dominant wavelength of approximately 625–750 nanometres. It is a primary color in the RGB color model and a seconda ...

. By 1996 R.E.X was experiencing layoffs and looking for a buyer. Platinum acquired the label in July 1996. In 1997 R.E.X. sued Platinum for breach of contract, asserting that Platinum had not properly distributed their product and had misrepresented their financial position in the buyout. For a short time R.E.X. provided distribution for

Jesus People USA Jesus People USA (JPUSA) pronounced: ǰ-pu-sa is a Christian intentional community in Uptown, on the North Side of Chicago, Illinois. JPUSA emerged from Jesus People Milwaukee in 1972, and maintains one of the largest continuing communities ...

Grrr Records Grrr or grr is an onomatopoeia for growling and may refer to: Music * Grrr Records, a French avant-garde jazz record label * "Grrrr" (song), a 2009 song by David Guetta Albums * '' Grrr...'', a 2009 album by Bishop Allen * '' GRRR! It's Betty B ...

. Employee Alex Parker left and began

Flying Tart Flying Tart was an independent record label based in Nashville, Tennessee. It was started by Alex Parker, formerly of R.E.X. Records, and operated from 1990 until 1996 when it was purchased by Light Records. Bands *Aleixa (aka Sorrow of Seven) *B ...

1990 Important events of 1990 include the Reunification of Germany and the unification of Yemen, the formal beginning of the Human Genome Project (finished in 2003), the launch of the Hubble Space Telescope, the separation of Namibia from South ...

. Founder Doug Mann took a position with

ForeFront Records ForeFront Records is a contemporary Christian music and Christian rock record label founded in 1987 by Dan R. Brock, Eddie DeGarmo, Dana Key, and Ron W. Griffin. It was purchased by EMI in 1996 from Dan R. Brock and Eddie DeGarmo, and is a divis ...

in April 1993.

Artists

Argyle Park Argyle Park was an underground industrial rock supergroup founded in New York City in 1994 and active until 1996. Members of the group reformed under the name AP2 in 1998, and were active under that name until winter 2000. Signed to Christian m ...

(changed name to AP2, then disbanded) *

Believer Believer(s) or The Believer(s) may refer to: Religion * Believer, a person who holds a particular belief ** Believer, a person who holds a particular religious belief *** Believers, Christians with a religious faith in the divine Christ *** Bel ...

(active, independent) * Bliss Bliss (changed name to BlissBliss, active, independent) *

(active; members went on to form Angeldust,

, CHATTERbOX, Klank and

Celldweller Celldweller is an electronic rock project by American multi-musician Klayton. Celldweller's songs have been featured in many films, movie trailers, television shows and video games. Career Precursors: Circle of Dust and Angeldust (1992–1999) ...

) * The Choir (active, with Galaxy21 Music) *

Code of Ethics Ethical codes are adopted by organizations to assist members in understanding the difference between right and wrong and in applying that understanding to their decisions. An ethical code generally implies documents at three levels: codes of b ...

(active, currently signed with Razberry Records) *

Crashdog Crashdog was one of the first Christian punk bands and was active primarily in the early 1990s. Most of their albums were released by Grrr Records, which has also been home to Headnoise, Resurrection Band, and Glenn Kaiser, among others. Cras ...

(on indefinite hiatus) *

Crimson Thorn Crimson Thorn is an American Christian death metal band. According to Allmusic, they are "surely one of the world's most extreme-sounding Christian metal bands". Crimson Thorn has performed at Cornerstone Festival and Sonshine Festival. They hav ...

(on hiatus) *

Detritus In biology, detritus ( or ) is organic matter made up of the decomposition, decomposing remains of organisms and plants, and also of feces. Detritus usually hosts communities of microorganisms that colonize and decomposition, decompose (Reminera ...

(active, members in

Seventh Angel Seventh Angel are an English former Christian metal band that formed in 1987 in Halesowen, West Midlands. The band was known for its combination of doom metal and thrash metal. The band initially released two albums, '' The Torment'' (1990) a ...

) *

Fleming & John Fleming and John is a musical husband and wife team, Fleming McWilliams and John Mark Painter, currently living in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. The couple met while attending Belmont University in Nashville, and immediately began collabo ...

(active, with Dweeb Records) * Four Living Creatures (disbanded; members went on to form Sweet Nectar, Elder and Fell Desire) * Haven (disbanded) *

Hot Pink Turtle DigHayZoose was a Christian funk and modern rock band from Kansas City, Missouri. The ''Encyclopedia of Contemporary Christian Music'' describes them as "One of the first Christian alternative rock bands of the 1990s". Their name, when spoken, ...

(disbanded; High School Buddies of Dig Hay Zoose; together, members went on to form Dev Null) * The Lead (disbanded; members went on to form Frank's Enemy) * Leader Dogs for the Blind (disbanded) *

Living Sacrifice Living Sacrifice is an American Christian metal band formed in Little Rock, Arkansas, in 1989. The band has released eight studio albums, out of which the first three were recorded under R.E.X. Records with their original vocalist Darren John ...

(active, with

Solid State Records Tooth & Nail Records is a record label founded by Brandon Ebel in California in November 1993. The label later moved to Seattle where it is today. History Brandon Ebel and Michael Knott conceived the label as a joint venture, before Knott backe ...

) *

Kerry Livgren Kerry Allen Livgren (born September 18, 1949) is an American musician, best known as one of the founding members and primary songwriters for the American rock band Kansas. Livgren, raised in Topeka, Kansas, developed an early interest in musi ...

(inactive) * Killed By Cain (disbanded) *

Rose A rose is either a woody perennial plant, perennial flowering plant of the genus ''Rosa'' (), in the family Rosaceae (), or the flower it bears. There are over three hundred Rose species, species and Garden roses, tens of thousands of cultivar ...

(inactive) * Mercy Rule (disbanded) * No Laughing Matter (inactive) *

Paramaecium Paramaecium (sometimes typeset as Paramæcium) was an Australian death/doom metal band formed in 1991. There is use of instrumentation like flutes, cellos and violins on some albums. Paramaecium is one of the few doom metal bands that focus o ...

(disbanded; members went on to form

InExordium Paramaecium (sometimes typeset as Paramæcium) was an Australian death metal, death/doom metal, doom metal band formed in 1991. There is use of instrumentation like flutes, cellos and violins on some albums. Paramaecium is one of the few doom ...

and

Revulsed Revulsed is an Australian death metal band that was founded in 2010. Revulsed's debut album ''Infernal Atrocity'' was featured on Trevor Strnad of The Black Dahlia Murder (band), the Black Dahlia Murder's best albums of 2015 lists. History Af ...

) * Passafist (disbanded) * Rocketboy (disbanded) *

Sacrament A sacrament is a Christian rite which is recognized as being particularly important and significant. There are various views on the existence, number and meaning of such rites. Many Christians consider the sacraments to be a visible symbol ...

(disbanded) *

Six Feet Deep Six Feet Deep was an American punk and heavy metal band started in 1991, which became popular in the mid-west United States due to success of their debut album. A review on ''Cross Rhythms'' of the band's album, '' Struggle'' was a 10/10 revi ...

(disbanded; members went on to form

Brandtson Brandtson was an American rock band from Cleveland, Ohio. History The band formed in 1996 and first recorded for a Stead Fast Records compilation entitled ''Radiowaves and Gibberish'' in 1997. Soon after the group signed with Deep Elm Records, ...

) *

Sixpence None the Richer Sixpence None the Richer is an American Christian alternative rock band that formed in New Braunfels, Texas, and eventually settled in Nashville, Tennessee. They are best known for their songs " Kiss Me" and " Breathe Your Name" and their cover ...

(active, with

Credential Recordings Credential Recordings is a pop and rock record label in Nashville, Tennessee. The label branched out after a distribution agreement with Lowercase People Records for Switchfoot singer Jon Foreman's solo EPs, which tend to be more folk-acoustic in ...

) * Sweet Nectar (disbanded) * The Throes (active, currently unsigned) * The Walk (active under name BRIDGE PROPHETS) *

Trytan Trytan is a Christian progressive / glam metal / hard rock band from Chicago, Illinois, musically similar to Rush. The band was ministry oriented, and had what Christian music critic John J. Thompson characterized as a significant impact on t ...

(disbanded) * Veni Domine (disbanded) * Whitecross (active, with Dark Star Records)

References

External links

Interview with Klay of Circle of Dust about R.E.X. Records

Discogs: R.E.X. Music profile
{{Authority control Christian record labels Record labels disestablished in 1995 American independent record labels

Operations

Artists

See also

References

External links