Extasy Records

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Extasy Records
180px
Founded April 1986
Founder Yoshiki Hayashi
Status Active
Distributor(s) Media Factory (music division)/QQS Distribution
Warner Music Group (-2001) [1]
indies (2007-)
Genre Rock, metal, punk
Country of origin Japan
Location Tokyo
Los Angeles
Official website extasyrecords.co.jp

Extasy Records is a Japanese record label founded in April 1986 by Yoshiki Hayashi, co-founder of the heavy metal band X Japan. The label's first release was X's 1986 single "Orgasm".[2]

Over the next few years, the label signed several then-little-known bands, among them future million-selling Glay and Luna Sea. Extasy along with Free-Will are credited with helping to spread the visual kei movement.[3] The label also hosted a series of events to promote the groups, called Extasy Summits, which would also feature formerly signed bands that had already moved on to a major label.[2]

History

Yoshiki Hayashi founded Extasy Records in Japan in 1986, using money he received from his mother when she sold her business.[4] His band X Japan (then still named X) released their second single, "Orgasm", as the label's first release. In 1988, their debut album Vanishing Vision came out and was a huge success for an independent band.[4] Over the next couple of years Extasy signed many bands that would go on to have varying degrees of success and produced their early records, including Glay, Zi:Kill, Tokyo Yankees and Ladies Room.

In February 1991, Yoshiki's X Japan band mate hide saw a band called Lunacy perform, and introduced him to them.[5] Yoshiki signed them to Extasy, they changed their name to Luna Sea and took part in the label's Nuclear Fusion Tour in March with Gilles de Rais and Sighs of Love Potion.[5] On the tour, a 3-track sample CD including a song from each band was released.[6] The following year Luna Sea's debut album was released and they held a successful 45-date tour, enabling them to sign with major label MCA Victor in May 1992.[5]

To promote their bands, the label organized concerts called Extasy Summits, which besides current contracted bands, also included former acts who had left for major record labels.[4] The first was held at Osaka Bourbon House in September 1988, with several more held, including one at Shibuya Public Hall in September 1989.[4] Footage from two of the concerts was recorded and released on VHS (the second also on Laserdisc); Unrivaled is Extasy!! (無敵と書いてEXTASYと読む!!?) recorded at the Nippon Budokan in October 1991 and Extasy Summit 1992 ~ Minna ga Mumei-Datta, Dakedo... Muteki-Datta (EXTASY SUMMIT1992~みんな無名だった、だけど…無敵だった?) recorded at Osaka-jō Hall in October 1992. The October 1992 Summit was actually X Japan's first public performance with their new bassist Heath.[7]

On June 21, 2000, the compilation album History of Extasy 15th Anniversary was released.[8] It includes 19 songs released by 14 different bands while on the label in celebration of its 15th anniversary. The album reached number 14 on the Oricon music chart.[8]

In September 2007, Yoshiki announced that the soundtrack for the American movie Catacombs would be released on Extasy Records International. The soundtrack includes songs by Violet UK and Zilch.[9]

Artists

All artists were at one point on the label.

Extasy Records

  • Acid Bell
  • Brain Drive
  • Breath
  • Deep
  • Ex-Ans
  • Gilles de Rais
  • Glay
  • Hypermania
  • La Vie En Rose
  • Ladies Room
  • Luna Sea
  • P2H
  • Poison/Poison Arts
  • Screaming Mad George & Psychosis
  • Sweet Death/Media Youth
  • The Hate Honey
  • The Zolge
  • Tokyo Yankees
  • Velvet Blue
  • Virus
  • X Japan
  • Youthquake
  • Zi:Kill

Extasy Japan

File:Extasy logo.svg
The sub-label logo used for Extasy Japan and Extasy International.

Extasy International

Extasy Recording Studios

Extasy Recording Studios was a recording studio complex owned by Yoshiki Hayashi at 5253 Lankershim Blvd in North Hollywood, California, United States. Formerly known as One on One Recording Studios, Yoshiki bought it, from the previous owner Jim David, in 1992 and renamed the studio, after his record label, in 1999.[10] Discussing the purchase in 2010, Yoshiki explained that in LA people told him that One on One had the "best drum-sounding room" and so he attempted to book recording time there. However, Metallica had it booked for "almost a year straight" for their self-titled album with numerous bands scheduled after that, and he was told sarcastically that the only way to get in was to buy it, so he did.[11]

Previously, well-known albums were recorded there, including ...And Justice for All and Metallica (better known as The Black Album) by Metallica,[12] When the Pawn... by Fiona Apple,[13] Crazy Nights and Psycho Circus by Kiss,[14] and Dirt by Alice in Chains.

Since Yoshiki purchased the facility in 1992, X Japan and Yoshiki's related projects were the main recordings.

Extasy Recording Studios was taken over by 17 Hertz, LLC in 2012 and is now known as 17 Hertz Studio.[15]

References

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External links

  1. ↑ [1]
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  10. ↑ Billboard 27 Nov 1999, p. 52
  11. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  12. ↑ Who's Who?. Encyclopedia Metallica. Retrieved October 4, 2007.
  13. ↑ Studios. EQ interview. Retrieved March 16, 2014.
  14. ↑ Studios. The Kiss FAQ. Retrieved October 4, 2007.
  15. ↑ 17 Hertz Studio Website
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