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Mo' Wax
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{{Short description|Defunct English record label}} {{Use dmy dates|date=November 2023}} {{Use British English|date=September 2013}} {{Infobox record label <!-- See Wikipedia:WikiProject_Music --> | name = Mo' Wax | image = | image_size = | image_alt = | caption = | parent = [[Island Records]] (majority of catalogue) | founded = {{Start date|1992}} | founder = [[James Lavelle]] | defunct = <!-- {{End date|2002}} --> | status = Inactive | distributor = [[PIAS Group]] | genre = | country = United Kingdom | location = | website = <!-- {{URL|example.com}} --> }} '''Mo' Wax''' was a British [[record label]] founded by [[James Lavelle]] in [[1992]].<ref name="Larkin90">{{cite book|title=[[The Encyclopedia of Popular Music|The Virgin Encyclopedia of Nineties Music]]|editor=Colin Larkin|editor-link=Colin Larkin (writer)|publisher=[[Virgin Books]]|date=2000|edition=First|isbn=0-7535-0427-8|page=268}}</ref> The label was not co-founded by [[Tim Goldsworthy]], as is often reported.<ref>{{Citation |title=Christopher Tubbs interviews DJ and UNKLE producer James Lavelle |url=https://vimeo.com/76140183 |language=en |access-date=2022-03-25}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |author=Kev Geoghegan |date=13 June 2014 |title=Meltdown is 'something joyous' says curator James Lavelle |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-27698391 |access-date=13 June 2014 |publisher=BBC News}}</ref> Steve Finan became co-owner shortly after. Mo' Wax came to recognition for being at the forefront of [[trip hop]], [[turntablism]] and [[alternative hip hop]] during the mid-1990s. The label also released notable records covering [[techno]], [[drum and bass]] and [[Electro (music)|electro]]. Mo' Wax also helped the graffiti artist [[Futura 2000]] regain popularity, by using his artwork on many of their releases in the 1990s. Lavelle signed partial ownership of Mo' Wax over to [[A&M Records]] (now part of the [[Universal Music Group]]) in 1996.<ref name="Larkin90" /> When their deal expired he signed with [[Beggars Group]], who still own some of the catalogue.<ref name="Larkin90" /><ref>{{Cite periodical|last=Paoletta|first=Michael|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=MAoEAAAAMBAJ&q=wax|title=U.K.'s Mo' Wax Inks Joint Venture With XL|date=1998-11-28|magazine=Billboard|volume=110|page=6|number=48|language=en}}</ref> The name derives from "Mo'Wax Please", the title of a column James Lavelle wrote in the magazine ''[[Straight No Chaser (magazine)|Straight No Chaser]]'' and the Oxford club night he ran. This in turn was influenced by the [[Freddie Roach (organist)|Freddie Roach]] LP, ''[[Mo' Greens Please]]'' on [[Blue Note records]].<ref>{{Cite book|last=Gaunt|first=James|title=Making Psyence Fiction|publisher=Foxteeth Press|year=2020|isbn=9781702889346|pages=12, 14}}</ref> The original Mo' Wax logo as used on the early releases was designed by UK graphic designer Ian Swift "Swifty" and the label grew their reputation by featuring artwork contributions from [[Futura 2000|Futura]], [[Robert Del Naja]] (from [[Massive Attack]]), She One, ''[[Req|Req1 ]]'' and [[Kostas Seremetis]]. [[Ben Drury]] and Will Bankhead were the main designers responsible for the art direction and design of the label.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Gaunt|first=James|date=2021-08-01|title=Art of Mo' Wax: Ben Drury|url=https://medium.com/mo-wax-where-are-they-now/art-of-mo-wax-ben-drury-593effc78409|access-date=2021-12-24|website=Mo' Wax β Where Are They Now|language=en}}</ref> The label also released toys and art prints under their Mo' Wax Arts (MWA) imprint, and collaborated with artists such as [[Mark Gonzales]], [[Mike Mills (director)|Mike Mills]], and [[Money Mark]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Mo Wax Arts β complete listings|url=https://www.mowaxdiscography.com/mwa.html|access-date=2021-12-24|website=Mo Wax Discography|language=en}}</ref> The label shut in 2002 and was celebrated in 2014 with an exhibition titled "Urban Archaeology: 21 years of Mo' Wax".<ref>{{cite news |last1=Dhaliwal |first1=Ranjit |title=Urban Archaeology β 21 years of Mo'Wax β in pictures |url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/gallery/2014/jun/13/urban-archaeology-21-years-of-mowax-in-pictures |access-date=17 April 2019 |newspaper=[[The Guardian]]}}</ref> In 2015, Lavelle licensed back the Mo' Wax label to release [[Elliott Power]]'s "Murmur" single as a limited edition hand stamped [[12" vinyl]].<ref>{{cite web|last1=Delany|first1=Joseph|title=Elliott Power: Murmur|url=https://www.nowness.com/story/elliott-power-murmer-james-lavelle-mo-wax|website=Nowness.com|date=5 September 2015|access-date=2016-04-29}}</ref> On 26 February 2016, Elliott Power's debut album, ''Once Smitten'', was released on Mo' Wax in collaboration with Marathon Artists.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Stewart-Lockhart|first1=George|title=Elliott Power β Once Smitten|url=https://www.discogs.com/Elliott-Power-Once-Smitten/release/8172356|date=3 March 2016|publisher=Discogs|access-date=2016-04-02}}</ref> This is the label's most recent release.
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