Metal Blade Records history by Dan Slessor:
Founded upon owner Brian Slagel's enduring drive to find great bands and get their music out to as many people as possible, since 1982 Metal Blade has brought wave after wave of powerful, innovative, and often genre-defining music to the ever-hungry metal masses. It is this ethos that has seen Metal Blade build up a stunning and diverse catalogue, weather the various storms facing any independent label, and in an age of declining record sales boast the most successful years of its existence as it strides into its fourth decade.

What perhaps makes this achievement all the more notable is the fact that Slagel never even intended to start a label. Working in an LA record store and writing for various publications, Slagel was acutely aware that many great bands in the local metal scene were being ignored, and he decided to release a compilation of tracks drawn from these ranks. "There were a lot of really good bands and I was just bummed out that nobody could hear them. It just seemed like I could help them out and have some fun at the same time, and that compilation was the first Metal Massacre," he states. Collating tracks from then unknown bands including Ratt, Bitch, Cirith Ungol, and Metallica amongst others, the compilation sold out immediately. "How important is Metal Blade to our career? They're only the reason we are enjoying the worldwide success we have today," states Metallica's James Hetfield. "Without Brian's openness to some raunchy teens with a crap sounding cassette tape we would be who knows where, and playing who knows what!" With the popularity of the tape spurring Slagel on, the first seeds of Metal Blade were sown. "After the success of those compilations I just started putting out records of bands that I was friends with, but without ever really intending it to be a label at all," he explains. "After I put out four or five releases I started to feel like something was happening, and I decided to quit the record store and quit college and see where it went."

Battling through the first few lean years, when the label consisted solely of Slagel working out of his mom's poorly ventilated garage in the San Fernando Valley, it gradually grew in both revenue and stature. Within a few years Metal Blade would go on to release the debuts of Slayer, Armored Saint, Trouble, and Corrosion Of Conformity amongst others, fanning the flames of the burgeoning metal scene and launching careers of bands that would go onto reap global success. "Without Metal Blade, there is a damn good chance we never would've made it out of L.A," says Slayer's Kerry King. "That was the one bit of luck we needed. You can be the most awesome band on the scene, and if no one notices you, you don't catch on. And Brian Slagel is still one of the biggest metalheads I know!" This genuine love and devotion to metal is central to the relationship many of the artists have with Metal Blade, and King Diamond credits much of its relevance and strength to this passion. "I refer to it as having 'boots on the ground'," the mighty Dane states. "It's not like a major label where some people might be into what you're doing but a lot of them just see it as a job – there's a genuine love for metal there. Through staying true to that and doing their own thing they've carved out a very specific niche that they control, and as an artist it's wonderful to be a part of that."over the years. Clearly without those people we couldn't do what we do, and to everyone out there who has helped us along by being a fan we are so very grateful to you."

Read more: http://www.metalblade.com/us/about-us/

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Godfather has had a very successful career over the years. Voted 15th best DJ in America by the readers of DJ Times and Pioneer Pro DJ for 2011 and in 2012 out of the top 100, best DJ in Detroit by Real Detroit magazine 5 years in a row (2008-2013), and is now the Red Bull Thre3stlye champion of Detroit for 2013! With sponsorships from Serato and Native Instruments, Godfather currently released an expansion pack entitled Dirty Knock for the iMaschine and Maschine, the industry standard drum machine by Native Instruments with endorsements from Diplo, Lil Jon, Steve Aoki, Disco Fries, Danny Daze, DJ Fuck and more. He plays it all from open format/mashup parties to  house to the deepest trap, ghetto tech and juke parties incorporating his battle style turntablism in his sets. He has played across the globe numerous times in cities all over Europe, Asia, Australia, United States, Canada, China, Japan and South America and receives worldwide recognition.

Lets take a look at it from the beginning!:

DJ Godfather is considered one of the founding fathers of the genre we now know as Ghetto Tech. He started DJing at the age of 15 with the help of, now business partner, DJ Dick. Within a few months of getting his turntables, Godfather was already playing in nightclubs and after hour parties all over Detroit. He started producing at the age of 17 for his first Miami Bass style group Bass Association. With the buzz of a few singles off the Bass Association album on 3 Detroit radio stations, Godfather made his first solo record at the age of 18 on the now Twilight 76 Records entitled "Work Dat". Taking his turntablism skills and mixing Detroit Techno music with Miami Bass music, and new sound was born, Ghetto Tech. With the formation of their new record label Twilight 76 with partners DJ Dick and Brian Gillespie, he took his talent and turned it into an entire business creating 3 other labels known as Databass Records, D.E.T. Only (An exclusive label with only 1000 copies of each release), and Juke Trax (A label dedicated to the Chicago style of Ghetto House and Juke music). With all 4 record labels combined, Godfather and his partners released over 250 vinyl releases and mix CD releases, selling over 800,000 units worldwide. You can hear DJ Godfather tracks on the 2 videos games, NBA 2K6 and NBA 2K7 on 2K Sports. He was also the first DJ to be released on the Serato digital download series, using Scratch Live technology and tracks only available digitally for a mix cd entitled "For The Freaks". With 12" vinyl record sales slowing down over the past years, Godfather and his partners stopped pressing vinyl and embraced the digital download world with their own digital distribution company and 2 online MP3 stores, Secretremixes.com for Mashups and DJ Remixes along with Electrobounce.com for Trap, Ghetto Tech, Electro, Techno and Juke music. They also started Soundbully, A digital distribution company that offers digital distribution to over 187 MP3 stores and ring tone carriers worldwide.

Godfather is also producing under 2 other names. Don Dada which is a duo group with DJ Zebo out of Chicago incorporating trap music with juke, ghetto tech and electro house with 4 turntables in their live sets. Reviews have been fantastic as they already played Movement in Detroit and Spring Awakening in Chicago along with some other big music festivals. The other allis is Detroit Muscle which is strictly house music. Having remixed artists such as Lil Jon, Diplo, Aston Shuffle (Ministry Of Sound), Bad Boy Bill and more!

Recent projects Godfather has been involved in are remixes for Laidback Luke' "Pogo", Dizzee Rascal's "Bassline Junkie" and Baauer's "Harlem Shake which have all made the #1 monthly downloaded track on Serato's Whitelable.net and the 40 Oz Profits, making it in the top 100 on Beatport. Don Dada is also ready to release their Debut single "Rock Ya Whole Block" along with 2 follow up tracks. 


‘WORK’ out now:
https://www.cybr.at/work

Fat Wreck Chords is an indie label co-founded in San Francisco by NOFX frontman Fat Mike (Michael Burkett) and Erin Kelly-Burkett, in 1990. The first wave of bands signed to FAT (No Use For A Name, NOFX, Propagandhi, Lagwagon, and more) shaped what became known as the Fat Wreck sound. FAT continues to be an artist-friendly label and has a unique business model of signing bands to one record deals. Going on its third decade, FAT boastfully remains a 100% independently owned and operated company.

Grammy-nominated reggae/hip-hop/alternative artist. The new self-titled album, Matisyahu, is out now on vinyl, digital and CD.

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