avex trax

Information
Avex Group Holdings Inc. (エイベックス・グループ・ホールディングス株式会社, Eibekkusu Gurūpu Hōrudingusu Kabushiki-gaisha) is the holding company for a group of entertainment-related subdiaries based in Japan. The origin of the word Avex comes from the English words Audio Visual Expert.

Avex was Japan's leading dance record company during the nineties, and continues producting and recording some of Japan's most famous J-pop singers. Avex Trax also provides theme music soundtracks to many anime and a few video games.

History
The company was established in 1988 as "Avex D.D., Inc", a CD wholesaler. They opened a recording studio and created Avex Trax as a music label in 1990. In the same year, they created "Musique Folio Inc.", a music publishing company, which later became "Prime Direction Inc." In 1993, they created a U.S. branch, called "AV Experience America Inc." The year also marked the first of Avex's yearly events. It was held in Tokyo Dome under the name "avex rave '93" and attracted 50,000 attendees. In 1994, they formed two UK subsidiaries, "Rhythm Republic Limited" and "Avex U.K. Limited". Later that year, they opened a disco, claimed in their website to be "the world's largest scale disco".

In 1997, they opened a series of concert halls calles "Zepp" along with Sony Music Entertainment. In early 1999, they signed an agreement with Walt Disney Records and Hollywood Records to handle both companies' Japanese CD releases. Later that year "Avex Mode", an animation company, was established.

In 2001, Avex opened "avex artists academy", a music school. In 2002, they released the "CCCD", a type of copy-protected CD. In 2003, they opened a classical music business. In 2004, they began salleing Japanese music CDs in South Korea.

In 2004, Avex President Max Matsuura "spotted" former-idol Ami Suzuki performing live at the annual festival of their school, Nihon University. He subsequently signed her to the Avex label.

In 2005, Avex acquired distribution rights for Aozora Records' catalogue including all future Hitomi Yaida releases.

As part of Avex Group's 20th anniversary celebration, the big project is occuring with avex trax's ever "produced by avex trax" artists, the band Girl Next Door formed and debuted in September 2008.

a-nation
Each year since 2002, Avex has hosted a summer concert tour around Japan, "a-nation", featuring the company's most successful acts. Top Avex acts are Hamasaki Ayumi, Koda Kumi, BoA, TVXQ, TRF, Ai Otsuka and Every Little Thing, have performed to major crowds each year. In 2008, Namie Amuro made her first appearance at a-nation and performed all dated that year. Because it was her first appearance at the event, she requested and was granted permission to be the first performer (top batter) for the headlining major acts portion of each event.

Artist
This is a list of artists currently or formerly signed under the avex trax record label and its sub-labels in Japan and in other Asian countries. International artists that may be listed here have their music distributed in Japan by Avex Trax.

A

 * AAA: Attack All Around
 * Acid Back Cherry
 * Aiba Hiroki
 * ASIA ENGINEER
 * Aikawa Nanase
 * Amuro Namie
 * Arashio Beni
 * alan
 * Ak'sent
 * Aural Vampire

B

 * BACK-ON
 * BeForU
 * BoA
 * BAReeeeeeeeeeN

C

 * Caravan (Rhythm Zone)
 * COLOR (Rhytum Zone)
 * Cyndi Wang
 * Club Prince
 * Clazziquai

D

 * D
 * D&B
 * DA PUMP
 * Day after tomorrow
 * Do As Infinity (disbanded 2005; regrouped 2008)
 * Deep White
 * Danson Tang
 * DRM
 * DJ OZMA

E

 * Every Little Thing
 * EXILE
 * 8-Ball
 * 18thDYE (Danish German band)

F

 * Fayray (2001-2003)
 * Folder 5
 * Marty Friedman

G

 * Girl Next Door
 * globe
 * Goto Maki (Rhythm zone)

H

 * Hamasaki Ayumi
 * Atsuka Hinoi
 * Hinoi Team
 * hitomi
 * Vivian Hsu (2003-2007)
 * Hiroko Shimabukuro

I

 * i.n.g.

J

 * Janne Da Arc
 * Johnsson Anna
 * JONTE
 * JS

K

 * kannivalism
 * Kazuki Kato
 * Kayo Aiko
 * Keiko
 * Kosaka Riyu
 * Koda Kumi (Rhythm Zone)
 * Tetsuya Komuro
 * K ONE
 * Kimi Ren
 * Kishidan

L

 * Cheryl Lynn
 * Lia
 * Lisa
 * Lisa Ono
 * The Loose Dogs

M

 * MAY


 * Makihara Noriyuki
 * Moeko Matsushita
 * mink
 * Misono
 * Missile Innovation
 * MEGARYU
 * M.O.V.E
 * m-flo
 * MONKEY MAJIK
 * Mother Ninja
 * moumoon
 * Marié Digby
 * McFly

N

 * Nao Nagasawa
 * Ataru Nakamura

O

 * Okumura Hatsune
 * Oblivion Dust
 * Olivia
 * O-Zone
 * Ai Otsuka

P

 * PARADISE GO!! GO!!
 * the pillows
 * Lucas Prata

R

 * Rather Unique
 * Rider Chips
 * Rin'
 * Road of Major

S

 * Sakamoto Ryuichi
 * Satomi Tagasuki
 * Hitomi Shimatani
 * Shinichi Osawa
 * Sifow
 * speena
 * Starr Gazer
 * Sugarcult
 * Super Junior (Avex Asia)
 * Ami Suzuki
 * SweetS
 * Sweetbox

T

 * TRF
 * Tackey and Tsubasa
 * Hiroshi Tamaki
 * Nana Tanimura
 * Tank (Avex Asia)
 * Tenjochiki (Rhythm Zone)
 * Tohoshinki (Rhythm Zone)
 * Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra
 * tomboy
 * The TRAX
 * Thara
 * Anna Tsuchiya

V

 * V6
 * Tomiko Van
 * Vanilla Mood

W

 * Wu Bai & China Blue

Y

 * Elliott Yamin
 * Yazima Beauty Salon
 * Takuro Yoshida

Z

 * Z-Chen
 * Zelda
 * ZZ

Sub-labels

 * Avex Entertainment
 * Avex Trance
 * Avex Mode
 * Avex Tube
 * Avex Globe
 * Cutting Edge
 * Rhythm Republic
 * Rhythm Zone
 * Riddim Zone
 * Espionage Records
 * Disc Du Soleil
 * Mad Pray Records
 * Motorod Records
 * Love Life Records
 * Sonic Groove
 * Tearbridge Records
 * True Song Music
 * J-More
 * Avex International (For international acts)