Nothing Records
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2008-07-07T02:51:53Z
Little Mountain 5
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Reverted edits by [[Special:Contributions/75.186.52.199|75.186.52.199]] ([[User talk:75.186.52.199|talk]]) to last version by Drewcifer3000
{{Infobox record label
| name = Nothing Records
| image = [[Image:Nothing.gif|150px|The Nothing Records logo, set in [[negative space]].]]
| image_bg = black
| parent = [[Interscope Records]]
| founded = 1992
| founder = [[Trent Reznor]]<br />[[John Malm, Jr.]]
| status = Defunct (2004)
| distributor =
| genre = [[Industrial rock]]<br />[[Electronic music|Electronic]]
| country = [[United States of America|USA]]
| location = [[New Orleans, Louisiana]]
| url = [http://www.nothingrecords.com nothingrecords.com] (defunct)
}}
'''Nothing Records''' was an [[United States|American]] [[record label]], specializing in [[industrial rock]] and [[electronic music]], founded by [[Trent Reznor]] (of [[Nine Inch Nails]]) and [[John Malm, Jr.]] in 1992. It is considered an example of a [[vanity label]], where an artist is able to run a label, with some degree of independence, from within a larger parent company, [[Interscope]] in this case. Nothing Records is now defunct.
== Background ==
The Nothing record label is most famous for its two original signings, Trent Reznor's own band [[Nine Inch Nails]] and then-obscure [[Marilyn Manson (band)|Marilyn Manson]]. (Nothing released all of Marilyn Manson's records up to ''[[Lest We Forget (album)|Lest We Forget]]'' in 2004.) Other artists signed to the label rarely reached the height of support, marketing and name-recognition that both Nine Inch Nails and Marilyn Manson had attained.
Still, the label gained semi-iconic status within the [[industrial rock]] scene, and even acquired its own online-fanzine in ''Sick Among the Pure'', although this later became a more general industrial fanzine, and ceased to exist at all in 2005. The Nothing label would often reward its fanbase over the Internet — one form of this outreach was Radio Nothing: an exclusive collection of free [[MP3]] music streams, compiled by Nothing label artists, producers and fans.
In September 2004, coinciding with Trent Reznor leaving [[New Orleans]] for the [[West Coast of the United States|west coast]], the Nine Inch Nails website announced "nothing studios: 1994-2004", suggesting that Nothing Studios was no more.<!-- pun intended? --> This later proved to be the end of the associated record label as well. Speculation among listeners that the label could continue ceased when Trent Reznor successfully sued co-founder [[John Malm, Jr.]] for [[fraud]] and breach of [[fiduciary duty]] (amongst others), ensuring that the Nothing era was over.
In a May 5, 2005 post to nin.com,<ref name="multiple">{{cite web
| last = Reznor
| first = Trent
| authorlink = Trent Reznor
| url = http://www.nin.com/access/5_05_05/questions06.gif
| archiveurl = http://web.archive.org/web/20070305025756/http://www.nin.com/access/5_05_05/questions06.gif
| archivedate = [[2007-03-05]]
| publisher = Nine Inch Nails
| title = Access
| accessdate = 2008-02-16}}</ref> Trent wrote, "''To be clear: my involvement with Nothing Records is over. Is Nothing Records alive or an entity? You'd have to ask [[John Malm, Jr.|John Malm]] (we're not really speaking that much these days)... Nothing studios is still in New Orleans and I'm not sure what I'll do with it. I'll figure that out when I finish touring.''"
While ''[[With Teeth]]'' and its following singles carry the Nothing Records logo, Reznor has publicly stated that this was at the insistence of [[John Malm, Jr.|John Malm]].<ref name="multiple">
"[[Beside You In Time]]" (Released in February 2007) also carries the Nothing Records logo on its packaging. The logo also appears in the end credits.
"[[Year Zero]]" (April 2007) and "[[Survivalism (song)|Survivalism]]" do not carry the Nothing logo.
Since early 2004, the official website, NothingRecords.com, has closed down.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nothingrecords.com/|title=nothingrecords.com|accessdate=2006-02-03}}</ref>
==Artists==
[[Image:Nights of Nothing MM.jpg|thumb|right|[[Marilyn Manson (band)|Marilyn Manson]] in 1996, performing during the "Nights of Nothing" tour, a showcase of Nothing Records acts.]]
In addition to [[Nine Inch Nails]] and [[Marilyn Manson (band)|Marilyn Manson]], the label also signed and released albums from [[2wo]], [[Pig (band)|Pig]], [[Pop Will Eat Itself]], [[Kevin McMahon|Prick]], [[12 Rounds]], [[Einstürzende Neubauten]], [[The The]], and [[Meat Beat Manifesto]]. Additionally, [[Coil (band)|Coil]] was under contract for a record but it was never delivered (though some of the songs from the slated Nothing album appeared in reworked form on ''[[The Ape of Naples]]''). [[John Bergin]] was also signed briefly under the name Trust Obey, but the album he recorded ("Hands of Ash") was instead released in 1996 on [[Fifth Colvmn Records]] with a sticker that quoted Reznor's reaction to the completed work: "Not a great commercial potential."
Nothing also distributed music from [[Warp Records]], [[Sheffield, England]]'s venerable [[electronic music]] label, under an exclusive license in the U.S., with albums by [[Autechre]], [[Plaid (band)|Plaid]], and [[Squarepusher]]. (Although Warp's most illustrious artist [[Aphex Twin]] appeared on the ''[[Further Down the Spiral]]'' release, he was already under a contract with [[Sire Records]] in the U.S. at the time.) This distribution deal ended when Warp expanded operations into the U.S. market in 2001.
== Nothing Studios ==
The studios, located on 4500 Magazine St., were apparently not seriously damaged by [[Hurricane Katrina]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.theninhotline.net/news/archives/backissue.php?y=05&m=9#1128110982|title=Friday News Roundup|publisher=The NIN Hotline|date=[[September 30]] [[2005]]|accessdate=2008-01-10}}</ref> On the Los Angeles radio station [[KROQ]], Reznor stated during an interview (''Breakfast with Kevin and Bean'') that the studio in New Orleans was not a studio anymore. He later put a collection of his photos on nin.com, detailing the aftermath of the hurricane on his former studios and the surrounding area, before his band played a scheduled concert (which had become a benefit for the survivors). While writing ''[[The Downward Spiral]]'', Reznor lived in the [[10050 Cielo Drive|Tate mansion]] where the [[Charles Manson|Manson family]] murders took place. After he moved out, and it was demolished, he went back and took the door as a souvenir. It became the front door to Nothing Studios.
== See also ==
* [[Nothing Records catalog]]
* [[List of record labels]]
== References ==
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{{Nine Inch Nails}}
[[Category:American record labels]]
[[Category:Companies based in New Orleans, Louisiana]]
[[Category:Record labels established in 1992]]
[[Category:Record labels disestablished in 2004]]
[[Category:Vanity record labels]]
[[Category:Industrial record labels]]
[[Category:Electronic music record labels]]
[[Category:Nine Inch Nails]]
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