Avant Records

Founded	1992 (1992)
Founder	John Zorn Kazunori Sugiyama
Defunct	2004 (2004)
Status	Defunct
Distributor(s)	DIW, Disk Union (physical)
Genre	Avant-garde jazz, free improvisation, experimental
Country of origin	Japan
Location	Chiyoda, Tokyo

Avant Records was a record label in Japan that specialized in avant-garde jazz, avant rock, and experimental music. The label released more than 80 albums between 1992 and 2004.

History

New York saxophonist John Zorn was signed to Nonesuch, but his band Naked City recorded music that required a different label. He started Avant in 1992 as a division of DIW/Disk Union in Japan and produced its first albums.^[1]

The label's roster included Derek Bailey, Duck Baker, Cyro Baptista, Joey Baron, Steve Beresford, Anthony Coleman, Sylvie Courvoisier, Dave Douglas, Mark Feldman, Erik Friedlander, Wayne Horvitz, Joe Maneri, Misha Mengelberg, William Parker, Bobby Previte, and Min Xiao-Fen.^[1]

In 1995 Zorn and Kazunori Sugiyama started Tzadik Records in New York as a vehicle for Zorn's albums and for musicians who recorded for Avant.

Discography

Avan 001: Naked City – Heretic
Avan 002: Naked City – Grand Guignol
Avan 003: Naked City – Radio
Avan 004: Naked City – Absinthe
Avan 005: Various Artists – In His Own Sweet Way: A Tribute to Dave Brubeck
Avan 006: DNA – DNA (Last Live at CBGB's)
Avan 007: Buckethead – Bucketheadland
Avan 008: Fushitsusha – Allegorical Misunderstanding
Avan 009: Anton Fier – Dreamspeed
Avan 010: Blind Idiot God – Cyclotron
Avan 011: Anthony Coleman – Disco by Night
Avan 012: Peter Garland – Nana & Victorio
Avan 013: David Shea – Shock Corridor
Avan 014: George E. Lewis – Voyager
Avan 015: Lee Hyla – In Double Light
Avan 016: John Oswald – Plexure
Avan 017: Rough Assemblage – Construction and Demolition
Avan 018: Zeena Parkins – Isabelle
Avan 019: Dave Soldier – SMUT
Avan 020: David Weinstein – Perfume
Avan 021: Min Xiaofen – With Six Composers
Avan 022: Stephen Drury – Faith, The Loss of Faith, and the Return of Faith
Avan 023: Romero Lubambo – Lubambo
Avan 024: John French – O Solo Drumbo
Avan 025: Naked City – Radio, Vol. 2 (Never Recorded)
Avan 026: Boredoms – Wow 2
Avan 027: Pigpen – V as in Victim
Avan 028: James Plotkin – The Joy of Disease
Avan 029: Cake Like – Delicious
Avan 030: Ikue Mori – Painted Desert
Avan 031: Various – Disco Bhangra: Wedding Bands From Rajasthan
Avan 032: God Is My Co-Pilot – Mir Shlufn Nisht
Avan 033: Marc Ribot – Shrek
Avan 034: Z'EV – Heads & Tales
Avan 035: Ben Goldberg – Twelve Minor
Avan 036: Bobby Previte's Empty Suits – Slay the Suitors
Avan 037: Phillip Johnston's Big Trouble – The Unknown
Avan 038: Misha Mengelberg Trio – Who's Bridge
Avan 039: Steve Beresford – Signals for Tea
Avan 040: Duck Baker – Spinning Song: Duck Baker Plays the Music of Herbie Nichols
Avan 041: Bob Ostertag – Fear No Love
Avan 042: Chris Cochrane – Bath
Avan 043: Weird Little Boy – Weird Little Boy
Avan 044: Eugene Chadbourne – Pain Pen
Avan 045: Jenny Scheinman Quartet – Live at Yoshi's
Avan 046: Liu Sola & Wu Man – China Collage
Avan 047: Smarnamisa! – Resia Valley Music
Avan 048: Andy Haas – Arnhem Land
Avan 049: Makigami Koichi – John Zorn's Cobra: Tokyo Operations '94
Avan 050: Derek Bailey & Min Xiao–Fen – Viper
Avan 051: Dim Sum Clip Job – Harmolodic Jeopardy
Avan 052: Jad Fair & The Shapir–O'Rama – We Are The Rage
Avan 053: Prelapse – Prelapse
Avan 054: Pieces – I Need 5 Minutes Alone
Avan 055: Larval – Larval
Avan 056: Derek Bailey/John Zorn/William Parker – Harras
Avan 057: Erik Friedlander – Chimera
Avan 058: Arcado String Trio – Live in Europe
Avan 059: Joey Baron & Barondown – Crackshot
Avan 060: Derek Bailey – Guitar, Drums N Bass
Avan 061: Cyro Baptista – Vira Loucos
Avan 062: Drums of Death
Avan 063: Bernard Woma – Live at the Pito Bar
Avan 064: Abdulai Bangoura – Sigiri
Avan 065: Mark Feldman & Sylvie Courvoisier – Music for Violin and Piano
Avan 066: Dave Douglas – Sanctuary
Avan 067: Joe Maneri – Paniots Nine
Avan 068: Jamie Saft/Cuong Vu – Ragged Jack
Avan 069: Bruce Ackley – The Hearing
Avan 070: Marie McAuliffe – Plays the Music of Burt Bacharach
Avan 071: Whistling Hangmen – Barhopping
Avan 072: Alva – Fair-Haired Guilletine
Avan 073: EasSide Percussion – ESP
Avan 074: Keiji Haino– An Unclear Trial: More Than This
Avan 075: Dragon Blue – Hades Park
Avan 076: Dying Ground – Dying Ground
Avan 077: David Watson – Skirl
Avan 078: Harriet Tubman – Prototype (2000)^[2]
Avan 079: Vivian Sisters – Vivian Sisters
Avan 080: Wayne Horvitz Four Plus One Ensemble – From a Window
Avan 081: Bill Laswell vs. Submerged (DJ) – Brutal Calling

References

^ ^a ^b Kennedy, Gary (2002). Kernfeld, Barry (ed.). The New Grove Dictionary of Jazz. Vol. 1 (2nd ed.). New York: Grove's Dictionaries. p. 172. ISBN 1-56159-284-6.
^ "Harriet Tubman: The Band". Maurice Montoya Music Agency. 2017. Retrieved 2018-11-21.