About
About
About
About
About
About
About
About
About
About
About
Lex is a record label, music publisher, and film production company based in London.
Lex released its first 12" vinyl singles and EPs in 2001 and its first album late in 2002. The company was founded by Tom Brown and was initially an imprint of Warp, becoming fully independent in 2005.
Lex Records releases music by artists including Andrew Broder, Andrew Hung, BADBADNOTGOOD & Ghostface Killah, Boom Bip, Danger Mouse, Eyedress, GILA, Kaleida, Kate Tempest, Malphino, MF DOOM, Pink Siifu & Fly Anakin.
Lex produced its first short film in 2011. Lex Films has produced several live-action short films written by Alan Moore and directed by Mitch Jenkins. In 2018 Lex co-produced its first feature film, THE SHOW, which was an official selection at SXSW and Sitges film festivals.
Lexoleum, Lex’s music publishing imprint since 2012 publishes songs by Alan Moore, Becoming Real, Eyedress, GILA, Haleek Maul, Jneiro Jarel, MF DOOM and Prefuse 73.
2001
September 2001
LEXOLEUM
The first of three ‘Lexoleum’ 12″ compilations are released featuring exclusive tracks by Boom Bip, Danger Mouse, Edan, Jamie Lidell, J-Zone, Kid Acne, Madlib, Peaches and Sage Francis.
July 2001
LEX RECORDS RELEASES ITS FIRST 12″
Lex Records releases its first 12″ in a house sleeve designed by EHQuestionmark. The label is an imprint of Warp for the next four years, until September 2005.
2002
May 2002
Lex x Deal Real Take Over
Lex does a ‘take over’ of Deal Real for the historic London record store’s re-launch, with EhQuestionmark redecorating the shop inside and out.
May 2002
Solexism
The first of nine Solexism events in London. This event featured Boom Bip, Buck65, Danger Mouse and Andrew Weatherall. Future performers include Danger Mouse & Jemini, Edan, Fog, Lali Puna, The Notwist, Pole + Fat Jon, Prince Paul, Prince Poetry, Sage Francis, Subtle and Andy Votel.
July 2002
Boom Bip - 'Seed To Sun'
The first album to be released on Lex - Boom Bip ‘Seed To Sun’. Boom Bip opens for The Super Furry Animals on their US tour. Gruff Rhys from The SFA goes on to record ‘Do’s And Don’ts’ single with Boom Bip and eventually they form the group Neon Neon.
2003
July 2003
Danger Mouse & Jemini - 'Ghetto Pop Life'
Danger Mouse releases his first album in collaboration with rapper Jemini, 'Ghetto
January 2004
Hip Hop Connection - Cover Features
Danger Mouse & Jemini are the first Lex artists to feature on the front cover of a magazine, appearing on Hip Hop Connection #170 with design handled by EHQuestionmark. Danger Mouse, unable to find a mouse suite to hire a short notice for the covershoot appears in a cow costume. Hip Hop Connection, the longest running hip hop magazine in the world, will go on to run cover features on Prince Po, DANGERDOOM, Shape Of Broad Minds and DOOM.
December 2003
Urb 'Coolest New Label in the World'
Lex is 'Coolest New Label In The World' in the end of year poll in Urb Magazine.
2004
January 2004
Lex issue of Waxpoetics
Lex issue of Waxpoetics. Cover artwork by EHQuestionmark. Danger Mouse and DOOM features.
January 2004
The Grey Album
Danger Mouse splices Jay Z with The Beatles and releases The Grey Album to widespread acclaim. Released at the height of the mashup craze, it becomes the creative high water mark for the genre and Danger Mouse an unsuspecting figurehead for the copyright freedom movement. The cover is from the grey double vinyl release, with artwork by Justin Hampton. Watch The Grey Video HERE.
March 2004
Coachella festival
Coachella festival line-up includes Danger Mouse, Sage Francis and DOOM. Danger Mouse and Sage Francis (promoting his Non-Prophets album on Lex) also feature on the Cover of Urb Magazine.
2005
July 2005
Hymie's Basement - Best Music Video Award
Markus Wambsganss picks up a 'MuVi Award' for Best Music Video at the Internationale Kurzfilmtage Oberhausen for his Hymie's Basement live action video. Watch it HERE.
March 2005
Boom Bip - Urb Magazine Cover
Boom Bip and Diplo feature on the cover of Urb.
August 2005
DANGERDOOM - ‘The Mouse & The Mask’
DANGERDOOM ‘The Mouse & The Mask’ album released. Boom Bip opens for Interpol on US tour. Lex amicably splits from Warp after four years. Lex ups and moves to the other side of Kentish Town.
2006
April 2006
Gnarls Barkley - 'St Elsewhere'
Gnarls Barkley's ‘St Elsewhere’ is released and goes on to sell several million copies and racks up several platinum discs. The album is Lex branded and released via Warner. The album goes double platinum in the UK and platinum in the USA.
March 2006
Subtle - Best Music Video Award
SSSR win Best Music Video at the British Animation Awards. SSSR / Subtle musical short film 'Wishingbone’ premieres on MTV2. Subtle tour opening for TV On The Radio across the USA and remix Beck.
September 2006
Lex 5th Anniversary
Lex 5th Anniversary party with Ghostface Killah and Shape Of Broad Minds live plus an unscheduled appearance by the Game and a fleet of DeLorean cars.
2007
March 2007
Dan Le Sac vs Scroobius Pip - ‘Thou Shalt Always Kill’
Dan Le Sac vs Scroobius Pip ‘Thou Shalt Always Kill’ single released. It's Single of the Week in The NME and charts at #34 in the UK Top 40. Watch the music video HERE.
February 2007
Danger Mouse wins 2 Grammys
Danger Mouse wins his first two Grammys. He will go on to win a Golden Globe and 4 more Grammys (and be nominated a total of 23 times).
2008
May 2008
Lex Artists at Sonar Festival
Neon Neon, Willie Isz, Kid Acne and Heartbreak perform at Sonar Festival in Barcelona.
August 2008
Neon Neon perform at the Mercury Music Prize
Neon Neon perform on the Mercury Music Prize show, 'close' a sodden Bestival on the Isle of Wight and perform a free concert at Rough Trade East record shop in London.
March 2008
Neon Neon 'Stainless Style'
Neon Neon 'Stainless Style’ album released. 'Stainless Style' gets a Mercury Music Prize nomination later this year.
June 2008
First Lex Crush Event
First Lex Crush event with Neon Neon, Willie Isz and Heartbreak in London.
2009
April 2009
Ehquestionmark Exhibition
Long time Lex collaborator EHQuestionmark, W.S-S.K (Wetshame) and Kuildoosh present the P-Origins Of Pommery exhibition at Castle Cornet, St Peter Port, Guernsey.
2010
March 2010
MF DOOM - European Tour
DOOM plays his first ever live shows in Europe. The tour is sold out and includes a packed out show at London's Roundhouse with support from Lex DJs.
June 2010
Dark Night Of The Soul
Danger Mouse, Sparkle Horse, David Lynch 'Dark Night Of The Soul’ released. The album features vocals by Gruff Rhys from Neon Neon, Wayne Coyne, James Mercer and others.
January 2010
MF DOOM - 'Gazzillion Ear' EP
DOOM remix EP 'GAZZILLION EAR’ released including a collaboration with Thom Yorke, a Jneiro Jarel / Dave Sitek reworking, and a free download of the MADVILLAINZ remix featuring a preamble by Kanye West.
May 2010
Danger Mouse and James Mercer Perform Insane Lullaby on KCRW
Danger Mouse and his other half in Broken Bells, James Mercer perform a track from Dark Night Of The Soul on KCRW’s Morning Becomes Eclectic.
July 2010
Alan Moore & Mitch Jenkins - 'Unearthing' performed at The Old Vic Tunnels
Alan Moore & Mitch Jenkins 'Unearthing' performed live at the Old Vic Tunnels in London, with Crook & Flail performing live and Alan Moore reading the text. The audiobook includes an original score byAdam Drucker and Andy Broder's new group Crook&Flail and help from Mike Patton, Mogwai, Jesu, Zach Hill and others.
2011
April 2011
Danger Mouse & Danielle Luppi - 'Rome'
Danger Mouse, Danielle Luppi, Jack White and Norah Jones 'Rome’ released. Director Chris Milk works with Google Chrome to create the groundbreaking '3 Dreams Of Black’ online immersive video.
September 2011
MF DOOM lecture at the Red Bull Music Academy
DOOM drops by RBMA in Madrid to talk about his music and his mask.
November 2011
Lex Celebrates 10th Anniversary
X
February 2011
Danger Mouse Wins Best Producer Grammy
Danger Mouse wins Producer of the Year at the 53rd Annual Grammy Awards for his unique 'Dark Night Of The Soul' collaborative project with Sparklehorse, David Lynch and Gruff Rhys.
July 2011
DOOMSTARKS - 'Victory Laps'
DOOM and Wu Tang Clan's Ghostface Killah release their first single under the moniker DOOMSTARKS.
September 2011
DRC Music Project
DRC Music 'Kinshasa One Two' is released. Jneiro Jarel is one of the producers who worked on Damon Albarn's DRC Music project in the Congo during the summer. Jneiro provides the voiceover for this track.
2012
April 2012
Through the Years in Video
Dazed features Lex and the label history through it's music videos.
July 2012
JJ DOOM - 'Key to the Kuffs'
JJ DOOM 'Key To The Kuffs’ album released. The album is produced by Jneiro Jarel, with DOOM providing the bulk of the vocals and features Beth Gibbons and Damon Albarn.
April 2012
JJ DOOM 'GUV'NOR' video
Directed by Ninian Doff. It is the last live action music video to feature MF DOOM. Watch it HERE.
"Who can knock the most dead birds out the sky
And then, spread a lie, and say he know why? Bet
Get the machine, blame it on the fireworks
Cleanup, y'all know where to send the wire, jerks"
August 2012
Lex at Bestival
Lex curate a day and night of music at Bestival's RizLab stage featuring Jneiro Jarel, MF DOOM, Boom Bip, Bondax, Kid Acne and Buddy Peace.
2013
April 2013
Neon Neon - 'Praxis Makes Perfect' Live
Neon Neon team up with National Theatre Wales for a series of innovative theatrical performances across England and Wales. The shows tell the story of Giangiacomo Feltrinelli, the Italian author, entrepreneur and leftwing activist who inspired the album. Theatre is combined with projection and a live performance by the band.
November 2013
Lex Show at The Forum, London
Lex & All Tomorrow's Parties bring MF DOOM, BADBADNOTGOOD & Bishop Nehru to The Forum in London. DOOM is joined for the first time by live drummer from Kwake.
March 2013
MF DOOM, Ghostface Killah & Bishop Nehru play the 100 Club
DOOM, Ghostface Killah and new Lex signing Bishop Nehru perform at London's 100 club. Watch Bishop's performance HERE.
August 2013
Alan Moore and Mitch Jenkins present SHOW PIECES
SHOW PIECES is a series of short films set in Alan Moore's universe of THE SHOW.
November 2013
Lex x Ace Hotel Parties
Lex begins a monthly residency at Ace Hotel, London. The first show sees BADBADNOTGOOD & Bishop Nehru take to the stage for live performances.
2014
August 2014
NEHRUVIANDOOM
Metal Fingers produces a mini-album for teenage rap sensation Bishop Nehru.
June 2014
Lex founder speaks to Vice
Tom Brown speaks to Vice about Lex and the 25 years of Warp records.
<< MF DOOM and Tom Brown
January 2014
DOOM x Lex x Clark’s Wallabees
DOOM teams up with Clarks to deliver fresh new wallabee creps.
2015
February 2015
Sour Soul is released
The 1960's and 70's inspired collaborative album from Toronto jazz/hip-hop band BADBADNOTGOOD and Staten Island rap champ Ghostface Killah is released featuring Danny Brown, DOOM, Elzhi and Tree.
Watch them perform at SXSW 2015 HERE.
April 2015
BBNG & GFK in London
BBNG and Ghostface Killah's perform in Camden, London - The Lex Records stomping ground.
Artwork by Kristian Hammerstad.
November 2015
Nevermen
Mike Patton, Tunde Adebimpe and Adam ‘Doseone’ Druckers' Nevermen album is announced. Turner Prize Winner Keith Tyson creates the sleeve art. Their single Mr. Mistake was remixed by Boards of Canada.
January 2015
BADBADNOTGOOD & Ghostface Killah 'Ray Gun' feat. MF DOOM
Directed by Rob Schroeder, and featuring Left Brain from Odd Future as 'The Mask'
"These dudes is toys like Wham-O
Damn though, chip paint driving on the gravel with the Lambo
Blammo"
March 2015
Brick Magazine - So What'cha Want?
Issue 1 of Hayley Lousia Brown's excellent glossy paving slab of a rap mag featuring a retrospective of Lex with Tom Brown.
"As far back as I can remember I always wanted to run a label..."
2016
August 2016
Kate Tempest
Emcee, writer and spoken word artist Kate Tempest signs to Lex in the US. 'Let Them Eat Chaos' will be released in 2016.
2017
August 2017
Kate Tempest is nominated for Mercury Prize
Let Them Eat Chaos' is nominated for the Mercury Prize award alongside Jhus, Stormzy and Sampha.
March 2017
Kate Tempest performs on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon
In the midst of her US tour, Kate Tempest delivered a staunchly powerful performance on the East Coast late-night TV show.
November 2017
Lex Party at Omeara, London
We hosted a party in South London with MIKE, Eyedress, Andrew Hung and Vonica.
2018
September 2018
Andrew Hung scores new Jim Hoskins movie
Andrew Hung continues his creative marriage to director Jim Hoskins, scoring his latest feature
'An Evening With Beverly Luff Linn'. Watch the trailer HERE.
December 2018
Alan Moore & Mitch Jenkins shoot THE SHOW
THE SHOW is Alan Moore's first original screenplay to become a feature film. It is directed by Mitch Jenkins and produced by Lex Films and EMU Films. THE SHOW stars Tom Burke and Siobhan Hewlett with an ensemble cast. The score is by Andrew Broder, with help from Mara Carlyle, Beth Gibbons, Denzel Curry, Justin Vernon, Andrew Hung, Gruff Rhys, and many others. Shooting takes place in November and December 2018 in Alan and Mitch's hometown, Northampton.
2019
December 2019
Lex Rebrand by Commission Studio
London design studio Commission rebranded Lex's visual identity. This logo is the first pass that we saw. The amazing part for us was that it felt like it could’ve been our logo from the beginning. A perfect fit.
August 2019
Giant outdoor Kid Acne exhibition in Sheffield.
Kid Acne launches his album 'Have A Word' with a giant outdoor exhibition at Park Hill flats in Sheffield. Read about it in Bonafide Mag.
December 2019
Eyedress 'Jealous'
Relocated to Los Angeles, Eyedress writes records and releases 'Jealous'. The song is a sleeper hit, the biggest hit on Lex since 'Crazy' thirteen years earlier.
2020
December 2020
RIP MF DOOM
On New Years Eve 2020 Jasmine Dumile announces the death of MF DOOM, age 49. The incredibly sad news leads to tributes from Busta Rhymes, Q-Tip, Thom Yorke, Earl Sweatshirt, & more. MF DOOM released all his studio albums on Lex from 2005 until 2014. Starting with DANGERDOOM, then his final solo LP 'BORN LIKE THIS.', his last studio album as lead vocalist JJ DOOM 'Key To The Kuffs' and as a producer, the mini-album with Bishop Nehru 'NEHRUVIANDOOM'. DOOM relocated to London in 2011 and spent a lot of time with Lex people in the years that followed. He will be missed.
September 2020
The premiere of THE SHOW
The Show is an official selection at SXSW 2020, which is the first major festival to cancel in the Covid-19 pandemic. The film gets a premiere in October at Sitges in Spain.
IGN reviews THE SHOW at Sitges, gives it 9/10 and Editors Choice.
2021
November 2021
Lex 20th Anniversary Show on NTS Radio
The team jumps in with Pink Siifu, YUNGMORPHEUS and Fly Anakin celebrating two decades of banging tunes.
Listen HERE.
November 2021
Lex Records at 20 - The Independent Music Insider.
'I’m still running off those old rules of thumb - sign artists you believe in and invest in long-term deals'
Tom Brown discusses strategy and development with The Independent Music Insider.
2023
January 2023
Did I Ever Tell You The One About... MF DOOM
A deep dive into the life of MF DOOM. Featuring stories of the years from Tom Brown.
September 2023
Bandcamp Lex Records Profile
"The Playful Eclecticism of Lex Records"
Bandcamp document moments of the labels history and select records from the catalogue.
2024
May 2024
Rough Trade Label Focus
Lex jumps in with Rough Trade for their Label Focus Series.
"We have rappers, beat makers, left-field rock artists and techno producers. We’ve worked a lot on film and audio with Alan Moore and Mitch Jenkins. But the categories that their art fits into is definitely an afterthought...we support their creativity wherever it takes them." Tom Brown.
Read the full feature HERE.
Contact
Shop and order enquiries:
shop@lexrecords.com
General:
word@lexrecords.com
Licensing:
licensing@lexrecords.com