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| C/Z Records | |
|---|---|
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| Founded | 1985 (1985) |
| Founder | Chris Hanzsek Tina Casale |
| Defunct | 2001 (2001) |
| Genre | Punk rock, alternative rock, grunge |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Location | Seattle, Washington Los Angeles, California |
| Official website | czrecords |
C/Z Records was aSeattle-basedpunk rockrecord label established in early 1985 byChris Hanzsek and Tina Casale. It started with the release ofDeep Six, which collected early recordings of what later came to be known asgrunge.[1] AfterDeep Six proved commercially unsuccessful, Hanzsek and Casale sold the label toDaniel House.[2]
The label was first founded in early 1985 byChris Hanzsek and Tina Casale. The label's first release in March 1986 wasDeep Six (CZ001), a compilation LP featuring earlygrunge bandsSoundgarden,Melvins,Green River,Skin Yard,Malfunkshun, andThe U-Men. The record was commercially unsuccessful, and after around 18 months, Hanzsek and Casale decided to sell the label.
Daniel House, bass player forSkin Yard, who was recording the band's first album at the time, took over the operation of C/Z records. Over the following years, C/Z Records became an outlet for many unsigned Seattle bands. In 1989, House began working as director of sales for newly-formed Seattle independent record labelSub Pop. Eventually he left C/Z Records, and subsequently released early albums and singles byThe Presidents of the United States of America, Melvins,Built to Spill,7 Year Bitch,The Gits,Silkworm andHammerbox.
In 1993, C/Z entered into a production and distribution deal withSony-ownedRED Distribution. The deal had a negative impact on the label,[citation needed], which was forced to downsize, and did not issue any new releases for over a year.
In 1996,BMG-ownedZoo Entertainment partnered with C/Z, providing an operating and recording budget and assisting in the development of new artists. In 1997, Zoo was purchased byVolcano Entertainment and all third party ventures were dropped.
Daniel House subsequently returned C/Z to part-time status, releasing only occasional records on an infrequent basis.
In 2002, C/Z released a collection of unreleased and unavailableSkin Yard material,Start at the Top.
C/Z released severalTeriyaki Asthma compilations, one of which containedNirvana's track "Mexican Seafood". Nirvana also released their version of "Do You Love Me?" on C/Z'sKiss tribute albumHard to Believe: Kiss Covers Compilation.
Notable bands who released music through C/Z Records included:[3]
