What was Mo' Wax Records' best year?

[jimmyjrg]

Mo' Wax have 735 releases listed on Discogs, but which year do you think was their best for quality releases?
Note: some years the number of releases is higher because of promos and represses being counted.

1992 - 3 releases, kind of Acid Jazzy stuff - no highlights for me.
1993 - 16 releases, In/Flux / Hindsight is the notable highlight, and maybe Jazz Hip Jap.
1994 - 44 releases,  Highlights: Headz, Major Force West stuff, DJ Krush, and UNKLE. 
1995 - 49 releases, Highlights: DJ Krush/DJ Shadow, Money Mark, and Clubbed To Death.
1996 - 125 releases, Highlights: Endtroducing, Berry Meditation, Dr. Octagon, Air, and Headz 2. I think this is peak Mo' Wax for me.
1997 - 98 releases, Highlights: Major Force compilation, and James Vs Nigo.
1998 - 110 releases, Highlights: Psyence Fiction, and Psychonauts Time Machine.
1999 - 75 releases, Highlights: Major Force West album, South singles, and Be There.
2000 - 72 releases, Highlights: Nigo album, Tommy Guerrero, and South.
2001 - 47 releases, Highlights: Malcom Catto, and Parsley Sound
2002 - 34 releases, Highlights: DJ Shadow's album.
2003 - 24 releases, Highlights: Second UNKLE album.

Discogs lists various items released from 2004-2019, but these are mostly re-releases apart from Elliott Power's album in 2016.

What was your favourite year, and why?

[AstroBBoy]

1995 has some amazing stuff, but then again so does 1996 and 1998! So hard to choose.

Also, 125 releases (admittedly these would include release variations of the same single for example) is still very impressive for a single year.

[evil:cat]

This may be nitpicking, but I don't consider Private Press or Never Never land to be Mo'Wax releases. Yes, they have the logo on them, but not the cat number (mayyyyybe MWU001 for NNL scrapes in), and there's a different record label as the copyright holder. Kind of like no-one claims Nevermind is a Sub Pop record, even though they got their logo on the release. Mo'Wax ends with Parsley Sounds.

Anyway, Headz through to Time Machine is an untouchable run, but '96 was the game changer. Endtroducing, Meiso, Dr. Octagon, Clubbed To Death, Modulor Mix, Bug in the Bassbin, Headz2A+B, Excursions, plus solid releases from Money Mark, Luke Vibert, Andrea Parker, Sam Sever, Urban Tribe and Attica Blues.

Was there actually a bad release that year?

[dusted]

96!

No doubt.

[jimmyjrg]

Mar 23, 2020 21:45:25 GMT evil:cat said:

This may be nitpicking, but I don't consider Private Press or Never Never land to be Mo'Wax releases. Yes, they have the logo on them, but not the cat number (mayyyyybe MWU001 for NNL scrapes in), and there's a different record label as the copyright holder. Kind of like no-one claims Nevermind is a Sub Pop record, even though they got their logo on the release. Mo'Wax ends with Parsley Sounds.

Anyway, Headz through to Time Machine is an untouchable run, but '96 was the game changer. Endtroducing, Meiso, Dr. Octagon, Clubbed To Death, Modulor Mix, Bug in the Bassbin, Headz2A+B, Excursions, plus solid releases from Money Mark, Luke Vibert, Andrea Parker, Sam Sever, Urban Tribe and Attica Blues.

Was there actually a bad release that year?

I feel that NNL can be considered Mo' Wax as Lavelle is still there, but I get what you mean about Private Press. I guess they included it because Shadow was making it while he was signed to Mo' Wax and it was the end of the legacy. I think both of those albums came out after Mo' Wax had closed anyway.