Axiom
Axiom was a record label founded by musician Bill Laswell in 1990 with the support of Chris Blackwell, founder of Island Records.
Axiom
- Name
- Axiom
- Founded
- 1990
- Headquarters
- United States
- Dissolved
- 1997
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Documentary summary
Axiom was a record label founded by musician Bill Laswell in 1990 with the support of Chris Blackwell, founder of Island Records.
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Authority files
gnd · 4128560-8 · museum · 4d75116e-5271-430f-9d13-55930ca7b7ad · wikidata · Q4830539
In this article
Key facts
Key facts
• Name — Axiom • Parent — Palm Pictures • Founded — 1990 • Founder — Chris Blackwell Bill Laswell • Defunct — 1997 • Status — Inactive • Distributor — Bandcamp • Genre — World music, avant-garde jazz, field recordings • Country — U.S. • Location — Brooklyn, New York
History
History
In 1989, Chris Blackwell sold Island to PolyGram, which in 2000 became a subsidiary of Universal Music Group, with Blackwell remaining as CEO. In 1997, he resigned from PolyGram after struggling with what he saw as restrictive oversight of his management. Axiom was shut down but was reactivated when Blackwell started Palm Pictures. Palm scaled back its involvement in the music business, making Axiom dormant again. Axiom released Sonny Sharrock's Ask the Ages and Henry Threadgill's Too Much Sugar for a Dime, as well as records by Laswell's bands such as Praxis and Material. A series of world music titles were also released by Axiom, including Simon Shaheen's tribute to Mohammed Abdel Wahab, Shankar's Soul Searcher and field recordings of Gnawa music in Morocco, Mandinka & Fulani Music of the Gambia, and the Master Musicians of Jajouka in the Rif Mountains of Morocco. After moving to Palm Pictures, Axiom released only a handful of albums, notably by Material and the group Tabla Beat Science, which included Laswell, Zakir Hussain, Karsh Kale, and Ustad Sultan Khan.
Artists
Artists
• Umar Bin Hassan • Zakir Hussain • Karsh Kale • Ustad Sultan Khan • Material • Praxis • Simon Shaheen • L. Shankar • Sonny Sharrock • Tabla Beat Science • Henry Threadgill
Identity
Identity
Axiom is associated with United States. Swiss drum & bass producer.
Institutional history
Dated record
Institutional history
The full dated record · 2 entries
1990
Axiom established.
1997
Axiom ceased.
Places
Named by the record
Places
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- United States
Primary material
Documents and archives
Institutional database
- MusicBrainz artist record for Axiom
Scholarly · MetaBrainz Foundation
authority file
- Gemeinsame Normdatei 4128560-8, Axiom.
General reference · Deutsche Nationalbibliothek
reference work
- Wikidata, structured authority record Q4830539: Axiom
Reputable secondary · Wikidata
Notes from the source article
Cited by Wikipedia
Notes from the source article
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References
Citations
References
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Institutional database
MusicBrainz artist record for AxiomMetaBrainz Foundation
Institutional witnessauthority file
Gemeinsame Normdatei 4128560-8, Axiom.Deutsche Nationalbibliothek
Secondary witnessreference work
Secondary witness
The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 16 August 2026.
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