No Records

No Records was a record label and later record distributor that operated in Halifax, Nova Scotia from January 1993 to August 2004. The record label/distributor was started by Waye Mason, who went on to play key roles establishing the Halifax music scene[1] on the international stage, the Halifax Pop Explosion, founded the music business program at NSCC,[2] and was later elected to Halifax Regional Council.

Started during the "Halifax is the Seattle of the north" phenomena[3] of the 1990s, No released cassettes by such Halifax notables and the labels first release Chaz Rules,[4] Halifax hip hop pioneers Hip Club Groove, Essen (featuring Mike Catano on drums, who later went on to form North of America), punk stalwarts Donner Party Reunion,[5] and Stinkin' Rich who later performed as Buck 65.[6]

In 1996 the label started releasing CDs, the first of which was by power pop band the Grace Babies[7] and the internationally successful Cool Blue Halo.[8] The late 90s and early 21st century saw the label release several critically well received CDs, cassettes and 8 tracks[9] by artists such as the briefly famous Toronto group Len, Strawberry, Vancouver's Readymade and Dusty Sorbet.

The company created a sister imprint, Cease and Desist in 2000 [10] to release some albums orphaned by the collapse of Marc Costanzo of Len's Four Ways to Rock record label. Albums by internationally renown DJ Mr Dibbs,[11] DJ Signify and later rapper and producerSixtoo was added to the label.

Unable to obtain high quality retail distribution, the company created No Distribution Limited to distribute both their own and other labels records across Canada and internationally in 1997.[12] This ambitious plan included developing the first online record store for independent music in Canada and at one point included a storefront shop in Halifax. In 2004 the store closed & the company went out of business.