Mo’Wax in Australia
Mo’Wax was an English label who released music by DJ Shadow, Money Mark, and UNKLE, to name just a few. Across the decade Mo’Wax existed for, roughly 1992–2003, they signed partnerships and licensing deals to get their music released in Germany (Marlboro Music), Japan (Toy’s Factory), and the USA.
But as an Australian, I was curious to know which of their releases came out in Australia. After scouring back issues of ARIA Report, published weekly by Australian Recording Industry Association, I compiled a list of releases and release dates, which you can see below:
Between 1994–2000, 160 releases from Mo’Wax could be found on shelves across Australia. Of course, almost everything that was released overseas could be bought as an import copy at an inflated price too, but these were the ones given local releases.
Looking on Discogs, there’s only seven Mo’Wax releases from Australia, and another for Australasia. Clearly some are missing, or have been miscategorised, but it’s also likely that many of these early releases weren’t manufactured in Australia, and were simply imported from the UK to be resold by Australian an distributor.
Some Scientific Abstract Type Shit!
Between 1995-96 there were over 60 Mo’Wax releases put out in Australia, including the compilation Some Scientific Abstract Type Shit! that collected songs by DJ Shadow, La Funk Mob, and UNKLE that had been released separately in 1994, but may have been missed by some at the time.
The influx of releases was coupled with Mo’Wax being part of the Summersault festival over the summer of 1995/96, with live appearances from James Lavelle, Charlie Dark, Money Mark, and DJ Shadow helping to bring greater interest to the label across the country.
With the advent of the internet, Australians were interested in hearing more from the label, and they were consistently released locally for almost a decade: 1994 (14 releases), 1995 (11), 1996 (52), 1997 (19), 1998 (9), 1999 (20), 2000 (7), 2001 (26), 2002 (2).
Late in 2001, a series of Australian Mo’Wax releases were re-released and given new catalogue numbers as Shock Records took over their distribution from Festival Records. Weirdly, among things like Andrea Parker and Magic Mike albums is Headz 3, an album that was never released anywhere!
Mo’Wax in the Australian Charts
Unlike in the UK, where Mo’Wax artists made regular appearances in the charts, only a handful ever appeared in the Australian charts at all.
Money Mark was first, with his single Marks Keyboard Repair Shop appearing in the Top 20 Alternative Albums on 15 October 15 1995, reaching #20. He returned in May 1998 with the single Hand In Your Head appearing in the ARIAnet Hit Seekers Singles chart at #14, and his album Push The Button appeared in the ARIAnet Hit Seekers Albums chart in June and August, peaking at #11.
Australia’s own Rob D released Clubbed To Death on Mo’Wax in 1996, and it entered both the ARIAnet Hit Seekers Singles and Top 100 Singles charts in October that year, peaking at #3 in the Hit Seekers and #72 in the Top 100.
DJ Shadow’s Endtroducing album is possibly the most popular and successful album ever released on Mo’Wax, but in Australia it never entered the charts. His single High Noon almost entered the Singles Charts, but peaked at #139 in 1997.
Finally, in 1998, UNKLE released their long awaited debut album Psyence Fiction where it entered the Top 100 Albums at #15 on 6 September. Although it stayed in the charts until the week ending 11 October, its debut position was the albums peak. It also debuted at #6 in the Top 20 Alternative Albums where it peaked.
While the Top 100 and Top 20 charts are national, ARIA also tracked state charts, and Psyence Fiction debuted and peaked at #4 in Victoria/Tasmania, #15 in New South Wales, #29 in Queensland, #40 in South Australia (peaking at #34 the following week), and at #45 in Western Australia.
Although Mo’Wax continued to release new music in Australia, after Psyence Fiction, it no longer entered the national charts. Although as the above shows, the label was never making a huge impact nationally regardless, and usually dropped out of the Top 100 or Top 20’s quickly.
The end of Mo’Wax in Australia
The final Mo’Wax release in Australia was South’s Keep Close, released 11 June 2001. That year there were 25 Mo’Wax releases listed in ARIA Report, including the never released Headz 3. The compilation Now Things and David Axelrod’s self-titled album were both released on vinyl and CD, while the others from 2001 were only released on CD.
After Mo’Wax begun to close in 2002, two more albums were released featuring the Mo’Wax logo, due to label founder James Lavelle contributing. DJ Shadow’s The Private Press had Lavelle as A&R, while UNKLE’s Never Never Land was Lavelle’s own project. Both of these albums charted in Australia. DJ Shadow reached #31 in the Top 100 Albums Chart, #3 in the Dance Album Charts, and was the 38th highest selling Dance Album in Australia in 2002. UNKLE reached #71 the Top 100 Albums Chart, but only spent two weeks in the top 100, dropping out after 27 October 2003. This was the final time a release bearing the Mo’Wax logo appeared in an ARIA chart.
Update 11 April 2025: This article originally stated DJ Shadow’s Endtroducing album had charted in Australia, when it hadn’t. This has been corrected.
