SST Records

SST Records is an American underground record company.

SST stands for Solid State Transformers and was at first a small electric parts shipping, Greg Ginn, guitarist of the punk band Black Flag, operating as a radio amateur. As he was looking around 1978 for a way to release a record of Black Flag, he started with Chuck Dukowski, who joined at this time as bassist for Black Flag, SST Records.

During the 1980s, the record company has developed into one of the leading indie labels of the United States and released records of many now legendary bands like Hüsker Dü, Sonic Youth, Meat Puppets, Minutemen and Firehose.

It was groundbreaking in that time, since it provided the trend of alternative rock with bands such as Dinosaur Jr or Soundgarden feed. At the beginning, especially punk bands, the spectrum rapidly expanded to other genres like jazz, metal, or reggae. To the field of jazz heard as the New York avant-garde musician Elliott Sharp, who published some shots on SST from the 1980s, a renowned Metal Act was the doom metal band Saint Vitus.

However, the focus was in the range guitar rock. Over time, the offshoot Alliance, Issues and Records Cruz Records, which brought out side projects, spoken-word recordings and follow- bands of SST musicians mainly formed. Since the 1990s, the label released mainly music of all formations around and founder Greg Ginn. During this time, the importance of the label has fallen sharply.

1991 SST was put out of business because of a copyright complaint the major labels Iceland Records. The SST, Negativland then released a song called U2 and used for samples from U2's I Still Have not Found what I'm Looking For. Also, the name U2 was great placed on the cover. Due to confusion and disregard for the rights of the application was put forward in agreement with Bono and his band. More than 70,000 U.S. dollars in damages were demanded, which meant the end of SST.