East Side Digital was a record label that specialised in Compact Discs and Japanese imports. The Residents were a part of their label from 1987 to 2002, 15 whole years.
Background[]
ESD was formed in 1981 by Rob Simonds, creator of Rykodisc, as a distribution label for Japanese LPs, and by 1982, began to work almost exclusively with Japanese CDs.
In 1986, rather than just importing Japanese CDs, ESD begun to release music owned by the label. Their first release was a They Might Be Giants album, followed by CD re-releases of several Classic Residents albums.
Initially the group had a contract to allow Rykodisc to release their new albums, and let ESD re-release their older material, but following disagreements surrounding the God In Three Persons project with Rykodisc, they were moved exclusively to ESD.
From 1987 to 1989 ESD produced the 'Residents Classics Series', which aimed to re-release all The Residents pre-1987 albums with rare bonus tracks.
From 1997 to 1998 they re-released these same albums in their original form, without the bonus tracks, although the re-release of Fingerprince features the expanded 1987 re-release track listing.
In 1999 ESD obtained the rights to re-release Snakefinger's collaborative albums with The Residents, in 1988 they had previously released a compilation of Residents/Snakefinger albums, but they had only just obtained the rights to re-release his albums.
The Residents remained with ESD as their US record label until the release of Demons Dance Alone in 2002, after which they began negotiating with Mute Records, as a potential label.
Residents Releases[]
Residents' Classics Series (1987 - 1989)
- The Third Reich 'N' Roll / Additional Material (1987, rESiDe 1)
- Eskimo / The Replacement (1987, rESiDe 2)
- Duck Stab / Goosebump (1987, rESiDe 3)
- Fingerprince (1987, rESiDe 4)
- Not Available / Selections From Title In Limbo (1988, 80192)
- Commercial Album + (1988, 80202)
- A Collection Of Songs Written And Produced With The Residents (1988, 80212)
- Meet The Residents / Santa Dog (1988, 80222)
- Mark of The Mole / Intermission (1988, 80272)
- The Tunes Of Two Cities (1988, 80282)
- The Big Bubble / Safety Is The Cootie Wootie (1989, 80342)
New Albums (1989 - 1996)
- Mole Show (Live In Holland) (1989, 80352)
- Unwaxed (An ESD Taster) (1990, SAMPLER02)
- Freak Show (1990, 80602)
- Whatever Happened To Vileness Fats? / The Census Taker (1991, 80592)
- Our Finest Flowers (1992, 80782)
- Gingerbread Man (1994, 81072)
- Freak Show (Original Soundtrack) (1995, 81082)
- Louisiana's Lick (1995, Unwaxed5)
- Have A Bad Day (1996, 81202)
Non-Expanded Re-Releases (1997 - 1998)
- Meet The Residents (1997, 81222)
- Not Available (1997, 81232)
- The Third Reich 'N Roll (1997, 81242)
- Fingerprince (1997, 81252)
- Duck Stab/Buster & Glen (1997, 81262)
- Eskimo (1997, 81272)
- Commercial Album (1997, 81282)
- The Tunes Of Two Cities (1998)
- Mark Of The Mole (1998, 81292)
- The Tunes Of Two Cities (1998, 81302)
- Intermission (1998, 81312)
- Residue Deux (1998, 81322)
- Wormwood (1998, 81332)
- The Big Bubble (1998, 81462)
Snakefinger / Residents Re-Releases (1999)
- Chewing Hides The Sound (1999, 81392)
- Greener Postures (1999, 81402)
- 13th Anniversary Show - Live In Tokyo (1999, 81472)
Continued Residents Re-releases (2000)
- George & James (2000, 81482)
- Stars & Hank Forever! (2000, 81492)
- God In Three Persons (2000, 81502)
New Albums Continued (2000 - 2002)
- Diskomo 2000 (2000, 81512)
- Roadworms (The Berlin Sessions) (2000, 81532)
- Icky Flix (2001, 81562)
- Icky Flix (Original Soundtrack Recording) (2001, 81572)
- Petting Zoo (2002, 81662)
- Demons Dance Alone (2002, 81672)
Associated Bands On Label[]
- Fred Frith
- Snakefinger
- They Might Be Giants