Elephant 6’s Wax Trax connections

If you already know about the Elephant 6 Recording Company, chances are you’ve slipped into a rabbit hole on it at least once. Championed by indie and avant garde pop lovers alike, Elephant 6 (E6 for short) was first a record label and then a loosely defined music collective with associated bands Neutral Milk Hotel, The Apples in Stereo, Olivia Tremor Control, of Montreal, and more. Its reach stretched far–many of its main players knew each other from Ruston, Louisiana, and the majority of the crew eventually settled in Athens, Georgia. But many of the first big sparks started in Denver. And, even–according to some involved–right here at Wax Trax.

Starting tomorrow, you can grab your own copy of the Elephant 6 Recording Co. documentary soundtrack on vinyl (for the first time) during Wax Trax RSD Black Friday. In that 2022 film, the sprawling tale of countless creatives, often switching roles for various projects, is packaged in a camaraderie-driven story. Wax Trax is mentioned by name in the documentary by former staffer, E6 co-founder, and the Apples in Stereo drummer Hilarie Sidney.

“We lived in a small apartment on Grant Street, and sent out catalogs, dubbed tapes, and filled orders, among other things,” said Sidney. “We were constantly recording and inspiring each other with ideas.”

In those days, Sidney lived in Denver with co-founders Will Hart and Robert Schneider, the latter of whom is largely credited for E6 production genius. E6 collaborators like Jeff Mangum, Jim McIntyre, Lisa Janssen, and countless more would record with Sidney and Schneider off and on, and help run the E6 label. In the process, they found musical synergy and friendship.

“We had a lot of fun together making albums, and touring. But we were all family,” said Sidney. “For my part, it was a magical time that I cherish. I can’t think of many better ways to spend your 20s and early 30s.”

Part of these E6 collaborators also included fellow Wax Trax staffers Eric Allen and Rick Benjamin.

Among several other music projects, Eric Allen was the bassist for the Apples in Stereo. He also found himself behind the Wax Trax counter in the early 90s.

“It was a place we worked and hung out,” Allen said. “And even if you didn’t work there, it was a place your friends worked, or you went to go hear new music or buy new music when you had money.”

Rick Benjamin sings a similar song. More of a called-upon trombonist for E6 songs, Rick contributed to bands like Neutral Milk Hotel and The Minders. More of an acid jazz fanatic at the time, he’s not sure he would have found E6 without Wax Trax.

“I probably would not have been a fan of Elephant 6 if I had never worked with them,” said Benjamin. “My relationship with them was through Wax Trax. I would’ve listened to them 20 years later and been like oh, these guys are great. Why did I miss them?”

While Sidney, Allen, and Benjamin agreed the Denver part of the documentary was glossed over, they attest to the city’s importance in its formation. And while they have moved onto other priorities, they all recall fond (and not so fond) Wax Trax memories.

Having worked at Wax Trax the longest, Benjamin regaled tales of shop break-ins and fights, basement nipple piercings, customer trap-door injuries, and connecting with the Denver music scene. “There’s a ton of memories,” he said.

Sidney fondly recalled hanging out and talking about music all day during her time at Wax Trax. “What could be better? I loved working in the vinyl store,” she said.

Between those times, and her hatred with menial tasks like cleaning record cards, she left Wax Trax with an unforgettable impression. “I took acid and went to work one day,” she added. “That was both a favorite and non-favorite memory.”

After watching the documentary, Allen was left feeling impressed with its coherence. “I couldn’t believe that they made such a weird, sprawling story with a cohesive narrative,” he said. “I’m proud of the documentary and I’m very proud of what we did and recorded.”

Allen continued, “Wax Trax was like the starting point. That’s the thing that I always liked about it. It was, and still is, the coolest record store in Denver.”

The Elephant 6 Recording Co. documentary soundtrack comes out tomorrow, and you can scoop it from our Capitol Hill and Broadway locations. Read more about the release here and peep the tracklist below:

TRACKS

1. The Olivia Tremor Control – Garden Of Light
2. Neutral Milk Hotel – Gardenhead / Leave Me Alone (Hype City Soundtrack version)
3. Marbles – Telescope
4. The Gerbils – Glue (Live)
5. W. Cullen Hart – All Day Owl
6. Elf Power – The Arrow Flies Close (Live)
7. The Olivia Tremor Control – The Same Place
8. Dixie Blood Moustache – Oh Hi
9. The Always Red Society – Minute By Minute (Instrumental)
10. The Wedding Band & Friends – The World Is Waiting For The Sunrise
11. The Apples in stereo – Ruby (Live)