Avant Records was a record label in Japan that specialized in avant-garde jazz, avant rock, and experimental music. The label released more than 80 albums between 1992 and 2004. History New York saxophonist John Zorn was signed to Nonesuch, but his band Naked City recorded music that required a different label. He started Avant in 1992 as a division of DIW/Disk Union in Japan and produced its first albums. The label's roster included Derek Bailey, Duck Baker, Cyro Baptista, Joey Baron, Steve Beresford, Anthony Coleman, Sylvie Courvoisier, Dave Douglas, Mark Feldman, Erik Friedlander, Wayne Horvitz, Joe Maneri, Misha Mengelberg, William Parker, Bobby Previte, and Min Xiao-Fen. In 1995 Zorn and Kazunori Sugiyama started Tzadik Records in New York as a vehicle for Zorn's albums and for musicians who recorded for Avant. Discography Avan 001: Naked City – Heretic Avan 002: Naked City – Grand Guignol Avan 003: Naked City – Radio Avan 004: Naked City – Absinthe Avan 005: Various Artists – In His Own Sweet Way: A Tribute to Dave Brubeck Avan 006: DNA – DNA (Last Live at CBGB's) Avan 007: Buckethead – Bucketheadland Avan 008: Fushitsusha – Allegorical Misunderstanding Avan 009: Anton Fier – Dreamspeed Avan 010: Blind Idiot God – Cyclotron Avan 011: Anthony Coleman – Disco by Night Avan 012: Peter Garland – Nana & Victorio Avan 013: David Shea – Shock Corridor Avan 014: George E. Lewis – Voyager Avan 015: Lee Hyla – In Double Light Avan 016: John Oswald – Plexure Avan 017: Rough Assemblage – Construction and Demolition Avan 018: Zeena Parkins – Isabelle Avan 019: Dave Soldier – SMUT Avan 020: David Weinstein – Perfume Avan 021: Min Xiaofen – With Six Composers Avan 022: Stephen Drury – Faith, The Loss of Faith, and the Return of Faith Avan 023: Romero Lubambo – Lubambo Avan 024: John French – O Solo Drumbo Avan 025: Naked City – Radio, Vol. 2 (Never Recorded) Avan 026: Boredoms – Wow 2 Avan 027: Pigpen – V as in Victim Avan 028: James Plotkin – The Joy of Disease Avan 029: Cake Like – Delicious Avan 030: Ikue Mori – Painted Desert Avan 031: Various – Disco Bhangra: Wedding Bands From Rajasthan Avan 032: God Is My Co-Pilot – Mir Shlufn Nisht Avan 033: Marc Ribot – Shrek Avan 034: Z'EV – Heads & Tales Avan 035: Ben Goldberg – Twelve Minor Avan 036: