URC

Japanese independent record label specializing in protest music and folk, founded by Masaaki Hata (泰政明) and 早川義夫 (早川義夫) in January 1969. It is frequently described as the first independent label in Japan. URC stands for Underground Record Club (アングラ・レコード・クラブ), as the label was originally run on a subscriber mail-order basis. The mail-order model was soon supplemented with conventional distribution through commercial record companies — first, from 1969 to 1976, via ELEC Records (URC catalogue series URL-, URH-, URG-, URT-, and URZ-), then, following ELEC's bankruptcy, through Toho Records (URC catalogue series UX-) from 1976 to 1977. The label ceased operation in the late 1970's, however since then its material has been reissued by various companies including SMS, Kitty Records, Toshiba EMI, Avex Io, Greenwood, and Pony Canyon. —Source: エレックレコードの時代―かつて音楽を動かした若者たちの物語 幻のエレックレコード編 by 門谷 憲二 (2006)