Among the independent Australian labels of the mid-to-late eighties, the Reactor label stands out like a sore thumb. No other label provided the opportunity for hardcore punk bands to release their material. While hardcore punk style never achieved mainstream acceptance, it had its own fraternity which was easily distinguished from other audiences, although the Goths crossed over occasionally. Unfortunately the scene was fragmented, with only Melbourne, Sydney and Adelaide having appropriate venues which could support several bands on a regular basis.
The sole proprietor of the Reactor label was Phil Macdougall. From the start, Macdougall knew what kind of music that he would release on the new label, and that was hardcore/punk bands that no one in Australia was releasing. So he needed an appropriate name to fit this political and aggressive music. Because of the disaster in Chernobyl and other accidents at nuclear power plants around the world, he thought of the name Reactor Records in late 1983.
© "The History of the Reactor Records Label" Chris Spencer July 1997
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