The label was spawned from the record store of the same name, by its founders Bill Sassenberger and Julianna Towns in 1983, when they released the first of the Noise from Nowhere series of 7-inch EP compilations.

For the next decade they released singles, compilations and albums by many notable and influential bands of the hardcore, noise rock and post-hardcore scenes.

Singles from Modern Industry, Peace Corpse (the renamed Moslem Birth),[3] and Seattle's Skin Yard followed, as well as albums by Italian punkers Raw Power, Corrosion of Conformity, and the Dayglo Abortions.

[4] From Tucson, they released albums by Hickoids, Th' Inbred, Hullabaloo, House of Large Sizes, Sloppy Seconds and Treepeople.

2, released in 1989, featured cover songs performed by label bands Hullabaloo ("Highway Star"), Hickoids (theme from "Green Acres"), House of Large Sizes ("Half-Breed") and Sloppy Seconds ("Candy Man").