Carolyn Rafaelian
American designer, philanthropist, and businesswoman
Carolyn Rafaelian is an American-Armenian entrepreneur and businesswoman. She is the founder of the accessories and jewelry company Alex and Ani, and the owner of the Belcourt of Newport, Bar and Board Bistro in Newport, Rhode Island and Carolyn's Sakonnet Vineyards.
Background.
Rafaelian's father opened a jewelry factory in 1966, Cinerama Jewelry, in which Rafaelian and her sister worked. Over time she helped her father design pieces and produced original designs herself for her father's jewelry manufacturing company. She attended Prout Memorial High School for Girls (later known as The Prout School). She attended the University of Rhode Island between 1987 and 1989, and then she transferred to and graduated from the American College for the Applied Arts in Los Angeles. In 1994 she joined her father's business, and eventually began to work on her own line. In 2002 Rafaelian became co-owner of Cinerama with her sister. Rafaelian's designs became the main seller for the company, and in 2016 Alex and Ani bought the manufacturing facility for an undisclosed sum.
Business career.
In 2004 Rafaelian founded Alex and Ani, a jewelry line named after her two eldest daughters. The brand started with five cocktail rings and expanded into a full line of jewelry anchored by its patented expandable wire bangle.
Rafaelian has been interviewed by newspapers regarding current events, including the "New York Daily News". Rafaelian received the 2012 Rhode Island Small Businessperson of the Year award from the Small Business Administration for her work with Alex and Ani, and also the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of Year in the products category for New England. Her firm's revenue grew from $5 million in 2010 to over $500 million in 2016 and the company's Charity By Design initiative, where 20% of sales go to charity, makes up 20% of sales.
Rafaelian owns Bar and Board Bistro in Newport and a cafe franchise called Teas and Javas; some of its cafes are attached to Alex and Ani stores, and some are independent. She is also the owner of the Rhode Island winery Carolyn's Sakonnet Vineyard, purchased in 2012 which features wine making, dining area and locally sourced foods. Since taking over, the vineyard has won a number of awards in international competition.
Personal life.
Rafaelian is divorced from her first husband.
Rafaelian is the owner of a 60-room mansion, the Belcourt of Newport, formerly known as Belcourt Castle, in Newport, Rhode Island, built in 1894.
"Rhode Island Monthly" described Rafaelian's charitable work as including "Project USA, a nonprofit, which has raised funds for the victims of Hurricane Katrina, survivors of breast cancer, and endangered species" as well as separate projects with the Humane Society of the United States.
Rafaelian was listed 22nd in "Forbes" America's Richest Self-Made Women in 2016, with net worth estimated at $700 million in June 2016. In May 2017, she was recognized by the David Lynch Foundation for her humanitarian efforts. In June 2018, Rafaelian was estimated to be worth $1 billion, and 18th on the "Forbes" list of America's richest self-made women, owning 80% of Alex and Ani. By June 2019 her net worth had dropped to an estimated $520 million.
References.
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Alex and Ani
Jewelry company
Alex and Ani is an American retailer and producer of jewelry located in Cranston, Rhode Island.
History.
The firm was founded in 2004 by Carolyn Rafaelian. The name comes from a combination of the first names of Rafaelian's two daughters. The company originally stated that they wanted to produce "bangle bracelets, necklaces, earrings and rings that adorn the body, enlighten the mind, and empower the spirit". The company first manufactured its jewelry in a factory that was founded by Rafaelian's father in 1966 and all materials were made in America.
The first retail Alex and Ani store opened in Newport in 2009, and in addition to the stand-alone stores, the jewelry was sold through national departments stores. In 2011, American retail company The Paper Store LLC invested over $10 million to build "shop within a shop" areas featuring the jewelry brand Alex and Ani in many of their stores.
In 2010 Giovanni Feroce joined the company as CEO and drove the company's expansion, increasing the sales total for the year by more than 20 times its previous annual total. In 2011, the company launched its Charity By Design program where 20% of sales go to charity. It also partnered with the Newport Folk Festival and Newport Jazz Festival to create specialty charms for each ticket buyer of each festival. In 2013 the company partnered with the New England Patriots and New England Revolution sports teams to provide sports-themed merchandise and uniforms. That year the company also published "Path of Life: Why I Wear My Alex and Ani", a book co-authored by Feroce and Alex and Ani corporate historian Cyd McKenna.
The company’s revenue grew from $5 million in 2010 to over $500 million in 2016. In 2012, the company acquired a majority stake in the advertising agency Mediapeel after becoming the firm's largest client, changing the company name to Seven Swords Media. Also in 2012, the firm opened its first European branded stores. That year, JH Partners acquired a large stake in the firm, adding it to its lifestyle portfolio. JH Partners cashed out in 2014, selling its 40% stake in the company to British buyout firm Lion Capital, in a deal that valued the company at $1 billion.
In March 2014, Rafaelian fired Feroce, the company's CEO. In March 2015, Harlan Kent, a former CEO of Yankee Candle, became the new president of the company. That year, the company expanded into Japan, and began a partnership with Disney Parks, to provide jewelry for their souvenir stores. Kent left the company within a year.
In 2016, Rafaelian purchased original copper from the Statue of Liberty and the company launched the Liberty Copper Collection. In 2017, Alex and Ani became the primary "presenting sponsor" of David Lynch's arts and music festival, the Festival of Disruption.
In October 2017, the company's Australian distributor, House of Brands, closed the Alex and Ani concept store in Melbourne, as well as all related kiosks in malls in Australia, announcing that it would shut down the related website in January 2018. House of Brands had been the company's distributor in Australia and New Zealand since December 2015.
At the end of 2017, the company's CEO, Cindy DiPietrantonio, and its CFO, Bob Woodruff, left the company; over serving in their roles for just over a year. In September 2018, the company announced that it intended to sell more of its pieces directly to consumers, rather than through distributors, with a goal of 75 to 80 percent of sales being through its stores or its websites by March 2020, up from its current 50 percent. The company said it planned to open 25 to 30 more concept stores within a year.
In July 2019, Alex and Ani filed a $1.1 billion federal lawsuit against Bank of America, asserting that the lender had discriminated in its treatment of the woman-led company. The company dismissed the suit in August, and in September 2019 agreed to a new debt structure with its syndicate of lenders, led by Bank of America. As part of the restructuring, Rafaelian had given up her controlling equity interest, and Lion Capital installed a new CEO, Bob Trabucco. In May 2020, Rafaelian was officially terminated as an employee of the company.
On June 9, 2021, the company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. The company attributes their bankruptcy filing to falling revenue in the wake of operational and supply chain difficulties as well as major turnover in their C-suite, which led to a 2019 out-of-court restructuring, plus the COVID-19 pandemic played a major role in the company's revenue decline.
At the time of the bankruptcy filing, founder Rafaelian was no longer involved with the company she started. In late 2022, Rafaelian launched Metal Alchemist, another jewelry company based in Rhode Island that uses American-made products and sticks to Rafaelian's Rhode Island roots.
Early in 2023, Alex and Ani had 38 stores across the United States. In June 2023, Alex and Ani had closed another 21 stores and their corporate headquarters in Rhode Island overnight, leaving 7 locations still open.
In November 2023, months after Alex and Ani abruptly vacated their East Greenwich, Rhode Island headquarters, it left behind thousands of pieces of equipment, and unpaid bills from local business owners, its landlord, and the town of East Greenwich. Sal Corio, the owner of SJ Corio Company conducted the auction and told The Boston Globe that the bagging equipment alone was worth "more than $200,000" if it had been purchased new. He was initially hired by Alex and Ani to auction off their own equipment, but told The Boston Globe that they "locked him out" and never communicated with him again. Not long after, Corio was contacted by the property owner, who hired him to carry out the auction. The auction attracted more than 900 bidders.
Activities.
The firm produces bangles, bracelets, necklaces, earrings, and rings. The company first came to national attention in 2004 when they produced a necklace featuring an apple for Gwyneth Paltrow following the birth of her daughter Apple, leading to many orders of similar merchandise.
The firm has begun collaborating with national organizations to create custom pieces and give a portion of proceeds to the respective charity.
A signature design feature of the company's products is the "patented sliding mechanism that replaces the traditional clasp, making each bracelet entirely adjustable" making it "one-size-fits-all". Rafaelian patented the Alex and Ani 14-gauge wire bangle in 2004; it is one of about 30 patents the company now holds.
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Alexis Alexanian
American independent film producer
Alexis Alexanian is an American independent film producer. Her production credits include "Mississippi Burning" (1988), "" (2002), "Tape" (2001). In 2012, she was elected president of the board of directors for New York Women in Film & Television. In 2014, she was named President of Production at Locomotive. She is the sister of David Alexanian, with whom she founded Elixir Films.
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Alex Anisi
Alex Anisi (died 18 February 2012) was a Papua New Guinean politician. He was Premier of East Sepik Province from June 1993 to August 1995, and subsequently served as secretary-general of the People's Progress Party for two parliamentary terms until 2011. He was a candidate for the National Parliament at the 2012 election when he died suddenly during the campaign. His son, Ezekiel Anisi, subsequently entered politics himself.
References.
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Alex & Co.
Italian TV series
Alex & Co. is an Italian television series that first aired on Disney Channel Italy on 11 May 2015. It was created by Marina Efron Versiglia and stars Leonardo Cecchi, Eleonora Gaggero, Beatrice Vendramin, Saul Nanni, and Federico Russo, as well as English actress Olivia-Mai Barrett in the special season episodes.
The first season premiered in Italy on 11 May 2015, and ended on 27 May 2015. The second season debuted on 27 September 2015, ending on 29 November. On 30 January 2016, Disney Channel confirmed that the series was renewed for a third season, which aired from 24 September 2016 to 18 February 2017. The series ended with a set of special episodes from 26 June 2017. An English-dubbed version of the series aired in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Middle Eastern regions and South Africa.
There was a feature film made for the series, "How to Grow Up Despite Your Parents" ("Come diventare grandi nonostante i genitori"), and a spin-off series, "Penny on M.A.R.S.," that premiered on 7 May 2018. The series follows Alex Leoni, an Italian teen, and his friends Christian Alessi, Nicole de Ponte, Sam Costa and Emma Ferrari as they are students at the Melsher Institute.
Plot.
Season 1.
The series tells the story of Alex, a smart, brave and well-intentioned teenager who starts high school at the Melcher Institute. It also follows his childhood friends such as Nicole, a sensitive girl who is secretly in love with Alex; and Christian, an athlete who is popular with girls. They quickly become friends with Sam, a shy student, and an attractive girl named Emma, whom Alex falls in love with. They also make the acquaintance of Linda and her group of fake friends: Samantha, Rebecca, Tom, and Barto. Alex soon realizes that high school will not be the party he imagined. Headmaster Ferrari wants the institution to maintain its lead rank in academics, so he bans extracurricular activities like music and acting. Their literature teacher, Professor Belli, encourages the students to follow their dreams nonetheless.
Linda sends Alex and his friends to a forbidden part of the school where the group discovers a secret place in the basement. They form a band called Sound Aloud, and soon after they publish their first song. When Mr. Smith, a record producer, discovers the group, he offers them an album deal, under the condition that Sam be left out. Headmaster Ferrari does not want his daughter Emma to sing at the festival that the band is performing at, so Nicole takes her place to sing with Alex for a duet that the two had written. Linda spills coffee on Nicole's shirt before the concert, so Nicole changes into a dress that she doesn't want to perform in. She stays in the dressing room for two hours. When she finally comes out of her the dressing room in a red dress, she and Alex sing the song he wrote. Together, they finish the song, and after the performance, Alex realizes he has fallen in love with Nicole. He expresses his feelings to her, even though he is already in a relationship with Emma.
At the end of the year, the Melcher Institute wins the academic race, and the principal organizes a year-end concert to raise money for Sam's scholarship. Shortly before the concert, Emma tells Alex that she saw the way he and Nicole acted and they agree to break up because they both don't know what they feel for each other anymore, allowing Alex and Nicole to be together. Nicole overhears Alex telling Christian that he and Nicole can never be together, leading to her getting angry at Alex.
On the night of the concert, Linda traps Nicole and Alex in passageways under the stage. Alex and Nicole try to get out of the tunnels but stop and start talking. Alex tells Nicole why he didn't want to date her at first, and then they make up and share a kiss. They get out of the tunnels and perform with the rest of the group. The concert is a success, and Professor Belli is admitted as their literature teacher again. Headmaster Ferrari announces that they will have spaces to practice music and drama for the following year. In the end, Christian realizes he is in love with Emma, while Alex's parents tell Mr. Belli that they plan on moving to the United States without Alex's knowledge.
Season 2.
Summer is over and Alex's parents announce that they plan to move the family to the United States. Alex and his older brother Joe are not happy with the news, and with the help of their friends, they try to stay. Eventually, while Joe finds a way to stay, Alex realizes he must move because their mother is ill, and he decides to accompany her. When their mother faints as they pack, the family panics, only to discover that she is not ill, but actually pregnant. The doctor advises her not to leave the country, thus the move was cancelled. Meanwhile, the Melsher Institute begins a new year and the group cannot wait to spend time together again. Rebecca and Sam realize they love each other and become a couple.
The band decides to participate in "The Talent", a show where they get the chance to win a recording contract and a European tour. They decide to change the name of the band to 'Alex & Co'. Meanwhile, Linda and her friends form a band called The Lindas, and her mother buys them a song from Mr. Smith, who is now one of the talent show's panelists. Sam discovers the deception and the group plans to reveal it to the creator of "The Talent".
Tension among the members of Alex & Co. cause Alex and Nicole to have an on-and-off relationship; eventually reuniting as a couple. Emma and Christian also date, though a lie told by Linda causes them to break up until Rebecca reveals the truth. Alex & Co. separate for some time, during which Alex is offered a solo recording contract. Instead, he chooses to bring the band back together. As Alex & Co. are about to perform on stage, Joe announces to Alex that their mother has given birth to a baby girl. After meeting his new baby sister, Alex performs "We Are One". The band reveals the deception of The Lindas, and Alex & Co. win "The Talent". Nicole feels overwhelmed by the pressure of her being a semi-celebrity, so she decides to leave the band, and end her relationship with Alex.
Season 3.
First half.
With Nicole having left the band, Alex & Co. starts to record their album, but Emma leaves the band when she loses her voice and has to get surgery. She also finds out that her father was fired as headmaster, but he is rehired soon after. Alex and Nicole mend their friendship, but instead of rejoining the band, she gets involved in saving a local theatre, The Blue Factory, which is run by her former babysitter Sara. Linda returns as a calmer and friendlier person, and The Lindas join Alex and Co. A new student named Clio arrives at the Melsher Institute, who is new in the area after having been bullied in her former school and deciding to quit her dream of being a dancer. She has a troubled relationship with Alex, but he sees through her hardened exterior. They grow closer and start dating.
Frustrated with the direction that their new manager Diana is taking the band in, Alex creates a secret masked internet artist persona named 'Nobody', and releases a song called "I Am Nobody" online, which finds worldwide success. Sam's personality starts to change because of the band's fame, but after a reality check from Rebecca, he returns to his normal self and applies for a scholarship to a prestigious school. Alex & Co. quits the record company and disbands, ending Linda's hopes of fame and turning her back to her old sinister self. Nicole develops feelings for Nobody, who encourages her to write her first song. She kisses him, not knowing he is really Alex. The original Alex & Co. is reunited, and they work to save The Blue Factory together. Sam is accepted to the new school but will have to leave earlier than expected.
At The Blue Factory's fundraiser concert, Rebecca leaves The Lindas after learning that Linda is still trying to destroy Alex & Co. Linda gets her dad to buy the theatre building as a roadblock for the gang. Rebecca sings with Sam, Clio dances on stage for the first time in months, and Alex & Co. performs "Welcome to Your Show", written by Nicole and Emma. After the band says goodbye to Sam, Alex reveals to the world that he is really Nobody.
Second half.
One week after the Nobody reveal, Christian has moved to Australia with his family. Alex works to regain Clio and Nicole's trust after they find out that he was Nobody. Diana also encourages him to continue as a solo artist and manage his own career. After The Blue Factory's fundraiser is a success, the gang opens a record label. The Blue Factory Records, Alex encounters difficulty when the public only seems interested in Nobody. Rebecca and Emma bond over their failed long-distance relationships with Sam and Christian respectively. Ray is revealed to be Nina's son. Rebecca's sister Giada joins The Lindas and secretly admires Ray, ignoring Rebecca's warnings about Linda. Rebecca falls for Matt, who works at a juice shop as a waiter. He is also a pianist, and secretly hides his wealth from everyone.
The girls work to make Nina and Mr. Ferrari a couple. Emma's feelings for Ray grow as they work on the song 'So Far Yet So Close' together. Mr. Ferrari forbids their relationship, seeing Ray as a bad influence, which causes a hurt Nina to break up with Mr. Ferrari. Emma stands up to her dad and stays with Ray, while Mr. Ferrari apologizes to Nina. Nina makes amends with Ray for not giving him the benefit of the doubt. Nicole goes to a songwriting school, but realizes that she's still in love with Alex. She leaves a set of lyrics for a song called "The Magic of Love" with Sara. Alex is given the lyrics to add to his music, but Sara doesn't tell him who wrote them. Clio gets into the academy after auditioning with Alex; Matt also gets into the academy, but Rebecca finds out about his family's wealth. After he explains why he hid the truth from her, they tell each other that they love each other.
Clio's ex-boyfriend Ivan joins forces with Linda to help him get Clio back and to help Linda finally destroy Alex. Ivan steals the Nobody persona and tries to paint Alex as the impostor, but Ivan and Linda argue about the plan. Clio amicably breaks up with Alex when she realizes that he belongs with Nicole. With the gang's help and support, Alex is finally ready to take on Ivan. At the final Nobody challenge at the Blue Factory, Emma and Ray perform "So Far Yet So Close". Alex and Ivan perform "I Am Nobody", both dressed as Nobody and matching each other in dancing skills. Alex's voice modulator was sabotaged, so he sings without his mask. On the other hand, Ivan can't sing without his mask, which Linda had told Ivan was his biggest mistake in challenging Alex. This proves that Ivan is the impostor. Having reclaimed Nobody, Alex officially retires the persona, planning to only perform as Alex Leoni from then on. Nicole returns, entering the theatre as Alex is performing "The Magic of Love". After he realizes that she wrote the lyrics about him and their relationship, they kiss and get back together.
Special episodes.
Alex and Nicole got back together. Alex & Co. are invited to the special edition of "The Talent World", a show in which the contestants are the winners of the previous seasons of "The Talent" worldwide. Alex and his friends, however, decide to reject the invitation to focus on the music projects of their record company. Nicole, in fact, has a new big dream: to get her new lyrics sung by Bakìa, the greatest pop star of the moment.
Alex, Nicole, Emma, Ray and Rebecca go to Matt's villa for his birthday. During the party, Nicole discovers that next to Matt's house, Bakìa is shooting a new music video. Nicole tries to get closer to the pop star, but is the victim of a serious accident. Thanks to the help of an unknown girl, Penny, Nicole is safe, but her savior mysteriously disappeared. Alex and his friends are desperate: Nicole is in a coma and it is unknown if or when she will wake up. Alex knows that the only way Nicole will wake up is if she hears a song by the singer Bakia, so Alex meets the singer Bakia and asks her for a favor, sing her song with her. During the song, Nicole wakes up. Alex realizes it worked, and he runs to the hospital to see her. They both said they missed each other and finally they kiss
Music.
Songs are performed by the main cast unless otherwise noted.
"We Are One" (2016).
The first album from the series, titled "We Are One", was released on 29 January 2016 in Italy. It consists of the songs from the first and second seasons. The first two songs are from the first seasons, while the rest are from the second season. The album features a bonus track, "Wake Up" by The Vamps, who performed the song at "The Talent" in the final episode of the second season.
"Welcome to Your Show" (2016).
The second soundtrack album released on 9 December 2016 contains all songs from the previous album except for the bonus track from The Vamps, plus four new songs from the third season of the series and two new songs from the movie based on the series, "" ("Come diventare grandi nonostante i genitori").
Broadcast.
The first season of the series, consisting of 13 episodes, premiered in Italy on 11 May 2015, and ended on 27 May 2015. The second season of 18 episodes premiered on 27 September 2015, and ended on 29 November 2015. The third season of the series premiered on 24 September 2016, and went on a hiatus on 22 October 2016, after airing the first half of the season, 10 episodes. The movie "" (originally titled "Come diventare grandi nonostante i genitori"), which is based on this series, was released in Italian cinemas on 24 November 2016. The remaining 10 episodes of the third season aired from 21 January 2017 to 18 February 2017.
Four special episodes aired from 26 June 2017 to 29 June 2017, marking the end of the series.
There is an English-language version of the series being broadcast in Middle Eastern regions, Nordic countries, Hungary and Czech Republic, and South Africa.
In South Africa, Season 1 first aired from 3 Marc 2016 to 26 May 2016; Season 2 from 7 July 2016 to 3 November 2016; Season 3 Part 1 from 3 April 2017 to 14 April 2017; and Season 3 Part 2 from 17 July 2017 to 28 July 2017.
On 24 June 2017, the series premiered in the United Kingdom and Ireland on Disney Channel. Series 2 premiered on 2 January 2018. The English dub used is the same as that of the Middle East and South Africa.
Reception.
The final episode of the first season reached peaks of 250,000 viewers, of which 150,000 were children aged 4 to 16 years, and 120,000 were girls aged 8 to 16 years.
Other media.
Film.
On 2 December 2015, Disney Channel Italy announced the release of a movie based on the series, titled "" ("Come diventare grandi nonostante i genitori"), which was released on 24 November 2016, in Italian cinemas. It premiered in the United States at the Los Angeles Italia Film Festival on 21 February 2017. In the United Kingdom, it was shown on 5 March 2018, on Disney Channel.
Spin-offs.
"Penny on M.A.R.S.".
A spin-off series titled "Penny on M.A.R.S." was announced on 29 June 2017. It follows the adventures of Penny, the main character in the special episodes of the original show, and her dream to enter the music high school M.A.R.S.. It premiered on Disney Channel Italy on 7 May 2018, and on Disney Channel UK on 4 June 2018.
"Radio Alex".
On 30 January 2016, Disney Channel Italy announced a spin-off titled "Radio Alex". It aired in Italy on 8 February 2016. It stars Alex as he manages the Melsher Institute radio station where, with the help of his friends, he talks about general topics; posing questions to the audience and transmitting all the successful songs of international artists.
"Alex & Co. Fan Event".
On 20 April 2016, the cast of the series performed the songs of the series in a live concert in Milan called "Alex & Co. Fan Event".
Notes.
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Ann Alexander (banker)
(1774/5–1861), Quaker, banker and bill broker
Ann Alexander née Ann Barber (1770 – 15 January 1861) was a British Quaker, banker and bill broker. She was unusual because she was a woman running the financial company "A.M.Alexander" and "A. and G.W.Alexander".
Life.
She was born in Eckington, Derbyshire. She was a milliner when she met and married the Quaker William Alexander in Doncaster on 13 February 1801. They were to have nine children. Her husband was a bank clerk, but in time he started to deal on his own, and in time, he had a thriving business which relied on trust.
Her husband died suddenly in 1819. At the time of his death, it seemed likely that the family business would be lost too.
Alexander invested the life assurance paid out from her husband's death into the business and took over the leadership. Her husband's executors were convinced by her talents and the business became "A.M.Alexander". When her eldest son became an adult in 1823, he was taken into the business, and the following year the business was renamed "A. and G.W.Alexander". Her son was however not the leading partner, and he took a third of the profits while she took two thirds.
In 1828 her son became an equal partner, and for four years they shared the profits equally. Her share reduced as new partners were added to the business, but by the time of her retirement in 1838 she still owned a third of the company and had £1000 a year. Her son, George William Alexander, was a noted treasurer of the British and Foreign Anti-Slavery Society.
Alexander died in Reigate and left c. £14,000. The company that she managed went on to become Alexanders Discount plc, and it was still trading in 2000.
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Alex Neri
Alex Neri (born in Sarzana, Italy, on June 16, 1970) is an Italian DJ, producer and songwriter.
Biography.
A founding member of Planet Funk, having formed the band in the late 90s, Alex Neri also pursued a solo career and established an independent record label named Tenax Recordings.
He started his career playing at the Alhambra, a nightclub in Sarzana owned by his father. Neri began his studio activity collaborating with Marco Baroni and working on different productions such as the Korda project ('Move Your Body') and Kamasutra ('Storm In My Soul'), all while releasing remixed productions for artists such as Club Freaks, Annette Taylor, Future Force, Instant Funk and Jestofunk.
In 1998 Neri and Baroni launched their first single 'Happiness' featuring Jocelyn Brown, which reached 5th place on dance charts in the US and 45th place in the UK. At the same time, Alex Neri met and started collaborating with Gigi Canu and Sergio della Monica, which led to the establishment of Planet Funk.
References.
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The Anix
Los Angeles-based electronic rock project
The Anix is a former American rock band and currently a solo electronic project run by Los Angeles-based music producer Brandon Smith who was originally the band's frontman.
History.
Formation and release of "An Illusion of Time" and "Play.Dance.Repeat" (2001–2007).
The Anix was formed in 2001 by Brandon Smith, Bryan Lareau and Oscar Gutierrez. The band made various albums along the first two years of their existence (A Division of You, Digital Rock etc.) but they didn't receive much recognition. The band released their debut album, titled "An Illusion of Time" in 2004. The band's first label released album was "Play, Dance, Repeat" released in April 2005. The band then underwent multiple lineup changes before entering the studio in 2006 to record their next album.
Gaining recognition with "Demolition City" and release of "Sleepwalker" and "Ephemeral" (2008–2017).
The Anix's first critically acclaimed album was "Demolition City". The album was released in 2008 under Chamberlain records. A review was published about the album on Billboard Magazine's vol.120 no.22 issue. It praised the band's style of using 80's music as an inspiration.
The band played live shows in Illinois and Chicago with artist's Cromwell, Comasoft. In 2009 the band first played in overseas. Along with Apoptygma Berzerk, the band played various live shows in Germany.
The band then signed with Cleopatra Records and released their next album - "Sleepwalker". Released in 2011, the album received praise in the gaming community. The song "Warning Signs" was included in the soundtrack of . Smith said that the band is often inspired by film adaptations of graphic novels, like "The Dark Knight" and "Sin City". They embarked on a North American tour with Cromwell in 2012. The band additionally played a few shows in 2013 and 2015.
The band's next album "Ephemeral" was released in 2017. The album contained elements from techno and dance music; a first for the band. Unlike after the release of its predecessor, the band didn't promote the album by going on tour.
Turning into a solo project and subsequent releases (2018–present).
After the release of "Ephemeral" the band turned into a solo project with Brandon remaining the sole band member. He signed with electronic music label FiXT and released his debut single "Fight the Future". His sixth album, titled "Shadow_Movement", was released on 18 October 2018.
After releasing various singles Brandon released his seventh studio album "Hologram" on 10 October 2019. He released his eighth studio album, "Graphite", on 26 June 2020.
The "Revenge" LP, with 15 tracks, was released January 14, 2022. It includes guest appearances by Julien K, InHuman, and Amir Derakh (Julien K, Rough Cutt).
On July 15, 2022, Demolition City was remastered and released. The album contains all the previous songs (including "The Lowdown of a Fool",
which was released under the name "Double Zero") and previously unreleased demos and songs.
On June 2, 2023, The Anix released its tenth studio album "Nightvision".
On February 22, 2024, The Anix released a new single called "CRAWL" featuring Amir Derakh of Julien-K as a part of his upcoming tenth studio album "Voltage". On April 15 and May 28, "Gravity" and "Shadow" were released as the second and third single of The Anix's upcoming album.
Members.
Current members
Former members
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Aneiki
Australian musical ensemble
Aneiki is an Australian pop duo from Brisbane, Queensland made up of Jennifer Waite and Grant Wallis. The duo was originally called Halogen, but were forced to change their name after the Perth-based band Halogen established sole rights to the name's usage in Australia.
Aneiki worked with songwriter Daniel Jones and were signed to his label, Meridienmusik. Their debut single, "Pleased to Meet You", reached number 26 on the ARIA Singles Chart, spending 18 weeks in the top 100 and was number 13 on 2001's Australian Artist Singles chart. "Pleased to Meet You" was the most played Australian song on Australian radio in 2002. Waite and Wallis were awarded APRA's Breakthrough Songwriter of the Year in 2002, an award they shared with Sia.
Follow-up singles "Superhero", "15 Minutes" and "Even Without You" reached numbers 48, 72 and 97. Their debut album "Words in Place of Objects" reached number 87 on the ARIA Albums Chart.
References.
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Alex Weil
American music video director
Alex Weil (July 31, 1951 – April 17, 2019) was the founder and executive creative director of the New York City based digital design and production studio Charlex (now CHRLX), which he founded alongside Charlie Levi (the company's name is a portmentau of their first names). He was awarded the "Video of the Year" MTV Video Music Award in 1984 for directing "You Might Think" by The Cars, and also wrote and directed the SIGGRAPH award-winning short digital animation One Rat Short.
Prior to his entry into the video industry, he was the bassist in the short-lived band "Last Men", with two releases in 1979.
References.
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AleX
1997 Italian television series
AleX is an Italian mystery television series created by Alfredo Castelli, Guglielmo Duccoli, and Giorgio Schottler, and produced by Videotime.

Sofia Alexander
Mexican animator and voice actor
Sofia Eugenia Alexander is a Mexican animator, storyboard artist and voice actress known for her work as the executive producer and creator of the show "Onyx Equinox" and her storyboarding for "Stretch Armstrong and the Flex Fighters", "Infinity Train" and "The Powerpuff Girls" reboot.
Early life.
Alexander was born in Quintana Roo, Mexico. She grew up around archeological sites such as temples from the Mayan civilization. Her grandfather was proud of their indigenous culture and saw it as something important to teach Alexander, so he often told her stories and made sure she visited archeological sites such as the temple Uxmal in Mexico. While growing up in Mexico, Alexander had access to a lot of anime as it aired on television and watched shows such as "Dexter's Laboratory", "Dr. Slump", "Dragon Ball", "Mikan Enikki", "Rurouni Kenshin", and "Wolf's Rain", as did "Saint Seiya", and "Cardcaptor Sakura", the latter which inspired her to draw. She later said that while she was discouraged from drawing art influenced by anime, she was determined to have it influence "Onyx Equinox", with the anime aesthetic appealing to her.
Career.
Early work.
Alexander worked as a storyboard revisionist for 28 episodes of "The Powerpuff Girls" reboot series, which aired on 2016 from to 2019. She also was a writer for episode "Splitsville". This job was how she began working in the animation industry, as a freelancer. Following this, she worked as a storyboard artist for "Stretch Armstrong and the Flex Fighters" (2017–2018), a Netflix series. She was a storyboard artist on nine episodes and storyboard revisionist for five episodes. Alexander later said that while her work on "The Powerpuff Girls" was helpful for storyboarding, she had to learn to become a showrunner on the job.
Onyx Equinox.
Alexander is best known for her series, "Onyx Equinox". Prior to its release, she described it as an "adult story" in terms of themes and action, with Izel forced to "save a world he doesn’t believe he has a place in," facing darkness in "the world and within himself." She specifically emphasized specific colors in the show, with pink and turquoise representing historical symbolism in Mesoamerica Mexico. She later revealed that she began the series as a comic strip during college, which featured a few of the show's characters, and was inspired by the "Lord of the Rings", "The Legend of Zelda", and "Aliens", wanting something similar in Mesoamerican mythology.
She began developing the story and its cast of characters in 2007, then developed a pitch for the series in 2011, but took her years of pitching it to companies such as Frederator, Netflix, and Crunchyroll, before it was picked up. Marisa Balkus of Crunchyroll, the Executive Producer in charge of original development of the streaming service, approved the show, after Alexander pitched it in early 2018, arguing that Mesoamerican Mexican culture isn't often portrayed on television and would be interesting to portray in an anime story medium. Writing on the series began in October 2018.
The series premiered on Crunchyroll in October 2020. Alexander served as the creator, illustrator, and executive producer of "Onyx Equinox". She also voiced the character K'i'ik, the weapon which "grows stronger once it tastes blood." Alexander described the series having a touch of anime combined with "truly Mesoamerican characters" and stated that the show was the result of researching ancient civilizations in Mesoamerica. She also said the series allowed to see the beauty in her own culture and heritage and said that she had the chance to be mentored by Japanese animator Kuni Tomita who also served as supervising director, with Tomita guiding her in being the head of the show. She characterized Tomita as an "animation mom" and an "empowering and incredible force" while noting that Tomita warned her against animating detailed designs of gods, saying animators will hate her for making them do it, and she justified it by saying it is important culturally. Alexander has also provided her voice for characters such as Nelli, and Meque, was a show writer, and a storyboarder for the episode "The Bet."
Alexander, in a November 2020 interview with CBR shared her challenge with pitching the series and wanting to do it with "dignity and respect towards Mexico and Indigenous Mexicans" and said that Crunchyroll had been "wonderful to the project." She called the series a translation between her experiences "into the writer's room and into animation." She also called the series a "Mexican project," said she found many of the cast and crew from her personal collections and social media, but said that the show is not an anime, from her perspective, and called Crunchyroll a "great platform" to tell the show's story. However, in August 2020, Alexander had said that creators of animation do not have a say in the marketing of their shows. In other interviews, Alexander described the show as "a love letter to Mexico and to other Mexicans," argued that blood is a main part of the story but not something to fear, said that the show tries to introduce people to Mesoamerican myths. Alexander also said that she hoped that fans of Western animation would "see the appeal of action-drama animation for adults" and stated that the series had help from an archaeologist/anthropologist and extensive research to ensure certain aspects of the show's world are inspired by actual history.
In December 2020, Alexander was nominated at Animation Magazine's 2020 Hall of Fame Awards and won The New Voice of the Year Award for her work on "Onyx Equinox".
In January 2021, Alexander floated the possibility of a second season of "Onyx Equinox".
On November 5, 2023, Alexander announced that the series had been cancelled, due to "various reasons out of [her] control".
Other work.
Alexander worked as a storyboarder on another animated series, "Infinity Train", which aired 2019 to 2020. She storyboarded five episodes. She also worked as a concept artist for Disney Imagineering and their division of theme park design. In 2019 she was a storyboarder for the film "". She described working with the crew of "Infinity Train" as a full-time storyboard artist as a "pleasure" and said that story of the animated series is "beautiful" while saying her experience storyboarding on the show helped her with boarding for "Onyx Equinox".
In August 2020, Alexander appeared at a panel about women in animation, alongside Rebecca Sugar and Julia Pott, among other creatives, at the Pixelatl Festival in Mexico.
In October 2020, Alexander signed a petition calling for better Latinx representation in Hollywood.
In March 2021, she appeared at a virtual event for South by Southwest on "animating resilience." She also was noted as serving as a mentor for the Women in Animation's Storyboard Workshop in 2019, the Native American TV Writer's Lab in 2020, and attending various workshops so she can promote and teach "the new generation of Native American artists."
In June 2021, she appeared on a panel at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival on the influence of anime on creators, with Alexis Hunot, the directors of "Wolfwalkers" (Tomm Moore) and "The Red Turtle" (Michael Dudok de Wit), executive producer of "We Bare Bears" (Manny Hernandez) and a
live-action directing team (Hélène Cattet and Bruno Forzani). At the panel, Alexander talked about how the anime shows she watched when she was younger influenced "Onyx Equinox".
In September 2021, Alexander announced that she'll be working with Marvel Studios on an unspecified project, with some speculating it may be the second season of "What If...?". The project was revealed to be "X-Men '97". She also was a storyboarder for several episodes of the Crunchyroll series, "High Guardian Spice" which premiered in October 2021.
In November 2021, Alexander appeared at a panel discussion about Indigenous women in animation at LA Skins Fest. Sofia Alexander has been one of the main supporters of the Disney Channel series "Primos" after the controversy.
In September 2023, Alexander announced that she joined the staff for the revival of "Phineas And Ferb" at Disney Television Animation. In March 2024, Alexander mentioned that she was developing a new project at Disney TVA.
Personal life.
Alexander is married to Anna Lencioni, an animator and artist, and worked on "Onyx Equinox." Lencioni went to the same college as Alexander, the Savannah College of Art and Design, Both Alexander and Lencioni have been together for over ten years and Lencioni was crucial in getting Alexander to pitch "Onyx Equinox" to Crunchyroll. Alexander has two brothers and her entire family lives in Mexico. She currently lives in the United States and her birthday is June 4.
References.
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Animax
Japanese anime satellite television network
, stylized as ANIMAX in all caps, is a Japanese animation satellite television network, dedicated to broadcasting anime programming. Launched on July 1, 1998, Animax is the first 24-hour network in the world dedicated to anime.
Animax is part of AK Entertainment, owned by Nojima, and is headquartered in in Minato, Tokyo, Japan. The channel was originally co-founded by Sony Pictures Entertainment Japan, with its shareholders including studios Sunrise, Toei Animation, TMS Entertainment, and production company Nihon Ad Systems.
Animax previously operated separate TV channels for Asia (four separate feeds for South East Asia, the Philippines, Hong Kong and Taiwan), South Asia and South Korea; in addition to either owning, or licensing its brand to, several television networks, programming blocks, and VOD platforms around the world. As of 2020, most of these services have either been sold off to third-parties or closed altogether.
History.
Under Sony.
Established on May 20, 1998, by Sony, launched in Japan on July 1, the same year, across the SKY PerfecTV! satellite television platform. Headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan, and presided by Masao Takiyama, Animax's shareholders and founders included Sony Pictures Entertainment Japan, Sunrise, Toei Animation, Kyokuichi (later known as TMS Entertainment), and NAS. Its founders also include noted anime producer and production designer Yoshirō Kataoka. The network began broadcasting in high definition from October 2009.
Animax also exhibits affiliations with anime pioneer Osamu Tezuka's Tezuka Productions company, Pierrot, Nippon Animation, and numerous others. Other noted Japanese celebrities and personalities to have appeared on Animax with their own programs include actress Natsuki Katō, among numerous others. The network's narrators are the voice actors Yukari Tamura and Kōsuke Okano; and from October 2007, Sayuri Yahagi.
Beyond the channel, Animax has hosted and organized several anime-based competitions across Japan, such as the Animax Taishō scriptwriting competition and the Animax Anison Grand Prix; an anime song music competition judged by a panel of noted anime figures
Several other Animax-branded events and concerts across Japan have included the annual , a live concert during which renowned Japanese bands, artists and voice actors perform, and is often held at Zepp Tokyo. They've also held another annual Anime song concert event called Animax Musix.
Animax previously operated a mobile television service, which was announced in February 2007, and launched through the mobile phone company MOBAHO! from April 2007.
Sale to Nojima.
On December 18, 2023, Sony Pictures Entertainment Japan announced that will sell their stakes in both Animax and sister channel Kids Station to electronic store chain . The deal was finalized on April 1, 2024.
Sony would first establish a new company called "AK Media", which would take over all shares in Animax and Kids Station from their previous owners. Nojima's AK Entertainment subsidiary would then acquire AK Media from Sony. It's been speculated that Animax was sold in-order for Sony to focus on its US-based, global, anime entertainment and streaming companies – Funimation (which was acquired in 2017) and Crunchyroll (which was acquired in 2021) – which have since been merged into Crunchyroll LLC and operate as a joint venture with Sony Music Entertainment Japan's Aniplex.
In May 2024, AK Media would be absorbed into AK Entertainment.
Programming.
Animax's programming is dedicated to anime, and it has been acknowledged as the largest 24-hour anime-only network in the world. The channel's programming has ranged from television series, to films and original video animations. It has also aired imported foreign cartoons that have been dubbed into Japanese. Its viewer reach has been quoted as spanning over 89 million homes. across 62 countries and 17 languages.
The channel has co-produced and exclusively premiered several original anime series, including "" and "Marvel Anime".
Other Animax originals include "Ultra Maniac", "Astro Boy", "", and "Aishiteruze Baby'.
International.
Asia.
Asian versions of Animax, featuring its programming within separate networks and feeds in their respective regions and languages, were rolled out beginning in 2004. The first one was launched in Taiwan and the Philippines on January 1, 2004, and in Hong Kong on January 12, 2004. A week later, Animax launched in Southeast Asia on January 19, 2004, featuring its programming within feeds in English audio, as well as Japanese audio, with English subtitling, and other languages in the region, becoming the company's first English-language network.
On July 5, 2004, Animax India was launched across India and neighboring countries featuring its programming in English.
On April 29, 2006, Animax started its operations in South Korea, broadcasting separately from Seoul.
Animax Asia aired their first ever simulcast, "Tears to Tiara", on the same time as the Japanese broadcast. They would also premiere "Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood" series, within the same week as Japan.
In January 2020, Sony sold the South Korean and Southeast Asian Animax channels to former Sony Pictures Television executives Andy Kaplan and George Chien, who have since formed KC Global Media.
Animax ceased transmissions in Laos, 16 March 2021. One year later, Astro shut the channel down on 1 January 2022 in Malaysia.
Latin America.
Animax was launched in Latin America on July 31, 2005, replacing Locomotion after Sony's purchase from Hearst Corporation and Corus Entertainment, in January 2005.
Animax Latin America would rebrand in August 2007, coinciding with the premiere of a new adult-oriented programming block named "Lollipop". Likewise, on March 18, 2008, it was announced that the mobile service Animax Mobile, available on Japan and Australia, was to be launched as well in Mexico and eventually in other Latin American countries.
Animax Latin America would eventually incorporate live-action programming and was later relaunched as Sony Spin on May 1, 2011, with anime programming retained until March 2012. Sony Spin would be discontinued on July 1, 2014, and replaced with a local version of Lifetime.
North America.
Animax has sponsored several anime-based events across North America, including hosting an anime festival, in association with other anime distributive enterprises such as Bandai Entertainment and Viz Media, across Sony's San Francisco-based entertainment shopping complex Metreon in October 2001, during which it aired numerous of its anime titles across the centre, including special "Gundam", "The Making of Metropolis", and "Love Hina" screenings.
The noted international business newspaper "Financial Times", reported, in September 2004, of Sony planning and being "keen" to launch Animax across the United States and North America, after Sony had signed an agreement with the largest cable company in the United States, Comcast, with whom it had co-partnered in a US$4.8 billion acquisition of legendary Hollywood studio MGM, to bring at least three of Sony's television networks across the region.
On June 13, 2007, Sony Pictures Television International officially announced that Animax would be launching its mobile television service, Animax Mobile, in Canada from July 2007, on Bell Digital's mobile phone service. This was Animax Mobile's third major expansion, after initially launching the mobile television service in Japan from April 2007 and Australia from June 12, 2007.
On January 17, 2012, the streaming service Crackle, added Animax to their lineup for the North America region, marking the network's first launch in the United States. Its programming has included for the first time several of Animax's English language dubs, including that of shows that had yet been adapted into English and had only aired in Southeast Asia and South Asia prior, such as "Nodame Cantabile", "Yōkai Ningen Bem" and several others. By the end of March 2013, the Animax branding was dropped.
Europe.
In April 2007, Animax launched across several countries in Europe, including Hungary, Romania, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, with Sony announcing plans to launch in the United Kingdom, Germany, Italy, Spain, Portugal, France, Poland (put on hiatus) and other major countries in the continent, with discussions at an advanced stage. The launch marked Animax's first major expansion into Europe. The network then soon launched in Germany in May 2007, Spain and Portugal in 2008.
United Kingdom.
In October 2007, further details emerged on Animax's launch details in the United Kingdom, with Sony Pictures Television International senior-vice president of international networks Ross Hair being quoted by Brand Republic's "Media Week" as stating that Sony was preparing to launch Animax in the United Kingdom initially as a video on demand service alongside other Sony television networks, with Sony also looking at launching Animax across the free digital television service Freeview subject to new frequencies and slot being available.
As of April 2011, one of Sony's 3 channels that they were planning to launch in the UK since 2007, Sony Entertainment Television, is now available there on Sky following Sony's acquisition of channel slots 157 and 190, which were previously owned by Film 24 and Open Access 3, respectively, not only making it now possible that Sony can launch Animax in the UK but also marking Sony Pictures Television's entry into both the British and Irish markets. On October 15, 2013, Sony Pictures Television announced it will launch a UK version of Animax as a SVOD service. SPT also announced a multi-year volume deal with Viz Media to secure exclusive content for the service.
The SVOD service launched online on October 24, 2013, with three simulcast series and over twenty archive series including many titles which originally debuted on Kaze's Anime On Demand service. Some content has also appeared on Sony Movie Channel's Late Night Anime block, with the channel's website referencing Animax. Starting from March 2014, the Late Night Anime block has since been rebranded to Animax. An app for PlayStation 4 was released in October 2014.
On March 5, 2015, Scuzz launched "Animax Movie Nights", a weekly block that aired anime movies on Thursday nights for the next month.
On October 15, 2018, the service closed down, with subscribers being directed to Funimation's streaming service.
Hungary, Romania, Czech Republic and Slovakia.
In September 2006, Sony Pictures Television International bought A+ (Anime+) television channel and rebranded it as Animax in July 2007 The channel aired from 8 pm to 2 am on same frequency as Minimax and broadcast anime in Japanese with Romanian subtitles and also with Romanian dubbing in Romania, with Hungarian dubbing in Hungary and with Czech dubbing for the most of them in the Czech Republic and Slovakia. Among the most popular series were: "Naruto", "Bleach", "Fullmetal Alchemist", "InuYasha", "Death Note", "D.Gray-man", "Blood+", "Kaleido Star", "Hell Girl", "Kilari", "Dragon Ball GT", "Kirarin Revolution", "Love Com", "Vampire Knight", "MegaMan NT Warrior", "Trigun", "Slayers", "Yu-Gi-Oh!", "Digimon", "", "Nana", "Kiddy Grade".
On June 1, 2009, the channel changed its focus, targeting a more broad young adult audience and adding more American television series. At the same time, it dropped support of its forums on its website and, in September 2013, closed them entirely. On June 9, 2009, RCS & RDS (Digi), the largest Romanian cable operator dropped the channel due to high costs of broadcasting.
On March 31, 2014, the channel was closed down and replaced by C8.
Meanwhile, in Romania, Sony's AXN Spin was launched on 1 March 2013 on Romtelecom's digital lineup, a few months after both Minimax and Animax were dropped from that platform. Until 2015, AXN Spin broadcast "Naruto", "Dragon Ball GT", "Dragon Ball Z Kai", "Kinniku Banzuke", "Kirarin Revolution" and "Hello Kitty".
Spain and Portugal.
Animax began as a programming block in Spain and Portugal in the channel AXN. Shows broadcast on the block include "InuYasha", "Outlaw Star", "Trigun", "Orphen", "Excel Saga" and "Samurai Champloo". Later shows include "Corrector Yui", "The Law of Ueki", "Detective Conan", "Lupin III" and "Kochikame". These shows were shown in Portugal and Spain from October 2007 until September 2008, airing weekends from 13:00 to 16:00.
The full channel was subsequently launched on April 12, 2008, on the Movistar TV and Digital+ platforms in Spain and Meo and Clix in Portugal. Among the series broadcast across Animax's networks in Spain and Portugal were "Nana", "Black Lagoon", "Love Hina", ', "Chobits", '. As of 2011, the Portuguese feed was removed due to low ratings and was replaced by AXN Black, an offshoot of AXN. In 2013, the Spanish feed rebranded and eliminated all of its western programming in favor for anime, although the programming consisted on continuous reruns of four anime, later reduced to two. On December 31, 2013, the Spanish feed was also removed due to its low ratings.
Italy.
Animax in Italy began as a nighttime 1-hour programming block on sister channel AXN Italy on January 12, 2008, indicating that it will eventually launch as a 24/7 channel. The programs that aired on the block were "Planetes", "The Vision of Escaflowne", ".hack//SIGN", and "Noein". The block hasn't aired since 2009, likely to avoid competition with MTV, who also aired anime and was more widely available.
Germany.
On May 14, 2007, Sony announced Animax would be launching in Germany from early June 2007, becoming the country's first ever television network solely dedicated to anime programming. Animax launched in the country from June 5, 2007, on Unity Media's digital subscription television service in the regions of North Rhine-Westphalia, Hesse and other regions. Among the first anime series premiering on Animax Germany were ".hack//Sign", "Dragon Ball", "Earth Girl Arjuna", "Eureka Seven", "Gundam SEED", "Oh My Goddess!", "One Piece", "Record of Lodoss War", "School Rumble", "The Candidate for Goddess", "X" and numerous others. The channel later launched into Austria and Switzerland.
Animax closed on July 7, 2016, but would continue as a VOD service in Germany, Austria and Switzerland, before it was replaced by Crunchyroll on September 30, 2022.
Poland.
There were plans to launch the Polish version of the channel on January 1st 2008 but they never materialised, most likely due to financial issues.
Australia.
Animax launched as a two-hour programming block on the Sci Fi Channel Australia (which was co-owned by Animax's parent Sony Pictures Entertainment) from November 5, 2008, playing on Wednesday nights and Saturday mornings. It launched with the series "", "Cowboy Bebop", "Black Lagoon" and "Blood+".
This was Animax's latest English-language venture, following their networks in Southeast Asia, South Asia and South Africa. As of 2010, the block no longer airs.
Animax programming has also been available since June 12, 2007, through its mobile television service, Animax Mobile, available on 3 mobile's 3G network. Its initial programming on launch consisted of four full-length anime series, "Blood+", "R.O.D the TV", "" and "Last Exile". As of 2016 Animax Mobile has been discontinued.
Africa.
In August 2007, it was announced that Animax would be launching across several countries in Africa, including South Africa, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Zambia, Mozambique and Lesotho, on the DStv satellite service and in Nigeria on HiTV, from March 19, 2009.
On 31 October 2010, Animax was removed from DSTV, due to a lack of viewers. The channel had engaged in channel drift with the introduction of reality shows to its line-up. It would be replaced by in February 2011 with Sony MAX.
South Africa.
Animax broadcast on DStv from November 3, 2007, until October 31, 2010.
It featured English language programming. It had been lauded by publications such as "The Times" for having singularly spread awareness about anime than any other platform, and celebrated its first year of broadcasts in South Africa in November 2008. Sony Pictures Television International manager Philipp Schmidt was quoted by "The Times" as saying that Animax's primary goal was to "establish itself as the destination for anime programming" in South Africa, and also that the feedback that it has received has shown it has been making an impact in the country.
Animax South Africa premiered programs such as "Neon Genesis Evangelion", "Tenjo Tenge", ', "Record of Lodoss War", ".hack//SIGN", "Negima! Magister Negi Magi", "Mobile Suit Gundam SEED", "Eureka Seven", "Angelic Layer", "SoltyRei", "Black Cat", "Hinotori", ', "Chrono Crusade", "Last Exile", "Samurai 7", "Burst Angel", "Black Jack", "Black Lagoon", "Hellsing", "Wolf's Rain", "Basilisk", "Gantz", "Paranoia Agent", "Witchblade", "Elfen Lied", and "Le Chevalier D'Eon".
Other ventures.
Animax Mobile.
Apart from operating its programming as a television network, Animax begun launching its programming across mobile television, first beginning in their original home in Japan and subsequently overseas. In February 2007, Animax announced that it would be launching a mobile television service in Japan on the mobile phone company MOBAHO! from April 2007, having its programming being viewable by the company's mobile phone subscribers. Subsequently, in June 2007, it launched in Australia and Canada, its first English language mobile networks, in Latin America on March 18, 2008, and Southeast Asia on November and December 2008, their third mobile English language network, launching in Malaysia and Singapore through mobile service providers Astro, Maxis and StarHub respectively.
As of 2016 the Animax Mobile service is discontinued worldwide.
Animax-branded streaming channels are available in Hong Kong, Philippines, Indonesia, Singapore and Malaysia, Selected Countries also available On Demand Across Southeast Asia (Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines) and Germany (Deutschland, Switzerland and Austria).
Game arenas.
Sony Pictures Television International signed a deal with developer Arkadium on January 7, 2009, to provide game arenas for Sony Pictures Television International websites, including Animax, with more than forty games licensed.
References.
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Marius Al-Ani
German professional wrestler
Marius Al-Ani (born 3 December 1990) is a German professional wrestler, He is best known tenure for his Westside Xtreme Wrestling (wXw).
Professional wrestling career.
Independent circuit (2011–2019, 2021–present).
Al-Ani competed at the "WWNLive SuperShow - Mercury Rising 2019", an event promoted by World Wrestling Network (WWN) on April 5, where he teamed up with Alexander James and Jurn Simmons as Team wXw in a losing effort to The Unwanted (Eddie Kingston, Joe Gacy and Shane Strickland) in a six-man tag team match. At "PROGRESS Germany Tour 2018: Hamburg", a cross-over event produced by Progress Wrestling and wXw, he teamed up with Absolute Andy and Bobby Gunns in a losing effort to Chris Brookes, David Starr and Walter. Al-Ani also worked for European Wrestling Promotion where he won the Axel Dieter Memorial Cup at "EWP Christmas Wrestling 2019" by defeating PJ Black in the finals which took place on December 21. Al-Ani competed at "NEW Snakepit 2019", an event promoted by New European Championship Wrestling on September 7, where he won and lost the NEW World Internet Championship the same night battling Fast Time Moodo.
Westside Xtreme Wrestling (2014–2022).
Al-Ani is best known for his tenure with Westside Xtreme Wrestling. He debuted for the promotion at "wXw Drive Of Champions Tour: Fulda" on May 17, 2014, where he fell short against Da Mack. At "wXw 14th Anniversary Tour: Leipzig", a two-night event which began on November 1, 2014, he scored a victory against Axel Tischer on the second night. Al-Ani participated in the 2015 Mitteldeutschland Cup, where he reached the semi-finals at "wXw More Than Wrestling Tour: Gotha", where he fell short to Ilja Dragunov on March 17, 2015. At "wXw More Than Wrestling Tour: Finale - Shortcut To The Top", Al-Ani participated in a 30-man royal rumble match on June 20, 2015, where he competed against ither superstars such as the winner Grado, Jurn Simmons, Marty Scurll and Sha Samuels. At "wXw Broken Rules XVI" on October 22, 2016, he teamed up with Absolute Andy as A4 and defeated David Starr and Lio Rush to win the vacant wXw World Tag Team Championship. They defended the titles several times until they dropped them to The Young Lions (Lucky Kid and Tarkan Aslan) at "wXw Superstars Of Wrestling 2017", a cross-over event produced by wXw and Lucha Underground on May 13, 2017. At "16 Carat Gold Tournament 2017", Al-Ani defeated J. T. Dunn in a first round match on the first night from March 10, but fell short to Walter on the second night in quarter-finals. On the third night, Al-Ani teamed up with Absolute Andy to successfully defend the wXw World Tag Team Championship in a street fight against The London Riots (James Davis and Rob Lynch). Al-Ani participated in the Mitteldeutschland Cup of 2017, with the first night taking place at "wXw Fight Forever Tour 2017: Jena", where he defeated Pete Bouncer in the quarter-final on September 22. One day later on September 23, at "Tour: Bautzen", he lost to John Klinger in the semi-finals. At the "wXw World Tag League 2017", Al-Ani teamed up with his A4 partner Absolute Andy in a losing effort to Massive Product (David Starr and Jurn Simmons) in the first night of October 6. Two nights later, they finished the tournament with a total of three points after scoring a loss against The Spirit Squad (Kenny and Mikey). At "wXw Shortcut To The Top 2018" on August 4, Al-Ani defeated Bobby Gunns to win the wXw Shotgun Championship. Al-Ani won the 2020 Catch Grand Prix by defeating Cara Noir in the finals on December 13, 2020. At "wXw Dead End" on April 9, 2021, he defeated Bobby Gunns to win the wXw Unified World Wrestling Championship.
Other media.
In 2016, Al-Ani participated at "Ninja Warrior Germany" on RTL, placing himself in 20th place, after five rounds of contest.
References.
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