IF? RECORDS: IFFY BUSINESS INDEED
Since its inception in Australia in 1995, IF? Records has
worked with a plethora of talented people, most of them born and bred in its exceptional hometown: Melbourne.
Think people as far afield as Steve Law (a.k.a. Zen Paradox),
Voiteck, Honeysmack, Digital Primate, Little Nobody, Frontside, Artificial, Isnod, Son Of Zev, TR-Storm, FSOM, Guyver
3, Soulenoid, Blimp, Black Lung, TDM, Josh Abrahams, DJ Venom, and Q-Kontrol.
IF? has also inducted like-minded experimental electronic boffins from Sydney
like Sub Bass Snarl, 5000 Fingers Of Dr. T, Kid Calmdown, Pocket,
and Nick Littlemore (Pnau).
And internationally over the past decade the label has worked with Si
Begg (Buckfunk 3000/Noodles Discotheque), Tobias Schmidt (Tresor/Sativae), Jammin’
Unit (Pharma/Air Liquide), Biochip C (Force Inc.), Tal (Sub Rosa), DJ Rush
(Kne’Deep), Thomas Heckmann (Trope), Yamaoka (Kazumi/Holzplatten), Captain
Funk (Sublime), and Khan Oral (Pharma/Force Inc./Temple Records NYC)
Then there were the Melbourne-based parties – the now-legendary Omniglobe
raves at Global Village in Footscray in 1995/96, and the Zeitsprung (1995/96) and Zoetrope
(1997-2001) live electronica sessions at the Punters Club in Fitzroy – along with the collaborative
jaunts organized by IF? with Club Filter, Teriyaki Anarki Saki, Honkytonks,
Revolver Upstairs and Centriphugal.
Founded 11 years ago by Andrez Bergen (a.k.a. Little Nobody)
with his mates Brian Huber and Mateusz Sikora, IF? always was about diversity, experimentation, pushing the perimeters, and
flying the flag of Melbourne-made electronica – and the label also released a fistful of essential CDs and records to
prove that point, from the cutting edge Zeitgeist series of compilations to debut releases by Little
Nobody, Guyver 3, Artificial, the LN Elektronische Ensemble, Isnod,
Kid Calmdown, Adam Raisbeck and DJ Venom.
Since 2001 head-honcho Andrez has lived in Tokyo,
but he continues to run IF? Records as a collaborative Melbourne/Tokyo project, with help from Melbourne-based
mates like Damian Stephens (Isnod), Allan Klinbail (Son Of Zev), and Briony Wright (DJ
Venom).
Finally, after their original web-server went bankrupt and took all the original
IF? web-site details with it, the label has recently constructed two temporary home-bases online at http://if-records.tripod.com, as well as at http://www.myspace.com/if_records.
It has a bunch of artist profiles, a discography, reviews, pictures, information
about the label’s activities in Japan as well as Australia, plus a demo competition for aspiring electronic producers!
On Saturday 10 February, 2007, IF?
makes it’s annual (or, in some cases, bi-annual!) pilgrimage back to its place-of-birth, when the first IF? live party
in 2 years is set to happen at Horse Bazaar!
ZU-ZUSHII 2 will feature a bunch of
local and Tokyo-based live acts and DJs including Little Nobody (Tokyo), Isnod (Melbourne),
Kid Calmdown (Sydney), Schlock Tactile vs. Slam-dunk Ninja (Tokyo), DJ Venom
(Melbourne), Sleepy Robot (Sydney), label-meister Andrez, DJ Neo (Melbourne)
and Kandyman (Melbourne), plus others to be confirmed...
...all for just $5 on the door, from
8pm to 3am, at 397 Lonsdale St., Melbourne.
