Before IF? Commix... IF? RECORDS
Started in January 1995 by mates Andrez Bergen (Little Nobody), Brian Huber and Mateusz Sikora, IF? released its first compilation within months, featuring purely Melbourne-based and mostly new, experimental electronic and techno producers - including Voiteck and Zen Paradox.
Mixmag editor Dom Phillips voted the Zeitgeist compilations #4 in the Top 10 Melbourne-made records up to 1996. They were repackaged and distributed internationally through Belgian label Nova Zembla, a subsidiary of Kk.
IF? subsequently released a dozen CDs, tapes and vinyl EPs prior to the shift to Japan - all of which showcased local Melbourne producers such as Little Nobody, Zen Paradox, Voiteck, Artificial, Honeysmack, Blimp, Son Of Zev, Soulenoid, Nod/Isnod, Guyver 3, TR-Storm, Q-Kontrol, Josh Abrahams, FSOM, David Thrussell, Mute Freak, Schlock Tactile, Beam Up, Brewster B, 8-Bit, Dee Dee, Digital Primate, and the LN Elektronische Ensemble.
Mixmag editor Dom Phillips voted the Zeitgeist compilations #4 in the Top 10 Melbourne-made records up to 1996. They were repackaged and distributed internationally through Belgian label Nova Zembla, a subsidiary of Kk.
IF? subsequently released a dozen CDs, tapes and vinyl EPs prior to the shift to Japan - all of which showcased local Melbourne producers such as Little Nobody, Zen Paradox, Voiteck, Artificial, Honeysmack, Blimp, Son Of Zev, Soulenoid, Nod/Isnod, Guyver 3, TR-Storm, Q-Kontrol, Josh Abrahams, FSOM, David Thrussell, Mute Freak, Schlock Tactile, Beam Up, Brewster B, 8-Bit, Dee Dee, Digital Primate, and the LN Elektronische Ensemble.
In addition IF? was a founding member of M.U.K. (Melbourne Underground Konsortium) and the Sunblock collective of Australian underground electronic music labels.
The label has released debuts and mixes by Australians like Zen Paradox, Voiteck, Soulenoid (a.k.a. Adam Raisbeck from Sense), Guyver 3 (G3), Little Nobody, Ben Mill, Artificial, Koda, Enclave, Blimp (Pro-Jex), Alkan, E383, Funk Gadget, DJ Venom, Kid Calmdown, Schlock Tactile, Marcella Brassett, Son Of Zev, Isnod, Enclave, Funk Gadget, Rysh Paprota, Pnau, Pocket, 5000 Fingers Of Dr. T, Kandyman, TDM, Slam-dunk Ninja, Kultrun, Bill Hunter, Pat Stormont, and the LN Elektronische Ensemble.
The label has released debuts and mixes by Australians like Zen Paradox, Voiteck, Soulenoid (a.k.a. Adam Raisbeck from Sense), Guyver 3 (G3), Little Nobody, Ben Mill, Artificial, Koda, Enclave, Blimp (Pro-Jex), Alkan, E383, Funk Gadget, DJ Venom, Kid Calmdown, Schlock Tactile, Marcella Brassett, Son Of Zev, Isnod, Enclave, Funk Gadget, Rysh Paprota, Pnau, Pocket, 5000 Fingers Of Dr. T, Kandyman, TDM, Slam-dunk Ninja, Kultrun, Bill Hunter, Pat Stormont, and the LN Elektronische Ensemble.
They have also sourced tracks and remixes from international producers like Si Begg, Jammin' Unit, Biochip C, Tobias Schmidt (Tresor), Tal (Sub-Rosa), Justin Robertson, Jason Leach (Subhead/Tresor), Steve Cobby (Fila Brazillia), Dave Tarrida (Tresor), Wyndell Long (Pro-Jex/Djax), Dasha Rush, Thomas P. Heckmann, Luke's Anger (Tigerbass), Donk Boys (Dirtybird), Patrick Pulsinger (Cheap), James Ruskin (Blueprint), Dave Angel, Justin Berkovi (Predicaments), Ben Pest, Paul Birken, Steve Stoll (Proper USA), Bill Youngman (Scandinavia), Voco Derman, Brixton (Holzplatten) - and, over the past eight years, from Japanese musicians DJ Warp (Elektrax), Captain Funk, Shin Nishimura (Plus Tokyo), Magnet Toy (Trope), Funkarmor, DJ Wada (Sublime/Co-Fusion), Alone Together, Masaya Sasaki, Toshiyuki Yasuda (formerly from Fantastic Plastic Machine), Naotoxin, M-Koda, Gadget Cassette, and Yamaoka.
The IF? Records remix EP Bare by Little Nobody, featuring Marcella Brassett on vocals, was adjudged Single of the Week in Beat magazine when it was released in August 2000. The label's subsequent release, the Little Nobody album Action Hero, was one of the 4 final nominees for Best Album of the Year in the 2001 Australian Dance Music Awards, of which The Avalanches were the eventual winner.
The label moved to Tokyo with Andrez in 2001 and continued to release 12" vinyl (working with Aux 88, Steve Stoll, Dave Angel, Jammin' Unit, Mijk van Dijk and Dave Tarrida), digital releases and CDs in Japan — but in 2011 returned to Australia under the new direction of Sebastian Bayne.
The label moved to Tokyo with Andrez in 2001 and continued to release 12" vinyl (working with Aux 88, Steve Stoll, Dave Angel, Jammin' Unit, Mijk van Dijk and Dave Tarrida), digital releases and CDs in Japan — but in 2011 returned to Australia under the new direction of Sebastian Bayne.