Andrez Bergen Gets Iffy

In March this year, Andrez Bergen released his sixth album, a free download offering through British label Dead Channel. The title of this LP was a pisstake of Bergen’s own career trajectory as a producer over the past 12 years: ‘I Have Become So Many People I Do Not Know Which Is Myself’ nods at his 30-odd aliases, like Little Nobody, Funk Gadget, Schlock Tactile, DJ Fodder, Dick Drone, Slam-Dunk Ninja, and Conversational Dentures – just for starters. Others remain anonymous entities.

“Yeah, I’ve kind of lost count exactly how many names I’ve worked under,” Bergen acknowledges from his base of operations in Tokyo, Japan. “Most of them were conjured up either as a joke, or with specific musical perimeters in mind, but then the lines get blurred and I forget which category I’m supposed to be focused on. It’d be frustrating if I actually cared.”

Flippancy and nonchalance, it turns out, are two key factors of this expat Aussie’s production persona, taking on as much emphasis as an interest in pushing the limits while criss-crossing respected styles, and constantly reinventing the mild-mannered electronic groove.

Hence a recent month in which he unleashed hard acid techno remiscent of Force Inc. at their best, under the new alias of Psyborg-9 (through Elektrax), and a more tribal take as Schlock Tactile (via Hypnotic Room) that’s been compared with classic Justin Berkovi.

It’s all actually akin to his 15-year DJing style, which at various points has collected comparisons with cut-up movie director Jean-Luc Godard (in Melbourne’s Inpress magazine), and “Melbourne’s DJ Shadow” (in TRM Magazine in Australia in the late ‘90s).

I’d instead call it scatterlogical, ripping apart styles and themes, then throwing it all back together in illogical yet superbly imaginative ways – again undercut by that flippancy and a solid sense of humor. It’s certainly not pretty sometimes, but that doesn’t matter. It’s the intent and the ideas that do.

Bergen’s productions take a similar tack, which is possibly one reason why his tracks have been snapped up for remixing by a who’s who of the dance music world, past and present: Justin Robertson, Si Begg, Steve Stoll, Jammin’ Unit, Luke’s Anger, Patrick Pulsinger, Mijk van Dijk, Dave Tarrida, Tobias Schmidt, Donk Boys, Bill Youngman, Wyndell Long, Captain Funk, Jason Leach, Shin Nishimura, Paul Birken, Biochip C, Toshiyuki Yasuda, E383, DJ Warp and Steve Cobby from Fila Brazillia have all mixed his tunes.

“Yeah, I’ve been bloody lucky, these are all people I respect and listen to most of the time, and I really dig their music,” Bergen says.

“Having them take time out from their hectic schedules to reinterpret my own stuff is pretty mind-blowing, and all of them are way cool people I have a great relationship with. It’s nice to get that kind of interaction and musical feedback.”

While Bergen balks at the idea of nominating his current favored producers – “There’re just too many, from a bunch of different genres, not all of it electronic!” – he does stop dragging his feet at one stage, and singles out the work of Luke’s Anger, Donk Boys, Ben Pest, Bill Youngman, Patrick Pulsinger, Paul Birken, DJ Warp, Japanese cut-up producer Alone Together, and Koda and Bitch Shift in Australia.

“These guys are really pushing it in ways I haven’t quite heard before, and I’m right into what they’re doing. Sometimes I find it’s head-bending stuff, which is the angle I love – nothing better, really. And it’s great to continue to find artists I dig back in Melbourne, my hometown. The scene there is still rocking.”

While he’s previously turned up on Si Begg’s Noodles Discotheque label, Bergen is currently releasing through a few different outlets he’s willing to disclose: his own label IF? Records; the Elektrax Recordings/Hypnotic Room junta in Sydney, Australia; Dead Channel in the UK; TTAK in Japan; and the more experimental/noise-oriented label, Auricular, in the U.S.

“These are all labels I’m into, and the people who run them are honest, motivated, progressive, attuned to my own headspace, and cool to work with,” Bergen muses. “I’m not sure IF? fits this bill, but it’s my baby, so go figure.”

That famous flippancy loses some of its luster when the man talks about IF?, now 14 years old. The label was kick-started in the grand live-electronic music days of Melbourne in 1995, when people like Voiteck, Honeysmack, Zen Paradox, Frontside, TR-Storm, Soulenoid, Guyver 3, Q-Kontrol and FSOM played live every weekend – often at IF? Records events.

IF? and Andrez are obviously entwined entities, and while he calls it his baby, he’s quick to point out the early involvement in creating the label from friends Brian Huber and Mateusz Sikora.

“They both moved overseas before 1997, so since then it’s been a listless ship, but often a community of open-minded, patient, like-minded people, both back in Melbourne and here in Tokyo since I moved over in 2001,” Bergen says.

“IF? wouldn’t have been IF? without the input over the years of Melbourne people like (DJ) Mad Rod, Briony Wright, Richard Martin, Jeff Willis, Dee Dee and Slack, Chris Coe (Digital Primate), Alan Klinbail (Son Of Zev), Damian Stephens (Isnod), Scott Armstrong (Guyver 3), Adam Raisbeck (Soulenoid/Sense), Dave Beattie (Q-Kontrol/Snog), Voiteck Andersen, Marcella Brassett, and Steve Law (Zen Paradox). Up in Sydney, we had Sub Bass Snarl and Club Kooky to thank.”

He seems to be on a reflective roll now.

“More recently there’s been a plethora of people from all over the globe; people like Ben Mill (Bitch Shift), Yuki Ota (Alone Together), Devin Wine, Enclave, Koda, and DJ Hi-Shock are just the tip of the iceberg. Then there’s Ant Orange, who created the new IF? logo, which I really, really dig. Man, there are so many other people behind IF? than just me and the artists on the releases. There’re the remixers and the DJs and open-minded radio shows and all the people who’ve supported us over the years. I’ve lost count.”

So, after 14 years on the trot and almost 100 releases, IF? has now put together a fascinating, exceptionally open-minded compilation called ‘Iffy Bizness’.

“It was actually DJ Hi-Shock’s idea,” Bergen is quick to point out, referring to the head-honcho of Sydney labels Elektrax and Hypnotic Room, through which the compilation will be released on 6 June.

“The guy has some absolutely inspired notions, and I know he pretty much equally inspires the growing number of producers in his posse… which luckily includes me. He’s really supportive of IF? and what we try to do with the label, which is to bend perimeters, address all styles – so long as they’re innovative, fun and interesting – and support new and up-and-coming artists where possible. So, big thanks to Simon.”

‘Iffy Bizness’ is a collection of the more recent material from the coffers of IF? – 14 tracks, some unleashed over the past few months and others as-yet-unreleased, to celebrate 14 years of one very innovative, energetic and insightful record label.

The esteemed Fun in the Murky website called the release a gem of a compilation.

“Yeah, I think it captures the flavor of what we’re on about now in a really good way, directed as this collection is towards the housier, more tech-related stuff we do, rather than the cut-ups and experimental fodder we also cover,” Bergen assesses. “I absolutely love the contributions from Donk Boys, Takashi Watanabe (DJ Warp), E383, ALkan, Ginza Spy, CHIZQ, Enclave, and, of course, Ben Mill in his Chairman of the Board guise.”

He pauses just a moment, before adding, with that flippant smile, “I guess some of the Little Nobody and Schlock Tactile stuff isn’t too shabby, either.”

© Michael Palmieri