There’s a few things instantly endearing about London independent, Italian Beach Babes. Firstly, there’s that name. Not only does it remind me of my virgin introduction to the female form via the filthy calenders my dad used to hang in his workshop, but it’s also evidence that not all the good names are taken just yet, despite what bands who play Camden on a Tuesday might suggest. One-nil to imagination.
Secondly, it’s not only a label. The IBB Big Cartel also provides distribution for records that ordinarily cost a fortune over here in the UK. I love Rough Trade as much as the next frail, pale indie kid, but it’s not exactly the Bargain Booze of music (it’s got overheads to put paid to that, I know). The service IBB provide means it’s possible to pick up great underground American 7s from labels like Captured Tracks and Art Fag without having to sell a vital organ. Which is pretty handy since I’m probably going to need these organs for selling when that ConDem collation kicks in hard later this year and fucks the Arts right over.
Thirdly, since the label is run by Conan from Graffiti Island, it’s been tied up pretty closely with the scuzzy and scratchy guitar bands that spilled out of East London last year like an Icelandic volcano. But just as that aesthetic threatens to be weighed down by its own orthodoxy, IBB has expanded its reach to encompass a host of sounds you’d not ordinarily associate with, gulp, lo-fi. Case in point being the latest release from head music space cadets, Hounds of Hate. And it’s not some parochial Dalston clique either, releasing music by little known loners hiding somewhere across the water (e.g. Dirty Beaches, Blessure Grave etc). That’s what the internet should be used for.
So, yeah, you could say I’m a fan. I spoke with main man Conan about the label, how it started and where it’s heading next, and as per usual, we get free music in return.
Graffiti Island
Who?
Italian Beach Babes started as a small DIY record/cassette label and has since incorporated a distro of like-minded labels and music from around the world.
Where?
IBB is based in London England.
When?
The first thing I put out was a 3-way split cassette featuring Male Bonding, Pens and Graffiti Island around the winter of 2008. The name came from me and my friend Pete talking at a band practice one day and one of us said it in relation to something, I have no idea what, but it relates to my love of dreadful 80′s teen beach movies.
Past - Graffiti Island – “Drink, Fight and Fuck (G.G. Allin cover)”
Graffiti Island – “Drink, Fuck and Fight”
IBB001
Roster
Blessure Grave, Dirty Beaches, Hounds of Hate, PENS, Male Bonding, Fair Ohs, Graffiti Island
Why?
The band I play in, Graffiti Island, had a few songs together, as did our friends’ bands, Male Bonding and Pens. This was before there was so many awesome bands in London and numerous labels of the same ilk putting out all these awesome bands. I’d recently managed to acquire about 300 blank cassettes for free, so decided to get a couple of tracks from each band, then sit in my bedroom for a week straight dubbing copies one at a time.
What?
I just want to release music that I think is great and I want other people to hear. And not to lose too much money.
Present – Dirty Beaches – “Golden Desert Sun”
Dirty Beaches – “Golden Desert Sun”
Male Bonding
High point
Every time I release a new record it feels pretty awesome, plus the release show for the compilation I recently did with Paradise Vendors was very special - we put on six bands on a Sunday night. the show was rammed, every band played incredible an set, the highlight for me being Cold Pumas totally blowing me away and getting the whole place dancing. All the bands got paid well and everyone had an awesome time. Being in a band, it’s a really nice feeling putting on a show and being able to pay bands at the end of the night a good amount for their time/effort and performance.
Low point
Sending the first batch of tapes to Academy in Brooklyn only to get an email 2 weeks later saying I’d somehow managed to dub the cassettes so all the songs played backwards.
What’s next?
The next releases is a Dirty Beaches 7″. He’s a guy from Canada who has me totally hooked right now. His music conjures up so many awesome images in my head when listening to it. Its like if Suicide collaborated with The Doors to soundtrack the most fucked up 80′s biker film directed by David Lynch. I love music that can create whole film scenes in your head and he does exactly that for me.
Then I’m doing a live cassette for a band from San Diego called Blessure Grave. I put out another live cassette a while back with was Male Bonding/Fair Ohs, with the idea being that when I was a kid I’d go to the market at the weekend and buy Rage Against The Machine or Deftones bootleg live CDs. You dont really get that anymore, so I wanted to do a series of live cassettes. There’ll be loads more to come.
Thirdly will be a 12″ by London group Hounds of Hate. Musically, they’re a bit different from anything I’ve done before, but they’re one of my favourite groups right now. I don’t know much about the kinda music these guy play or are influenced by. To me it sounds like some awesome 80s Italo band put through a 90′s G Funk filter. Makes this band so much cooler that they can totally pull it off live too, hunched behind a wall of massive keyboards totally getting into a groove. Really, really excited about this release.
Future – Hounds of Hate - “Purple Stuff”
Hounds of Hate – “Purple Stuff”
Hounds of Hate
DOWNLOAD – ITALIAN BEACH BABES MIXTAPE (RIGHT CLICK, SAVE AS)
