Marvin “Seven” Bedard remembers digging on the massive record collection one of his best friends, producer Edgar Farinas (aka Push Button Objects), inherited from his uncle way back when. The vinyl haul—which included Throbbing Gristle, Detroit techno, Kraftwerk, PIL, and Factory Records releases—provided an early education for both Bedard and Farinas. “He was being influenced by that and mixing it with hip-hop,” Bedard recalls. “We were into all of that stuff together.”
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Bedard, 34, is quick to drop the names of artists who motivated him early on. His reverence for British electro duo Autechre, which he describes as the “next level of the Miami bass subculture,” is paired with a fixation on Aphex Twin and Rephlex Records. And though he doesn’t want those early influences to solely define the aesthetic he established with Chocolate Industries, the respect is still palpable.
Explore the roots of three other local labels (and give them a listen): »HoZac: The former zine that spawned the Blackout Fest and a healthy catalog of rock ‘n’ roll, garage, and scuzz »Peira: Forget turntables and a mike—how about three bass clarinets and a modular synthesizer? »Not Normal: A man, a woman, and a mission to document the midwest’s hardcore-punk scene
The minds behind Drag City, Thrill Jockey, and more explain, “This is how I’d run a label”: »Dan Koretzky, Drag City »Bettina Richards, Thrill Jockey »Matt Clark, Tic Tac Totally Records »Michael Frank, Earwig »Plus, a whole bunch more
“Isophlux was my launching point,” Bedard tells me of the label he cofounded with Shad T. Smith. “But I felt it was important to have my own thumbprint.”
Don’t expect glamour, though. And don’t expect hit machines that go platinum.
