Anticon (often styled as anticon.) is an

independent record label An independent record label (or indie label) is a record label that operates without the funding or distribution of major record labels; they are a type of small- to medium-sized enterprise, or SME. The labels and artists are often represented ...

based in

Los Angeles, California Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the wo ...

. It was founded in 1998 by seven musicians and manager Baillie Parker. It is now collectively owned among six musicians, co-founder Parker, and manager Shaun Koplow. The original musicians signed to Anticon were once referred to as the Anticon collective.

History

The label's roster of artists has been described as "the hip-hop equivalent of

post-rock Post-rock is a form of experimental rock characterized by a focus on exploring textures and timbre over traditional rock song structures, chords, or riffs. Post-rock artists are often instrumental, typically combining rock instrumentation ...

" and "

avant-garde The avant-garde (; In 'advance guard' or ' vanguard', literally 'fore-guard') is a person or work that is experimental, radical, or unorthodox with respect to art, culture, or society.John Picchione, The New Avant-garde in Italy: Theoretical ...

hip-hop". Releases feature material created by its members, affiliates, and extended musical family. Although Anticon cohered originally within alternative hip hop circles, Anticon's founders have become only tangentially related to hip hop, and the label has begun releasing music in the

indie rock Indie rock is a Music subgenre, subgenre of rock music that originated in the United States, United Kingdom and New Zealand from the 1970s to the 1980s. Originally used to describe independent record labels, the term became associated with the mu ...

and

electronica Electronica is both a broad group of electronic-based music styles intended for listening rather than strictly for dancing and a music scene that started in the early 1990s in the United Kingdom. In the United States, the term is mostly used to ...

genres. Artists signed to Anticon are based in the United States,

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tota ...

, and the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the European mainland, continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

. The artists within the collective have been known to perform and release music in solo and group form. Artists on the label are known for frequent

collaboration Collaboration (from Latin ''com-'' "with" + ''laborare'' "to labor", "to work") is the process of two or more people, entities or organizations working together to complete a task or achieve a goal. Collaboration is similar to cooperation. Most ...

, both within and outside of their own collective. However, the Anticon collective has over time evolved into a group of separate artists who, despite sharing a similar progressive and often challenging indie quality, explore different styles of music including electronica and rock. Many of the artists on Anticon are signed to multiple labels, and some have their own small, independent labels through which they have self-released material. Anticon has also organized art exhibitions featuring visual art by several of the artists on the label. On February 9, 2010, co-founder Sole (Tim Holland) left Anticon exclaiming that it is time to try to push forward and find new opportunities. He leaves citing business and ideological differences while maintaining his love for the artists on Anticon. He said, "There are no ill feelings between myself and members of anticon. I will continue to work with many of the artists and will always love them as brothers and consider them allies." He officially renounced his 1/8 of ownership and formal affiliations. On March 30, 2018, founding member Alias died of a heart attack at age 41.

Owners

Alias (musician) Brendon Whitney (April 5, 1976 – March 30, 2018), better known by his stage name Alias, was a producer and rapper from Hollis, Maine. He was a co-founder of the indie hip hop record label Anticon. History Alias originally performed as a ra ...

(Brendon Whitney) *

Doseone Adam Drucker (born April 21, 1977), better known by his stage name Doseone, is an American rapper, producer, poet and artist. He is a co-founder of the indie hip hop record label Anticon. He has also been a member of numerous groups including ...

(Adam Drucker) *

Jel Jel or JEL may refer to: * Jel (rapper), American record producer and rapper * Jel (singer), Japanese singer * Journal of Economic Literature The ''Journal of Economic Literature'' is a peer-reviewed academic journal, published by the American Ec ...

(Jeffrey Logan) *

Odd Nosdam David P. Madson (born 1976), better known by his stage name Odd Nosdam, is an American underground hip hop producer, DJ and visual artist. He is co-founder of the record label Anticon. He has remixed tracks by a variety of bands and artists in ...

(David Madson) *

Pedestrian A pedestrian is a person traveling on foot, whether walking or running. In modern times, the term usually refers to someone walking on a road or pavement, but this was not the case historically. The meaning of pedestrian is displayed with ...

(James Brandon Best) *

Yoni Wolf Jonathan Avram "Yoni" Wolf (born April 30, 1979) is an American alternative hip hop and indie rock musician and co-founder of the record label Anticon. From 1997 until 2004, Wolf released music under the stage name Why?. In 2004 he transferred ...

* Baillie Parker

Roster

Current

13 & God 13 & God is a collaboration between American indie hip hop duo Themselves and German indie rock band The Notwist. The group is signed both to Anticon and Alien Transistor. History The band's name 13 & God stems from the concept of the 12 apost ...

* A7PHA * Anathallo *

Angel Deradoorian Angel Deradoorian (born July 18, 1986), also known mononymously as Deradoorian, is a musician based in Los Angeles, California. She is best known for her work with Dirty Projectors as full-time member from 2007 to 2012. She left to pursue a solo ...

* Antonionian *

Baths Bath may refer to: * Bathing, immersion in a fluid ** Bathtub, a large open container for water, in which a person may wash their body ** Public bathing, a public place where people bathe * Thermae, ancient Roman public bathing facilities Plac ...

Beans A bean is the seed of several plants in the family Fabaceae, which are used as vegetables for human or animal food. They can be cooked in many different ways, including boiling, frying, and baking, and are used in many traditional dishes t ...

Bracken Bracken (''Pteridium'') is a genus of large, coarse ferns in the family (biology), family Dennstaedtiaceae. Ferns (Pteridophyta) are vascular plants that have alternating generations, large plants that produce spores and small plants that produ ...

* Darc Mind * DJ Mayonnaise * D33j *

* Dosh *

* Josiah Wolf *

Pictureplane Travis Egedy (born May 1, 1985), better known by his stage name Pictureplane, is an American electronic musician, visual artist and fashion designer based in Brooklyn, New York. He first appeared in the music scene of Denver, Colorado, making a ...

* Raleigh Moncrief * Saroos *

SJ Esau SJ Esau is the music project of Sam Wisternoff, an experimental pop musician from Bristol, England. Although ostensibly a solo project, Wisternoff is often joined by the drummer Sean Talbot and has incorporated a variety of other musicians into re ...

Telephone Jim Jesus George Chadwick, better known by his stage name Telephone Jim Jesus, is an alternative hip hop producer based in Oakland, California. He is a member of Restiform Bodies along with Passage and Bomarr. History Telephone Jim Jesus released his debu ...

* Thee More Shallows *

Themselves Themselves, previously known as Them, is an American hip hop duo based in Oakland, California. It consists of Doseone and Jel. They are also part of Subtle and 13 & God. The duo's first studio album, ''Them'', was included on '' Fact''s "100 ...

Tobacco Tobacco is the common name of several plants in the genus '' Nicotiana'' of the family Solanaceae, and the general term for any product prepared from the cured leaves of these plants. More than 70 species of tobacco are known, but the ch ...

Young Fathers Young Fathers are a Scottish band based in Edinburgh, Scotland. In 2014, they won the Mercury Prize for their album ''Dead''. History Formed in Edinburgh in 2008 by Alloysious Massaquoi, Kayus Bankole and Graham 'G' Hastings, the group starte ...

Former

* Alias * Alias & Ehren * Alias & Tarsier * Antwon * Bike for Three! * Bomarr *

Buck 65 Richard Terfry (born March 4, 1972), better known by his stage name Buck 65, is a Canadian alternative hip hop artist. Underpinned by an extensive background in abstract hip hop, his more recent music has extensively incorporated blues, country ...

Danielson Danielson is an American rock band from Clarksboro, New Jersey, Clarksboro, New Jersey, that plays indie pop gospel music. The group consists of frontman Daniel Smith and a number of various artists with whom he collaborates. Smith has also rel ...

* Deep Puddle Dynamics * Passage * Restiform Bodies * Sage Francis *

Serengeti The Serengeti ( ) ecosystem is a geographical region in Africa, spanning northern Tanzania. The protected area within the region includes approximately of land, including the Serengeti National Park and several game reserves. The Serenge ...

* Serengeti & Polyphonic *

Sisyphus In Greek mythology, Sisyphus or Sisyphos (; Ancient Greek: Σίσυφος ''Sísyphos'') was the founder and king of Ephyra (now known as Corinth). Hades punished him for cheating death twice by forcing him to roll an immense boulder up a hill ...

* Sixtoo * Sole *

Sole and the Skyrider Band Sole and the Skyrider Band is an alternative hip hop quartet based in Denver, Colorado. The band consists of rapper Tim Holland a.k.a. Sole (hip hop artist), Sole, producer Bud Berning a.k.a. Skyrider, multi-instrumentalist William Ryan Fritch, ...

Son Lux Son Lux is an American experimental band. Originally the solo project and moniker of founding member Ryan Lott, the band's first three albums, '' At War with Walls & Mazes'', ''We Are Rising'' and ''Lanterns'', shaped the band's unique sound th ...

Tha Grimm Teachaz Tha Grimm Teachaz was a fictional American underground hip hop group. It consisted of Serengeti's alter ego KDz (Kenny Dennis aka Killa Deacon), Hi-Fidel's alter ego PMDF (Prince Midnight Dark Force), and DJ Koufi. History According to the band ...

* WHY?

License

Genghis Tron Genghis Tron is an American four-piece cybergrind band formed in Poughkeepsie, New York, United States, and latterly based in Brooklyn, New York and San Francisco, California. The band signed to Relapse Records after releasing two recordin ...

Peeping Tom Lady Godiva (; died between 1066 and 1086), in Old English , was a late Anglo-Saxon noblewoman who is relatively well documented as the wife of Leofric, Earl of Mercia, and a patron of various churches and monasteries. Today, she is mainly re ...

Zach Hill Zachary Charles Hill (born December 28, 1979) is an American multi-instrumentalist and visual artist. He is best known as the drummer and co-producer of the groups Death Grips and the I.L.Y's, and as the drummer of math rock band Hella. Ar ...

Collaborators

Moodswing9, Slug, Ant,

Eyedea Micheal David Larsen (November 9, 1981 – October 16, 2010), better known by his stage name Eyedea, was an American musician, rapper, and poet. He was a freestyle battle Freestyle is a style of improvisation, with or without instrumental ...

, DJ Abilities, Mr. Dibbs, DJ Signify,

DJ Krush , better known by his stage name DJ Krush, is a record producer and DJ. He is known for his atmospheric instrumental production which incorporates sound elements from nature and extensive use of jazz and soul samples. Early life Ishi was born i ...

, Controller 7, J. Rawls, Dax Pierson,

Daddy Kev Kevin Marques Moo (born 1974), better known by his stage name Daddy Kev, is an American DJ, Grammy Award-winning audio engineer, record producer and executive from Los Angeles, California. He is the owner of Alpha Pup Records and the founder of L ...

The Notwist The Notwist are a German indie rock band. Formed in 1989, the band moved through several musical incarnations, despite maintaining a relatively stable line-up. While their early records moved through heavy metal into dark indie rock, their re ...

, Tunde Adebimpe of

TV on the Radio TV on the Radio (TVOTR) is an American rock band from Brooklyn, New York, formed in 2001. The band consists of Tunde Adebimpe (vocals, loops), David Andrew Sitek (guitars, keyboards, loops), Kyp Malone (vocals, guitars, bass, loops), and ...

Mike Patton Michael Allan Patton (born January 27, 1968) is an American singer, producer, film composer and voice actor, best known as the lead vocalist of the alternative metal band Faith No More. Noted for his vocal proficiency, diverse singing techn ...

Jessica Bailiff Jessica Bailiff is an American singer-songwriter from Toledo, Ohio. Her music is largely classified as slowcore, although it contains elements of post-rock and shoegaze. Bailiff was discovered by Low's Alan Sparhawk, who recommended her ear ...

Andrew Bird Andrew Wegman Bird (born July 11, 1973) is an American indie rock multi-instrumentalist, singer, and songwriter. Since 1996, he has released 16 studio albums, as well as several live albums and EPs, spanning various genres including swing musi ...

, Andrew Broder of Fog,

Örvar Þóreyjarson Smárason Örvar Þóreyjarson Smárason (born 1977) is a founding member of Icelandic experimental band múm, and has been a part-time member of other Icelandic bands such as Benni Hemm Hemm, Singapore Sling, Slowblow, Andhéri, Skakkamanage, FM Be ...

Múm Múm (stylized in lowercase) () is an Icelandic indietronica band whose music is characterized by soft vocals, electronic glitch beats and effects, and a variety of traditional and unconventional instruments. History The band was formed in 1 ...

, Dark Dark Dark,

John Herndon John Herndon is an American musician and artist. Based in Chicago, he plays drums and percussion, and works as a producer for instrumental hip hop under the name A Grape Dope. Career John Herndon is a member of the bands Tortoise and Isotope 217, ...

Tortoise Tortoises () are reptiles of the family Testudinidae of the order Testudines (Latin: ''tortoise''). Like other turtles, tortoises have a shell to protect from predation and other threats. The shell in tortoises is generally hard, and like ot ...

Wise Intelligent Timothy Grimes, better known by his stage name Wise Intelligent, is an American hip hop musician from Trenton, New Jersey. He is a member of Poor Righteous Teachers. He released '' The Talented Timothy Taylor'' in 2007. His third solo studio alb ...

Poor Righteous Teachers Poor Righteous Teachers was a hip hop group from Trenton, New Jersey, founded in 1989. Often referred to as PRT by its fans, Poor Righteous Teachers was known as a socially and politically conscious hip hop group, with musical content inspired ...

Sufjan Stevens Sufjan Stevens ( ; born July 1, 1975) is an American singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist. He has released nine solo studio albums and multiple collaborative albums with other artists. Stevens has received Grammy and Academy Award nomi ...

, Stefanie Böhm of Ms. John Soda,

Anders Holm Anders Christian Holm (born May 29, 1981) is an American actor, comedian, writer, and producer. He is one of the stars and creators of the Comedy Central show '' Workaholics'' and starred in the short-lived NBC series '' Champions''. He, along ...

, Chris Adams of

Hood Hood may refer to: Covering Apparel * Hood (headgear), type of head covering ** Article of academic dress ** Bondage hood, sex toy * Hoodie, hooded sweatshirt Anatomy * Clitoral hood, a hood of skin surrounding the clitoris * Hood, a flap of ...

, Circus of Shape Shifters, Scott Matelic, Matth, Megabusive,

D-Styles Dave Cuasito (born July 6, 1972), better known by his stage name D-Styles, is a hip hop producer and DJ. He has been a member of Invisibl Skratch Piklz, Beat Junkies, and Third Sight. He has also been a resident DJ of Low End Theory. D-styles ...

, others.

Projects

The Anticon collective is known for its many musical projects. Not all of these projects are released on the Anticon label. Artists within the Anticon collective have released collaborative albums on different labels or on their own independent labels. Some notable projects of the Anticon collective include the following: * cLOUDDEAD (Doseone, Why?, Odd Nosdam) on Mush Records and

Big Dada Big Dada is a British independent record label imprint distributed by Ninja Tune. It was started by reputed hip hop journalist Will Ashon in 1997. It is best known for marketing of prominent British hip hop artist Roots Manuva, poet and play ...

* Reaching Quiet (Why?, Odd Nosdam) on Mush Records * So-Called Artists (Sole, Alias, DJ Mayonnaise) on Mush Records * Hymie's Basement (Why?, Andrew Broder) on

Lex Records Lex Records is a British independent record label based in Camden, London, England. Style Lex has a varied musical output. Most releases are alternative hip hop, alternative rock or electronic. The label works with a small group of artists. ...

* Subtle (Doseone, Jel, Dax Pierson, Jordan Dalrymple, Alexander Kort, Marty Dowers) on Lex Records * Greenthink (Doseone, Why?) on A Purple 100 * Presage (Jel, Mr. Dibbs) on Future Primitive Sound * Object Beings (Doseone, Pedestrian & Why?)

Discography

References

External links

*
Anticon
at

Discogs Discogs (short for discographies) is a database of information about audio recordings, including commercial releases, promotional releases, and bootleg or off-label releases. While the site was originally created with a goal of becoming the la ...

{{Authority control American independent record labels Record labels established in 1997 Hip hop record labels Hip hop collectives