Hydrofunk Records is an independent

Australian hip hop Australian hip-hop traces its origins to the early 1980s and was initially largely inspired by hip-hop and other urban musical genres from the United States. As the form matured, Australian hip hop has become a commercially viable style of musi ...

record label "Big Three" music labels A record label or record company is a brand or trademark of Sound recording and reproduction, music recordings and music videos, or the company that owns it. Sometimes, a record label is also a Music publisher, ...

distributed by MGM. The label is home to artists such

Resin Dogs Resin Dogs is an Australian hip hop group, formed in Brisbane, Queensland in 1996 based around the founding trio of DJ Katch (Andrew Garvie), produceBlunted Stylus(Geoff Boardman), and drummer, Dave "Acosta" Atkins. The group is a loosely str ...

and Def Wish Cast.

History

Hydrofunk Records started in

1994 The year 1994 was designated as the " International Year of the Family" and the "International Year of Sport and the Olympic Ideal" by the United Nations. In the Line Islands and Phoenix Islands of Kiribati, 1994 had only 364 days, omitti ...

as a series of hip hop events to give local artists an avenue to perform. In 1995, Hydrofunk founder DJ Katch met Dave Atkins through various live funk, jazz, and hip hop projects. Together they decided to form Hydrofunk Records in response to Brisbane's lack of outlets for underground hip hop. In 1997 Hydrofunk released its first vinyl L.P. with Blunted Stylus'
2BLUNTED
record. One year later Hydrofunk released

' ''Grinnin which received significant airplay on both local and national radio, followed by the Volcanic Lab EP in 1998 which gained the band momentum with touring nationally. This success enabled Hydrofunk Records to secure a label distribution deal with

Virgin Virginity is a social construct that denotes the state of a person who has never engaged in sexual intercourse. As it is not an objective term with an operational definition, social definitions of what constitutes virginity, or the lack thereof ...

EMI EMI Group Limited (formerly EMI Group plc until 2007; originally an initialism for Electric and Musical Industries, also referred to as EMI Records or simply EMI) was a British transnational conglomerate founded in March 1931 in London. At t ...

in 1999. In 2002, Hydrofunk Records licensed its first overseas label, London's underground hip hop label, Low Life Records with artists like

Rodney P Rodney Panton, also known as Rodney P (born in Balham, London, 12 December 1969) is an English MC, as well as a radio and television personality who first gained attention via the UK hip hop scene in the 1980s. A former member of UK hip-hop gro ...

, Braintax and

Jehst William G. Shields (born 21 August 1979), better known by his stage name Jehst, is an English Rapping, rapper and co-founder of hip hop label YNR Productions. Biography Born in Kent in 1979, Jehst spent his early childhood in Crowborough in Su ...

. In 2007 Hydrofunk created a new label, Hydropunk Records. Its first release on Hydropunk Records is Brisbane band Godnose.

Artists

The following artists are currently or have previously been signed to Hydrofunk Records: * 2 Dogs * Afro Dizzi Act * Bankrupt Billionaires * Blunted Stylus * BreeChBoy * Def Wish Cast * Calski *

Downsyde Downsyde is an Australian hip hop group from Perth, Western Australia. The group is composed of three members, Optamus, Dazastah and Dyna-Mikes. The group has performed alongside groups including Jurassic 5, Cypress Hill, Grandmaster Flash, T ...

(now signed to

Illusive Illusive is the adjective form of illusory. Illusive may also refer to: * Illusive Islands, Nunavut, Canada * Illusive Sounds, an independent Australian hip hop record label * Illusive Tracks, a Swedish dark comedy thriller film * Snowflake/Illus ...

; previously on

Obese Records Obese Records was an Australian hip-hop, Australian hip hop record label based in Melbourne, Victoria. It was the largest independent hip hop label in Australia and was home to acts such as Pegz, Hilltop Hoods, Thundamentals, Reason (Australian ...

) * Godnose * Good Buddha * Indigenoise *

Koolism ''Koolism'' is an Australian hip hop duo originating from Canberra, Australian Capital Territory. The members are lyricist Hau Latukefu (born Langomi-e-Hau Latukefu, 1976, Queanbeyan, Australia) and producer/DJ/musician Danielsan Ichiban (born ...

(now signed to Invada Records) * Omni Anti *

* Red Bantoo * Rhibosome (band disbanded in 2004) * Skam Artist * Skin-ki-row * Thavy Ear * Th3 Numb3rs * The Boy of Many Colours * Triple Nip * Ugly Duckling

External links

Official site
*
Australia Music Online - 'Hydrofunk Records'In The Mix Interview with DJ Katch (28 February 2003)

References

{{Authority control Australian hip-hop record labels Record labels established in 1995

History

Artists

See also

External links

References