We had the opportunity to talk to Mente 3000, the director of Infinito Audio Network, to learn more about the avant-garde Chilean label; what motivates their work with artists and what is cooking in their music labs. Welcome to the space where infinite pieces are created.
Tell us about the origin of IAN: did it come from a creative need, was it a collective initiative or opportunity?
Infinito Audio was born in 2017 as a label to release Chilean avant-garde music and reissue some records that we loved in cassette format. And yes, it may be a need to want to share music that one finds interesting….
IAN was always thought of as a space to create infinite pieces.
What were the early years like? Tell us about the obstacles you encountered and how you managed to overcome them.
The first years were trial and error. Thanks to friends at the No Problem Tapes label we were able to learn a bit more about the business of making and distributing cassettes. I had experience in how to make and create a label, since I had one called Fueradeserie! in Barcelona, from 2002 to 2008.
Many important people have passed through IAN leaving their gcontribution and helping; designers, artists and musicians that we admire; with some of them we have been lucky enough to create friendships.
Who and how curates artists for the label? Have you noticed an evolution or change in this aspect over time? If so, what do you think it corresponds to?
I am currently in charge of curating IAN; I also talk to the artists on the label who have recently collaborated, I plan for them to remix and interact.
IAN changes daily and molds itself to different sounds and forms of expression. Currently the label is a product of every artist that releases a product with us. In 2023 I can say that we have managed to create a label with identity and a characteristic sound; I see it as an artistic contribution to the times we are living in, we are grateful that a group of people have managed to perceive the message.
Art and music by Lilen.
Is there a specific nationality for the artists you represent?
IAN is Worldwide, I have always felt music as something global. I don’t like to limit myself to one area and we don’t identify with “Latin” either. Nowadays with the Internet we can unite people from different countries, just with the sound. Lyo XS, in Mexico; Beatrix Weapons, from Spain; Digitonica and Hyper, John from Russia; Pondus from Argentina; personalbrand from Taiwan; Lilen or Module from Santiago de Chile, are artists that represent the sound we like. We also work with different artists on the covers and the last releases have been mastered by Imaabs who is in Mexico. The current IAN logo was created by Alfacentauri and the mini videos for promo by Drone Collective, this is global and that’s the way it was always thought.
How would you describe IAN’s identity?
Emotional and interstellar Outsiders, is a phrase we use. IAN from the beginning is a space of creation, we are interested in people and their brains more than identity. We respect all identities and ways of expressing them.
Tell us about your latest releases.
Our last three releases are in digital format and we are very happy with the result. Lyo XS is a DJ and producer from Mexico, I heard her for the first time on soundcloud three years ago and I wrote her to see if she wanted to release a track with us. She wrote me back and said she would prepare something. Two years passed and she gave us this EP which is a dance music bomb, futuristic, but at the same time tribal.
The second one is a four-track EP from Digitonica, I’m a big fan of their work; actually I’m a big fan of every artist we release on the label. This EP is beautiful. Digitonica manages to have a sound of their own and deliver pieces of sound art post everything. The cover (the main image in the article) is the work of Amalia Jaulin, an amazing artist from Paris.
And the third one is the Mente3000 ep which is a track we did with module a year ago. I invited Delia, Lilen, Valeotro three women that I admire a lot what they do; Raw C and Broosnica also do theirs. The artwork is by Garse who is an amazing chilean artist. We have some wonderful eps scheduled until the end of the year, our plan is to release 2 eps per month.
How do you see the Latin American electronic music scene today? Related to what’s coming, and the barriers that still exist for the industry.
There is a lack of media and there needs to be more media. We need the specialized press to start talking more about the things that are happening subway… I think there are wonderful artists coming out everywhere.
Any special recommendations that you have discovered recently?
Fausto Mercier, he’s one of my favorites, Tim Reaper as a dj. Also a Mist record called House on the Spectrum Spools label with Edition Mego.
