Ifihadahifi started life when another band broke up, and three members decided to create a new band. Musically the new songs came to be centered around Dr. Awkward's danceable drums, Mr. Alarm's melodic bass, and Yale Delay's newly purchased Prophet 600 keyboard, along with his guitar squawks. They began to write hooky, anthemic songs about themselves, scientists, girls, murder and the like.
   Soon after beginning to play shows, the trio asked Noise Lesion to join on keyboards. Not only bolstering the sound, he enabled them to develop their live show, upon which they quickly built their reputation. Maximum volume and televisions (often smashed by the end of the shows, but subsequently replaced by projections from local Wisconsin video artists Sore Eyes Eros), frequent trips into the audience and each other, desetruction of instruments, and a stange presence described as menacingly goofy."
   They spent five days in the winter of 2001 pushing a 16-track analog recorder into its limits (with help of its owner, Justin Perkins of Yesterday's Kids) and soon co-released their first album, "Ones and Zeroes," with No Karma Records. It has received great reviews and has sold better then any other No Karma release to date!
   They played as often as possible, openign for bands such as NoMeansNo, The Faint, Har Mar Superstar, Poster Children, Neptune, Enon, Melt-Banana and The Flying Luttenbachers.
   Noise Lesion left the band right before their first tour, and Reno Loner came aboard, learning his parts in the week before leaving. Subsequently Reno has stayed on, adding new songwriting textures and stepping into the 2nd rank HiFi lush slot.
   Upcoming plans include songs on a few compilations, a possible split 7" with Neptune, a video game, a new EP and another tour to the East coast!

OCT 2001 >> Midwest US
MAY 2002 >> Western US


IFIHADAHIFI "Ones And Zeroes"
taken from >> Pitchfork

   Rating: 7.5
The members of IfIHadAHiFi go by the names Noise Lesion, Dr. Awkward, Mr. Alarm, and Yale Delay. Let the record show, they're crazy for palindromes. It's odd that they rever such a balanced form of wordplay though -- their sound sprawls in all directions, a cacophony that attempts to dance.

Let me throw out some band combinations: Bis & Trans Am. Robert Smith and The Happy Mondays. Grandaddy, Sonic Youth and the B-52's. Brilliance, mess and mud. But what IfIHadAHiFi sound most like is a louder, bitchier Clinic. They're not as good, and they're sloppier, but they muster the same excitement. "The All Tied Up," Ones and Zeroes' opening track, begins with a particulary Clinical feel, with its drumrolls and muted synthesizers, and a guitar that introduces a clanking funk.

But this band is both more conventional and more all-over-theplace. While Clinic gives the impression that anything can happen, IfIHadAHiFi's aesthetic announces that everything wil happen, all the time. Almost martial call-and-responce chants and whoops are buried under perpetually spinning synth squiggles, raucous guitars and rock/funk rhythms. The sound buzzes with layers, with layers sometimes losing out to the buzz as the recording process is overwhelmed.

"The All Tied Up" flows directly into "(This Is) The New Science," one of the cleanest tracks, and one that should be the model for what the band does henceforth. A synth whrils by like a fan flying off its axle, its blades made of singing swords. A succession of chants and the ubiquitous "woo-hoo's" build to the title refrain. Chaos slowly dominates as the band sings assertive ba-babba-labba's until a wash of noise overtakes them.

The third track is the first mistake. All the layers and chaos are pushed down under a kitschy cliché: an old announcer's voice describing rudimentary dance technique. It's an awful choice-- one that similarly mars "Tanguska-Electro," a tune about the great inventor Tesla's attempt to create a death ray. Singing about a death ray is sufficient; having some cornball announcer tell us what the song we can no longer hear is about is egregiously wrong. It's the kind of move that makes me less forgiving of the muddiness. (In the album credits, mixing is listed as by "consensus," either a bad technician with a bad showbiz name, or more likely, a horrible way to mix an album. "Make my part louder!")

"One Happy Pussycat" plays its vocals, if not everything else, at a slower speed, with not much else to balance the track. "I just want to love you, baby," the singer croaks. It sounds like the creepy voice at the end of The Virgin Suicides soundtrack getting delusions of Barry White, or like failing batteries on a walkman.

But for all its mistakes, the whirling madness of most of these songs is undeniable. This is the other IDM: Insane Dance Music. Instead of shaking it to processed slices of digital glory, people should be staggering around in confusion, their minds disabled by the very live sound this band makes. Still, if the band could clean up their sound a little and avoid the overdubbedannouncer guys, they could stand to be an important band. Or at least a lot of fun.
-Dan Kilian

IFIHADAHIFI : "Ones & Zeroes"
taken from Milk

One can learn a lot about a band from its obsessions. IfIHadaHiFi, for example, is obsessed with palindromes - from its own name, to the pseudonyms adopted by its members (Noise Lesion, Dr. Awkward, Mr. Alarm, and Yale Delay), to song titles ("Edison No Side"). Such geeky obsession with symmetry and recursion might suggest a certain sort of bug-eyed mad scientist, paranoically finding significance in the unlikeliest things (not that we at MILK would know anything about that). Okay, that may be overdoing it - but yes, IfIHadaHiFi plays like a bunch of mad scientists, all clattering guitars, grunting bass, shouted, wild-eyed singing, and synths deployed for their ability to make loud, obnoxious noises like the soundtrack to a '50s scifi movie. The music is high-energy, well aware of the value of loud noises played at high speed, and sometimes reminds me of Man or Astroman? but without the surf obsession. Nicely, they also find time to quiet things down slightly on "One Happy Pussycat" - and make an intriguing soundscape whose queasy slide guitar and slowed-down sampled dialogue sound almost like a lost track from Pere Ubu circa Dub Housing. Play it loud and jump around the room.
-Jeff Norman

IFIHADAHIFI : "Ones & Zeroes"
taken from iii zine

This is definately an interesting cd, to say the least. Think Dismemberment Plan taken over by computers. It is very rhythemic as far as drumming goes. Alot of straight ghetto style drum beats w/ noisey guitars, wierd keyboard noises, and alot of computer / high tech bleeps and blops.

It is definately an up-beat, up-tempo disc. Lots of energy. Distorted Icarus Line type rock vocals paired with high pitch "ut oh's" and "ooows" make for an interesting vocal opposition.

On track three they have a talking sample; a 50's guy teaching you how to do dance moves. It's neat because it is way overtop of the music. Alot of the times bands use samples underneith the music. They use samples a couple interesting ways on the disc.

When you get into the noisey computer rock type music sometimes it isn't listenable. This album is completely listenable and easy to follow. Their creativity is pushed, redefining what music is.
-Michelle Lukezic

IFIHADAHIFI : "Ones & Zeroes"
taken from Slide The Needle

What a fun CD! This is some pretty wacky upbeat stuff that’s a cross between noise and danceable pop ness. It’s sounds as if these folks would amazing to see live. It reminds me a little of Huggybear oddly enough but with more electro technology and none of the girl stuff. It’s also heavy bass oriented and then there’s a lot of wacky synth noises and guitar crunch. I would call this noisy sci-fi rock disco with a touch of metal and electronic if I were to call it something. Cool samples too! You get 11 songs on this and I swear the whole time you’re like "what the fuck?" and "holy shit this is awesome!"
-JK

IFIHADAHIFI : "Ones & Zeroes"
taken from The Eko

Bringing their own take on alternative noise-rock, IfIHadAHiFi’s latest effort, Ones and Zeros, is a trip into the mind of Dr. Awkward, NoiseLesion, Yale Delay, and Mr. Alarm.
The album is a collaboration of ambient noise and emo-core styled dynamics, resulting in a fusion of many influences, ranging from jazz and folk to rock, funk and electronica. Ones
and Zeros brings a mixture of all these qualities, following a near instrumental soundtrack. Describing their own unique sound is nearly impossible, making it a curiously odd record.
With each listen to Ones and Zeros, I found myself becoming strangely drawn to each song and the variation in the albums layout. My personal highlight was the track, “Outdoor Shitkicker ‘69”, filled with samples, voice-overs, and media clips. Simple
artwork, reminiscent of Radiohead’s Kid A, completes the package. A personal change of pace. This is good, folks!
-Dave

WATCH YOU DISINTEGRATE
2.7 MB | 160 kps

(THIS IS) THE NEW SCIENCE
4.1 MB | 160 kps

TUNGUSKA-ELECTRO
2.5 MB | 160 kps