Irene Chan's Frothy Flavours (2000)

By Jennifer Scott
NZ Musician, Vol 8. No. 6 December 1999 /January 2000


It's one thing to create a masterpiece of electronic perfection but quite another to have it heard. New Zealand electronic artists however have a better chance than most now that Auckland-based Irene Chan, who runs Flavour Distribution, is about to start to start her own record label, Froth.

Irene has run Flavour for four and a half years and built up a strong national and international network of electronica contacts which she will put to use as she launches into her one woman crusade to have the music heard.

She is helped by a $5000 Creative New Zealand grant to set up Froth which she says will be targeting international markets as well as the local.

"What I want to do is about three or four 12 inches and that way I can export overseas as well and get DJs playing it and then do a compilation CD but the plan is to have three local artists and one international artist on each 12" so it gets better exposure overseas."

Irene's international connections were first formed when she worked in record retail.

"I'd been importing for various stores for so many years so I had a lot of contacts overseas. I just used some of those contacts and basically picked up the labels that I wanted to do."

These include Artefact, Digidub, Dot, G Stone, Kung Fu Fighting, Language, Leaf Label, M Records, Round Trip, Mars, Compost and Different Drummer among others.

While at first Flavour was a distribution agent for only overseas labels from countries as varied as Germany, England, Belgium, France and the States, a couple of years ago Irene was approached by local artists and has since distributed a number of local acts including SJD and Dooblong Tongdra who recently released remastered versions of their albums, '3' and 'Anything Anywhere For No Reason At All' respectively. Both albums have received numerous positive reviews with SJD's James Lost a bFM favourite.

Both SJD and Dooblong Tongdra released their albums independently, selling CD-Rs through specialist shops. By turning distribution over to Flavour, they are now easier to find and if not yet crossed over, have definitely improved their profiles.

"I think it's hard for them. If they can't get a record deal then they have to look at the other option which is pressing them up themselves and promoting it themselves so it is a good avenue for me to be able to distribute it for them."

As for promotion, Irene says she tries to help artists as much as possible although is limited by finances - and of course the fact she is only one person! Other local acts distributed by Flavour include 50Hz, Phase 5 and Cuba & Gizmo.

Flavour and Froth are both solo operations run from her home with a lot of support from husband, Auckland DJ Stinky Jim. She is fast discovering that there is more to running a record label than meets the eye.

"There's so much! You've got to get all the tracks, get them all mastered up, get all the artwork done then there's the contracts. It's just ongoing. There's so much I didn't think about at all. Then there's all the press you've got to do: It's easy to do it here, but overseas it's harder."

While she has thrown herself in head first it is not hard to imagine that she will swim.

"I guess I'm quite lucky because I've got a few contacts overseas now of people who are into what I'm doing."

Irene is softly spoken and reluctant to be in the limelight (as well as extremely camera shy!) but talking to her you can tell that she is someone who will get on with the job. She has an honest passion for the music combined with a determination and sharp sense of humour and I get the feeling that when it comes to business, she is no nonsense but would garner a lot of respect and admiration among her numerous contacts.

The first Froth 12" will feature local acts Phase 5, Pains People, Mood Unit and German DJ Nonplace Urban Field (German DJ Burnt Friedman) and is due for release this summer. Irene says vinyl is essential for breaking the markets she is targeting, with her 12 inches being pressed in Melbourne.

"I just think it's hard if the artists is unknown overseas to break into that market which is what I want to try and do with Froth. I just love music. It's just a shame if it's not getting out there."

As far as distribution is concerned, Irene still sees record stores as the main way of disseminating the music and says stores are becoming more willing to diversify their stock, which is a bonus for her.

"Most of the chain stores are now looking at getting more interesting music in because the whole parallel importing thing has really affected them."

While she has a website she has not actively used this as a distribution tool, preferring to support the retail outlets.

Summer is set to be a busy time for Irene as she sets about releasing the first Froth 12", continues distributing the Flavour artists and in her new role as a label owner, seeking new acts.

"With the 12 inches I want to get as much exposure as possible for local artists so I'm looking at as many as I can take on."

And the criteria for Froth artists?

"I just know what I like."