Hefty Records

Hefty Records is an independent record label based in Chicago, Illinois (USA). Founded in 1995 by John Hughes III (aka Slicker), the label releases a range in genres that include post-rock, IDM, down-tempo, nu jazz, experimental music, and hip-hop.

History

Hefty Records was formed by John Hughes, with Bill Ding and Dan Snazelle, as a way of releasing Hughes' own music. The label was formed while Hughes was still on campus at Ohio University, and was originally set up in his dorm room, in 1995. The first releases were two 7" singles and one EP created using basic analog technologies. After some minor promotion, Ding was put on college radio. This led to The Euphone record that Ryan Rapsys had collaborated on. Soon afterwards, Hughes gave Scott Herren a demo. Hughes accepted Scott Herren's request and he was added to the label as an artist under the name Savath and Savalas. Hefty next began the Immediate Action series in 2000, a collection intended to consist of six vinyl records. The first record out was the Savath and Savalas 12-inch Immediate Action #001 with all the records hand pressed by Hughes. The sleeves were created by the Brooklyn graphics company Graphic Havoc. They used a stencil and spray painting technique to create each album; with different stickers to tell them apart. This series was met with success, and fulfilled the concept of getting the music out quick, in limited quantities, and with little promotion. As Hefty Records continued, so did the amounts of demo by independent artists hoping to be accepted to the group. Telefon Tel Aviv was the next group to show up on the recording company's records.