Ifdakar

Ifdakar, a quintet from Wisconsin that fuses electronica with other styles, delivers a stylish package with this newest release. This album presents a surprisingly fresh palette that results in a nice mix of dark, spacey jams with other more rock-oriented numbers. The album changes gears frequently, and this keeps the musical conversations on this album active and lively. Featuring the talents of Jon Schinke and Curt Biese on guitars and synths, Zach Chisholm on bass, Sammy Binder on keyboards, and Frank Deringer on drums, the band has been playing since 2008. Although certain bands in the electronic music scene rise into prominence, and thus become the figures of comparison, Ifdakar presents a rather unique sound and style of arrangement that separates them from others. One might hear little bits of Lotus or STS9 in the fringes of these tracks, but those comparisons are only jumping off points and surely don't encompass the varied moods of “On the Edge.”

The album begins with “Agwa,” a spirited dance number that fuses layered synth effects with driving rhythms and guitar. This song ventures through several moods and styles, coalescing nicely with sparkling keys and energetic bass lines. “Drive” arrives with a combination of ska-influenced rhythms and playful lyrics before changing directions entirely. “Leo” is more methodical and contemplative, utilizing guitar, bass, and drums to complement the sparse electronic groove at the heart of the song. The song breaks down into layered arrangements, full of warbling, mind-bending effects. This song seems particularly potent when cranking it through headphones and closes in energetic fashion. “Healin” utilizes a funky, popping bass line with interesting vocals that seem reminiscent of David Bowie and Velvet Underground-era Lou Reed. “A Wood Divided” begins with vibratory bass and oscillating synthesizer effects, then yields to a spirited guitar workout.

“The Rhythm” utilizes reggae grooves, sauntering keyboards and a dancehall sensibility before changing tempo and charging headfirst into more “metallic” regions. “Kool Aid Man” starts with rollicking piano before yielding to guitar of varied mood and application. The song culminates with spirited duels between guitar and keys, who fend off the aggressive charges of the rhythm section. The song is particularly tight and demonstrates Sammy Binder's exquisite work on the keys. “Eyes” displays good energy and interesting vocals while Zach Chisholm's bass thumps along. Screaming guitar dots the periphery of the track as it rumbles to its conclusion. “Time” begins with Ifdakar's typical verve and bounce, but settles into more atmospheric explorations with guitar as the song progresses. Keyboards and guitars mesh into frenzied noise fractals as the song concludes. The album closes with “Larry the Emu,” a guitar workout accentuated by keys, synth effects, and solid work from the rhythm section.

In reviewing this album, I was very impressed by the varying moods and musical applications that Ifdakar brings to the table. There is a charming quality to those songs with lyrics, as those tracks almost feel like songs from a bygone era, where pop craftsmanship was more evident than today. Those tracks with a more modern “electronica” feel are also deftly executed, resulting in an album with a surprising number of interesting vantage points and places for observation. The tracks on this album are well-produced, warm and inviting and present a compelling rendition of electronic music, steeped in funk and rock and roll. The voyage of “On the Edge” proves to be quite interesting and well-worth the time spent.

- J. Evan Wade - Home Grown Music Network

Ifdakar, a quintet from Wisconsin that fuses electronica with other styles, delivers a stylish package with this newest release. This album presents a surprisingly fresh palette that results in a nice mix of dark, spacey jams with other more rock-oriented numbers. The album changes gears frequently, and this keeps the musical conversations on this album active and lively. Featuring the talents of Jon Schinke and Curt Biese on guitars and synths, Zach Chisholm on bass, Sammy Binder on keyboards, and Frank Deringer on drums, the band has been playing since 2008. Although certain bands in the electronic music scene rise into prominence, and thus become the figures of comparison, Ifdakar presents a rather unique sound and style of arrangement that separates them from others. One might hear little bits of Lotus or STS9 in the fringes of these tracks, but those comparisons are only jumping off points and surely don't encompass the varied moods of “On the Edge.”

The album begins with “Agwa,” a spirited dance number that fuses layered synth effects with driving rhythms and guitar. This song ventures through several moods and styles, coalescing nicely with sparkling keys and energetic bass lines. “Drive” arrives with a combination of ska-influenced rhythms and playful lyrics before changing directions entirely. “Leo” is more methodical and contemplative, utilizing guitar, bass, and drums to complement the sparse electronic groove at the heart of the song. The song breaks down into layered arrangements, full of warbling, mind-bending effects. This song seems particularly potent when cranking it through headphones and closes in energetic fashion. “Healin” utilizes a funky, popping bass line with interesting vocals that seem reminiscent of David Bowie and Velvet Underground-era Lou Reed. “A Wood Divided” begins with vibratory bass and oscillating synthesizer effects, then yields to a spirited guitar workout.

“The Rhythm” utilizes reggae grooves, sauntering keyboards and a dancehall sensibility before changing tempo and charging headfirst into more “metallic” regions. “Kool Aid Man” starts with rollicking piano before yielding to guitar of varied mood and application. The song culminates with spirited duels between guitar and keys, who fend off the aggressive charges of the rhythm section. The song is particularly tight and demonstrates Sammy Binder's exquisite work on the keys. “Eyes” displays good energy and interesting vocals while Zach Chisholm's bass thumps along. Screaming guitar dots the periphery of the track as it rumbles to its conclusion. “Time” begins with Ifdakar's typical verve and bounce, but settles into more atmospheric explorations with guitar as the song progresses. Keyboards and guitars mesh into frenzied noise fractals as the song concludes. The album closes with “Larry the Emu,” a guitar workout accentuated by keys, synth effects, and solid work from the rhythm section.

In reviewing this album, I was very impressed by the varying moods and musical applications that Ifdakar brings to the table. There is a charming quality to those songs with lyrics, as those tracks almost feel like songs from a bygone era, where pop craftsmanship was more evident than today. Those tracks with a more modern “electronica” feel are also deftly executed, resulting in an album with a surprising number of interesting vantage points and places for observation. The tracks on this album are well-produced, warm and inviting and present a compelling rendition of electronic music, steeped in funk and rock and roll. The voyage of “On the Edge” proves to be quite interesting and well-worth the time spent.

- J. Evan Wade - Home Grown Music Network

...Ifdakar is one of the leading lights in the Midwest jam scene and have taken the lead in the genre with their on-line WIJAM community... - The Isthmus - Madison, WI

Playing live, original music while cultivating a loyal fan base is no easy task for Fox Valley musicians.


Ifdakar has managed to make serious inroads, and Saturday night the band will mark two years of hard work and persistence with its 100th live performance.

The band, made up of Kimberly natives Curt Biese, Jon Schinke, Zach Chisholm, Jason Griseto, Craig Welch and Rick DeDecker, bills itself as a progressive, psychedelic jam band. With a shared musical taste and influences from the likes of Phish, Pink Floyd, The Grateful Dead and The Flecktones, Ifdakar members say they are all about moving music forward artistically with a live audience as part of the experience.

Fans of Ifdakar have come to anticipate their improvisational jams paired with a mix of genres — funk, blues, rock, electronica, reggae and more. The melding of genres combined with the band members’ comfort level with each other make for a fun, often unexpected experience. The band’s emphasis is on music over lyrics.

“We just want to let everyone do what they want to do and what they’re good at, and you just work within that,” said Rick DeDecker, keyboards and vocals.

“We want people to have fun and tap into that good energy with our jams,” says Biese, who plays guitar and synthesizer and kicks in on vocals. “We want our music to give everyone a good journey.”

One thing is clear — this band is a live band, and up until now any recording heard has been a live one. That’s about to change. For the first time the band is getting ready to go into the studio to record an album. A tentative release date is March 2010.

“We have great fans,” Biese says. “We have a very loyal following that will come see us play regularly.”

That following has been so loyal the band has been able to convert their band name into a prefix for special events such as IfdaHalloween at Cranky Pat’s, with fans recognizing the prefix. “We originally named the band Ifdakar after a guy my brother went to high school with,” Biese says. “Then we started saying If-da-kar runs out of gas and using it as a prefix. In the end it worked out well for name recognition.”

It’s been a long road for the band to build momentum to get into local establishments. From generating a following at area open mics to sitting in with other local bands, Ifdakar was able to begin to build the following they have today.

For Dave Galow, owner of The Cold Shot, seeing members of Ifdakar sitting in with the bar’s Thursday night band, Insomniac Gypsy, and ad lib through the music was impressive. “The vision they had for an original, creative band gave me the confidence to book them,” Galow says.

“It’s difficult when you want to play original music,” Biese says. “People don’t want to book an unknown original band.”

“Bar owners are concerned with drawing that crowd,” says Jon Schinke, guitar and vocals. With the help of social media outlets the band has been able to alert fans to their live shows through Myspace, text messaging, Twitter and live streaming videos on their Web site.

Luckily for the six members of Ifdakar, there is a great deal of camaraderie among local original artists.

“We were very fortunate to have Unity extend a hand and help us out,” Schinke says.

In addition, Ifdakar was able to get advice from Denny Vanesky of Insomniac Gypsy. “We really got a crash course in learning how to get out there and get booked,” Curtis says.

In the end it works both ways for local original artists. “We all love music so we will definitely go out and support other local musicians,” says DeDecker, keyboards and vocals.

After making their way through the arduous process of getting booked, the band is now able to do what they set out to do. “We want to be out there playing to a live audience,” Schinke says. “We want to feel that connection with our audience and each other.”

With no two shows the same, Ifdakar prides themselves on their improvisational style and is continuing to play whenever and wherever they can. They were booked for several gigs in Colorado this summer.

“We were able to play some big venues that were huge for us out there,” Biese says.

Members of the band are hoping to continue growing and evolving.

“It’s a process,” says Chisholm, upright and electric bass and vocals. “I think we are all very creative people who enjoy pursuing music artistically.”

“To a reader who’s not sure on trying something new, remember you didn’t know ‘Stairway to Heaven’the first time you heard it,” says Brad Knapp, booking agent at Cranky Pat’s. “Give a band a try. Think about what they are creating in front of you.”

Kate Baer: 920-993-1000, ext. 1240, or kbaer@postcrescent.com
- Post Crescent

"Glad to hear a band that is worth while featured in the PC." - - Jesse.

"More than happy to see that "Jam band" doesn't have to be a derogatory term. A jam band is exactly what I like and sometimes it's hard to find them because they are so scared off by the term jam band, they'll do anything to classify themselves as something else. It's good to see Ifdakar knows who they are and take ownership of it. I LOVE the music!" - - Matt.

"Had it not been for this article I would not have checked out the band this past Saturday. Since then I have been downloading their music away. It wasn't just the music for my friends and me, it was the whole experience. The crowd was great and I found myself among like minded people." - - - Lacey.


"Keep JAMMIN Ifdakar." - - - Sarah. - Post Crescent

"With one foot planted on earth and the other planted in outer space, Ifdakar's new album 'On the Edge' is a milestone in exceeding the boundaries of the jam band genre. The ten track debut is filled with ambient and euphoric propositions that will have your ears melding to the speakers! More focused and more exotic with sweeping electronic sounds, funk grooves and rhythmic roots. 'On the Edge' takes you beyond the heady journey on earth and into the planetarium of wonder!"

- Terry Dewey -gbnightlife.com

"Ifdakar touches the senses with their new release 'On the Edge'. The album proves to be many things musical to the listener, some of which include spacey techno jams, electric bluegrass, and straight ahead rock 'n roll."

- Erik Riedasch - Underwater Productions (Madison, WI)

"The sound of the group seems fresh and fun! Keep doing your thing." - Taxi (A&R)

"Listening to Ifdakar sent me back to 1969 watching Santana in concert. It's so refreshing to hear real music from real musicians!" - James Flinn - Door County Concert Administrator

By TJ
November 26th, 2008

Live Performance: November 21st, 2008

The current status of funk in Wisconsin is the sound of Ifdakar. Enamored with the '70s blitz of roots and grooves, Ifdakar melts your mind with their infusion of funk, blues, rock, and electronica! Ifdakar's three hour set consists of colorful originals along with a few heady covers like "I'm a man" from the Spencer Davis Group (you tube it). This band can play really tight, but they do leave a little room to improvise and make music happen on the spot. Ifdakar is a live band and any recordings that you hear of them will be live.

Expect to see infinite jams and musical conversations between Jon's wah-wah rhythm guitar and Curt's warm guitar solos. Zack's pop and slap bass lines cut the groove like butter and jive directly to Nick's drum shuffle and Craig's out of this world congas and percussion. Sliding in and out and in between the groove is Rick's skills on the ebony/ivory and synthesizer. All of Ifdakar take a hand in adding vocals and words. I found their blend of funk, psychedelic rock, blues, and electronica refreshing! This band, for the most part, is fun and uplifting. If you can dance, Ifdakar will keep you busy all night long. The momentum the band is gaining is huge, playing many summer festivals in and around their home base of Appleton, Wisconsin. Ifdakar has great fan interface as well as a great website and a free itunes podcast of their entire set recorded earlier this summer. It was great to see Ifdakar at a quaint bar like IQ's. IQ's bar on Green Bay's east side places the emphasis on great bands, art, and food. The beer selection ranges from PBR to tap lines for local microbrews. Ifdakar is a regular at IQ's and for good reason, the sound and atmosphere are a perfect match. You've heard about small clubs with great bands, IQ's is one of them. Ifdakar is fun, laid back and full of Funk! Now, if I could just find my dancing shoes. - http://www.gbnightlife.com/