JAMES I.V., born James Issak Varain, hails from the borough of Chicoutimi in Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean, Quebec. Subsequently living in Japan and the states of Florida, Michigan, Mississippi and, most recently, the Chicagoland area of Illinois, the producer credits his nomadic lifestyle for partial influence over his work.

As an emcee, unable to find the music production that matched his lyrical ability, JAMES I.V. began making his own beats. Quickly honing his skills, it wasn’t long before he found himself laying tracks for other artists. It occurred to the independent thinker that he could follow suit on the business side of his craft, opting to distribute his own music instead of depending on “gatekeepers” and the powers that be.

His style is innovative and dense, but JAMES I.V. sums up a day in his life, and mind, in one word – hectic! Hence the entities HecticMindstate Music and HecticMinds; the former, a record label and production company. The latter is an art collective comprised of musicians, graphic artists, filmmakers, photographers, and writers. As the founder of both, he leads through delegation and organization to birth creation out of chaos.

JAMES I.V. is a member of the Church of the SubGenius, and he frequents self-help seminars. He also speaks fluent French and Tutnese. When he isn’t in the studio, you might find him building robots, watching 70’s crime dramas and sitcoms, or even juggling knives. The musician draws inspiration from every pocket of life – movies, conversations, instruments, and other artists from various genres such as The Bomb Squad, DJ Muggs, The Alchemist, Goldie, The Neptunes, and Parliament-Funkadelic. Producing mainly hip-hop music, with elements of electronic and experimental styles, JAMES I.V. is known to always create something unique.

Electronic. Experimental. Psychedelic. Afro-futuristic. Dusted and Distinct. These are the words that resonate with a JAMES I.V. sound. His range reels in a mixed bag of listeners as well, from hustlers to music school dropouts. Anyone who appreciates original, eclectic, unpredictable music can’t help but to vibe to a his compositions.