Ill in the Head was founded by Berislav Sabolic in Croatia in 1992. The project started as a fanzine, but evolved into a record label shortly after the publication of the first issue of “Ill in the Head Zine” in June of 1992.
Label’s initial release was a cassette compilation entitled “Life?” featuring punk/HC music by several Croatian and Slovenian bands. It was the first in total of 6 punk/HC compilations produced over the next 4 years. Geographical scope of these compilation cassettes was later expanded to feature bands from all over the world.
In addition to the compilations, the label started producing full length cassette albums in 1993, focusing on underground punk/HC and metal music from Croatia and Ex-Yugoslavia.
Ill in the Head was the first Croatian record label to release music by a Serbian artist after the breakout of the war in 1991. It was the cassette album entitled “Osiguranje zivotne vecnosti” by punk band Ex-Cess from Belgrade. The cassette was released in 1994.
The next step in the expansion of Ill in the Head activities was the creation of a mail-order distribution. In the spirit of the true punk DIY approach, the items (cassettes, vinyl, CDs, fanzines, T-shirts etc.) sold via mail-order were acquired through exchange with other independent record labels from around the word. The label’s distribution catalogue was extensive and represented 40% of Ill in the Head’s total sales, reaching underground/indie music audiences in every corner of Croatia and further in the Balkan region.
In 1996 Ill in the Head started focusing on vinyl records, specifically 7”EP format. “Vragoder” EP by the Croatian band Gipps, and a split EP by the bands Running Party and The Cardinals came out that same year.
All activities related to Ill in the Head stopped, and the label ceased to exist at the end of 1996, when Berislav decided to move from Croatia to Canada. In the span of four years Ill in the Head produced a total of twenty-two cassettes, two vinyl records, and distributed numerous international and national music releases and merchandise.
The idea of restarting the label and focus it on promoting music from ex-Yugoslavia came about in 2013. Three years later, and exactly 20 years after the end of the label’s Croatian chapter, Ill in the Head has started a new life in Canada. The first Canadian release, and also the 25th in the label’s complete catalogue, was an LP by the Macedonian band Bernays Propaganda.
Since the start of its Canadian chapter, Ill in the Head has released 3 albums on vinyl plus digital format and 3 digital only releases. In addition to these records which were fully funded and executed solely by Ill in the Head, there were 3 vinyl LPs and 2 7” vinyl EPs produced in cooperation with record labels from Croatia, Slovenia, Serbia, Macedonia, Austria, Germany and Spain.
ILL IN THE HEAD DISCOGRAPHY:
ILL-035 JOE VIRUS: Cold Turkey Madness 2020, LP (digital)
ILL-034 BERNAYS PROPAGANDA: Vtora mladost, treta svetska vojna 2019, LP (Vinyl, digital)
ILL-033 ESC LIFE: Born to be Mild 2019, LP (Vinyl, digital)
ILL-032 NAJVERIBEST: O jalu je rijec – Remastered, 2020, LP (digital)
ILL-031 THE KARMAKUMULATOR/GEN 26 Split 7” EP (2018, Vinyl, digital)
ILL-030 WAITAPU: Hortus LP (Vinyl, CD, digital)
ILL-029 ESC LIFE/ RREMEDY Split 7” EP (2017, Vinyl, digital)
ILL-028 EX-CESS: Osiguranje zivotne vecnosti 2019, LP (Vinyl, digital)
ILL-027 KRANKENHAUS: Misteriozno To Je Baš (20th Anniversary Edition), 2016 – LP (digital)
ILL-026 THE MARSHMALLOW NOTEBOOKS: The Marshmallow Notebooks 2016 – LP (Vinyl, digital)
ILL-025 BERNAYS PROPAGANDA: Na To Igrišce Ne Smem 2017 – LP (Vinyl, digital)
Croatian Period:
ILL-023 GIPSS: Vragoder EP 1996 – 7″EP (Vinyl)
ILL-022 DIRECTED CREW: Final Time 1996 – LP (cass)
ILL-021 RUNNING PARTY/THE CARDINALS: Split EP 1996 – 7″EP (Vinyl, digital)
ILL-020 v.a.: Strange Sounds 1996 – compilation (cass)
ILL-019 v.a.: I Nikom Nije Lepše… 1996 – compilation (cass)
ILL-018 v.a.: Ja Želim Jako 1996 – compilation (cass)
ILL-017 v.a.: Ill in the Head 92 – 95 1996 – compilation (cass)
ILL-016 THE CARDINALS: Gaze into the sound 1995 – LP (cass)
ILL-015 AMORPHOSA: Into The Depth Of Nothing 1995 – LP (cass)
ILL-014 v.a.: Return To Eden 1995 – compilation (cass)
ILL-013 v.a.: Sretna Mladost 1995 – compilation (cass)
ILL-012 POROTA: Tekuci Kisik I Prijatelji Antimaterije 1994 – LP (cass)
ILL-011 ACHTUNG DICHTUNG: Nights With White Satan 1994 – EP (cass)
ILL-010 RUNNING PARTY: Memories 1994 – LP (cass, digital)
ILL-009 THE CARDINALS: Lifestyle 1994 – LP (cass)
ILL-008 EX-CESS: Osiguranje životne vecnosti 1994 – LP (cass)
ILL-007 v.a.: Look At The Future 1993 – compilation (cass)
ILL-006 MEGABITCH: Stars On 25 1993 – LP (cass)
ILL-005 NO COMMENT: Headless 1993 – LP (cass)
ILL-004 v.a.: Out Of Control 1993 – compilation (cass)
ILL-003 TRAUMA: U Ratu Ideologije / Zivjela Komercijala 1993 – LP (cass)
ILL-002 v.a.: Life? 1993 – compilation (cass)
ILL-001 KAYE?: 4 Songs Demo 1993 – EP (cass)