There are labels that jump on the bandwagon, and then there are labels like Efficient Space, dedicated to the chic of the forgotten and overlooked. Founded in Melbourne in 2015 by Michael Kucyk, Efficient Space is a label that doesn’t just release music, it tells stories – stories of artists who were ignored in their time, but whose work now seems like hidden treasures. »I feel an obligation to support the underdog,« Kucyk once said in an interview with Carhartt WIP.
Efficient Space is not a label that can be easily pigeonholed. It is a place where post-punk meets experimental dub, where dream pop coexists with street soul, and where forgotten classics sit alongside contemporary experiments. The catalogue invites you to immerse yourself in unknown soundscapes.
The other platform
Kucyk had already cultivated a passion for music through his radio show Noise in My Head (first on 3RRR FFM, later on NTS) and his blog of the same name. The label began by releasing archival material and reissues from Australia’s DIY music scene and evolved into a platform for experimental sounds.
Although the label’s catalogue has expanded in recent years, Kucyk does not see this as a fundamental change. In fact, new projects often grow organically out of existing releases, such as Tresa Leigh’s Ghost Riders or Ali Omar’s Jeff Dread. However, the centenary year of 2025 will be devoted more to contemporary artists, including Wilson Tanner, Keanu Nelson, Bhairavi Raman and Nanthesh Sivarajah.
»I feel an obligation to support the outsiders.«
Michael Kucyk
For Kucyk, the decision to run an independent label was a conscious one. His experiences at Mushroom Music Publishing and Modular Recordings have shaped his attitude towards the music industry. »I don’t want to be part of anything that has one foot in the big world,« he says in an interview with Music Feeds. Efficient Space was to be a place where artists and their music took centre stage, free from the restrictions and commercialism of major labels. »We do things for the sake of art, for the sake of music,« Kucyk stresses. This attitude runs through the label’s entire catalogue, which strives for originality and authenticity.
Between past and present
A glance at the output of Efficient Space reveals a smorgasbord of releases from the past to the present. Kucyk digs in the archives and just as often includes contemporary artists working on the fringes of the mainstream. In 2024, the label released highlights such as Skeet’s »Simple Reality« and the compilation »Someone Like Me«, a collection of folk songs about love, loss and spiritual searching from England to Los Angeles.
Finding obscure music remains a challenge even in the age of digital platforms. »Just because music is available online doesn’t mean it has been discovered,« says Kucyk. He points to Time Is Away’s ‘Searchlight Moonbeam’ compilation, which not only reintroduced forgotten archive tracks, but also modern, small-run vinyl and Bandcamp releases. »Nothing beats human curation,« he adds.
The label has also set itself a big challenge for its 2025 anniversary year, with ten releases planned, starting with a new album from Sydney-based dub rebel Ali Omar. This release will kick off a year in which the label will further explore its range.
The balance between past and present is also evident in classics such as the »Sky Girl« compilation (2016), which has received international attention. Curated by DJ Sundae and Julien Dechery, it is considered one of the most influential reissues of recent years. Equally impressive is »3AM Spares« (2018), a tribute to the Australian dance scene of the 90s.
Community is never old hat
»Apart from a few years in Sydney, Melbourne is all I’ve ever known,« Kucyk says of his deep connection to the city. »Community radio here was a great foundation for the label – many of the early projects were dug straight out of the 3RRR FM library«. Many of the record stores he now supplies are the same ones he has been buying from for twenty years – an established, almost family structure.
Hashish Hits
Someone Like Me
Ghost Riders
Flamenca
With new projects and growing international attention, Kucyk also reflects on the significance of the label. »It’s hard to imagine that we were involved in something as significant as Waak Waak Djungi,« he says. He also recalls the moment when Karen Marks performed her song »Cold Café« live at Melbourne Town Hall after 44 years. “The fact that artists from the label are appearing in films by Lynne Ramsay or Guy Maddin still blows my mind.
In this way, Efficient Space remains true to itself – a platform for seekers of the hidden and connoisseurs of the undiscovered. Looking ahead to the next ten years, it is safe to say that there are still many stories to be told.
