The Avalanches

By Chater's estimate, some 3,500 vinyl samples went into Since I Left You, the record many critics regard as the most important example of plunderphonics, and the Avalanches are the Melbourne group behind it. Formed in 1997, they now comprise co-founders Robbie Chater and Tony Di Blasi alongside multi-instrumentalist Andy Szekeres. Their roots lie in Alarm 115, a 1994 noise punk band whose crates of second-hand vinyl became the raw material for a new project, and their live show blends performance with DJing.

Their first single, "Rock City", appeared in 1997, followed by the EP El Producto and tours supporting the Beastie Boys, Public Enemy, Stereolab and Beck. Since I Left You arrived in Australia in 2000 behind "Frontier Psychiatrist", which reached No. 6 in Triple J's Hottest 100. XL released it in the UK in 2001, where it debuted at No. 8, and the title track's video won Video of the Year at the MTV Europe Music Awards. The group also took four ARIA awards that year. Wildflower followed in 2016 and We Will Always Love You in 2020; No Bad Memories is due on 16 October 2026.