I would never have guessed, in 2014, when first thinking of starting a record label, that I'd be sitting down a decade later writing sleeve notes for a 10-year anniversary compilation! But here I am, tasking myself with writing something that I haven't said in previous compilation liner notes already (see INVINC 20 & INVINC 25 for examples of previous ramblings). One thing that is certain is that much has changed in that decade. For a start, records have more than doubled in price. DJs, who kept vinyl alive for so long, have predominantly moved over to digital, bar a few, and now with it being fashionable to collect vinyl, combined with rising material costs, what once was a commodity affordable for the many is now no longer that. It's a climate I find increasingly uncertain about navigating. However, whether I release any more vinyl or not, it's not stopped me scouting for music night and day. I can't seem to curb that urge. So on that note, I proudly present the latest fruits of my pursuits.

I’ve always had a “vision” of what I think Invisible Inc should sound like. Although the music can vary from outsider dance music and experimental to ambient and downtempo, it’s really carved a fairly narrow niche for itself. Perhaps I’m the only person who sees the thread that holds it all together, but it's there, I believe, although it's hard to pinpoint in words exactly how this intangible entity presents itself to me but whatever guiding light it provides I’ve been true to that vision as best I could be. I love so many artists, but there are only a few that I would contact with a view to releasing something. I get sent so many demos too and I know when something sounds like Invisible Inc and when something doesn’t. Occasionally I even get something that I think would sell well, but it's not quite the right sound, so I question whether I could get away with a “curveball” release...or would it become an example of how a label “loses its way"? So rather than sacrifice its identity, I've stayed faithful to this vague ethos I've conjured up and continue to plough that furrow. This compilation being a perfect example of that.

Speaking of identity, perhaps you can indulge me. As Mark Twain once said: “there is no such thing as an original idea”. He was talking about literature but of course it can be applied to any form of art. He went on: “We simply take a lot of old ideas and put them into a sort of mental kaleidoscope. We give them a turn and they make new and curious combinations". And so it is with Invisible Inc. The label wouldn’t exist were it not for what existed before it...both in musical terms and in terms of me realising that a distinct visual identity was something I felt was important for my own label. Seeing as the label is now a decade old I feel credit should be given where credit is (over)due. First and foremost the music itself. The idea that a label could release whatever it wanted and didn’t need to be just one genre, was something that I directly credit to labels like Optimo Music, Hoga Nord, Emotional Response and Tummy Touch. Visually, I’m indebted to the following labels: Grayhound Records, Free Association and Music From Memory. All three had direct influence on the design of those early sleeves. I'm sure the detectives amongst you will work out in what way. Obviously as it’s evolved numerous other factors have been an inspiration too...but those are the ones that really inspired me to start a label and had a strong impact on the fledgling Invisible Inc’s identity at the time.

Has the label evolved? Matured even? It’s hard to say looking out from the inside. I'd like to think so...but by all means send me answers on a postcard!

Anyway, here we are, ten years in and with a 2xLP on pink vinyl featuring 17 esteemed artists that you will hopefully love as much as I do after immersing yourself in these 80 minutes of music. They are each worthy of an introduction. Track them down where you can and support their work. And most importantly enjoy these little samples of their sublimely creative endeavours. Last but not least, thanks goes to everyone who has supported the label over the years...you know who you are.

GK Machine, 8 April 2025



A1 The Mediators - Broccoli Polaroid
A2 Veslemes - Hotspot Volcanic Café
A3 Girls Chat Room - Animal Vegetable Mineral
A4 Golden Bug - Magma

B1 Legion Of Green Men - Tapenglo
B2 Bluetech - Blade Of Dawn
B3 Secret Circuit - Mother Tongue
B4 Skull Valley - Embers

C1 Dreems - Persepection
C2 Sun Genam - Eternal Return
C3 Michal Turtle & HOVE - Flying Over
C4 Michel Banabila - Memories Of The Forest

D1 Higamos Hogamos - Greenwich Tunnel
D2 Double Geography - Flight 15
D3 Ravelston - Minding Backwards
D4 Sordid Sound System - Leather Door
D5 David Van Tieghem - Lonely Planet (Part 1)
credits
released May 20, 2025

THE MEDIATORS - BROCCOLI POLAROID
Written & produced by Steve Brown, Andy Eardley and Oran Milstein.

VESLEMES - HOTSPOT VOLCANIC CAFÉ
Written & produced by Yannis Veslemes. Electric Bass & Electric Guitar by Giotis Paraskevaidis. Mixed by Giotis Paraskevaidis.

GIRLS CHAT ROOM - ANIMAL VEGETABLE MINERAL
Vocals, lyrics, birdcalls: Carolina Leis-Usher.
Produced by James Weissinger. Mixed by Justin Geller

GOLDEN BUG - MAGMA
Written & produced by Antoine Harispuru. Trumpet by Pablo Volt. Co-produced by Aurélien Haas

LEGION OF GREEN MEN - TAPENGLO
Written & produced by Lex & Rew MacCrimmon
Recorded and mixed at Satellite Mustard and Caution Point

BLUETECH - BLADE OF DAWN
Written & produced by Evan Bartholomew

SECRET CIRCUIT - MOTHER TONGUE
Written & produced by E Ruscha V
Mother Tongue is a reworking of "Mother Ring" from Secret Circuit's self-released album "Mind Bowling" (2016)

SKULL VALLEY - EMBERS
Lap Steel by Mark Lightcap. Percussion by Ras Benji. Keyboards by Tom Chasteen & Roger Rivas
Recorded at Kingsize
Produced by Tom Chasteen
Mixed by Tom Chasteen and David Harrow

DREEMS - PERSEPECTION
Written & produced by Angus Gruzman. Guitar by Jack "Jacoby" Freeman

SUN GENAM - ETERNAL RETURN
Written, produced & mixed by Sjoerd de Ridder
Originally made for an audiovisual art installation in Rotterdam

MICHAL TURTLE & HOVE - FLYING OVER
Produced by Michal Turtle. Guitar by Marc Hofweber
Originally appeared as a bonus track on the "Middle Of The Road Less Travelled" EP on Light Of Other Days (2018)

MICHEL BANABILA - MEMORIES OF THE FOREST
Written & produced by Michel Banabila
Memories of The Forest is a reworking of Zoosemiotics from the album "Echo Transformations" on Knekelhuis (2021)

HIGAMOS HOGAMOS - GREENWICH TUNNEL (Edit)
Written & produced by Steve Webster
Original full-length version appears on the album "Generation Games" on Invisible Inc (2021)

DOUBLE GEOGRAPHY - FLIGHT 15
Written & produced by Duncan Thornley.
Unreleased demo recorded during the "Flights" recording sessions and developed for this compilation.

RAVELSTON - MINDING BACKWARDS
Written & produced by Rob Chalonstone

SORDID SOUND SYSTEM - LEATHER DOOR
Written & produced by Stuart Evans
Recorded live at the Cosmic Room, Los Angeles

DAVID VAN TIEGHEM - LONELY PLANET (Part 1)
Percussion, electronics, shortwave radio by David Van Tieghem.
Voice by Zoë Van Tieghem.
Produced by David Van Tieghem in New York City
Written by David Van Tieghem (ASCAP), Published by Boomer Music (ASCAP)
Original version commissioned by Elisa Monte Dance Company

Mastered by James Savage at Milk Mastering

Compiled and curated by GK Machine

Artwork and sleeve layout by Gordon Mackinnon

This compilation is dedicated to the memory of Steve Webster (27 May 1970 - 23 March 2024)