Geoff Barrow’s Invada Records Releases Sprawling New Sampler

Some artists manage to stay relevant no matter what era, medium, or format they are working in. Usually, these sorts of transcendent artists are the tastemakers of every generation, always setting the standards for critical success, and often commercial success as well. Geoff Barrow of Portishead fame is one of those artists. In 1991, Massive Attack allowed Barrow to record some of his own material in their studio and the rest is history. Beth Gibbons’ vocals are what many people remember after listening to Portishead tracks, but Barrow is the real genius behind the legendary trip hop/experimental band. After releasing one class album (Dummy) and another highly acclaimed one (Portishead) in the 90’s, the group broke up, only to get back together to release another transcendent album 11 years later (Third). Not only is it nearly unheard to release albums so far apart, but to it in such a flawless manner, and to reach hundreds of thousands of new fans outside of the UK (reached #7 in the Billboard 200).

Photo from Sydney Morning Herald

Since Third, Barrow has embarked on several projects outside of Portishead. In 2009, he has joined with Billy Fuller and Matt Williams to form the production trio, BEAK>. The trio produced Anika’s scattershot (in the best way possible) self-titled debut, released on Stones Throw. In 2010, Barrow became the music supervisor for Banksy’s hotly debated documentary (mockumentary?) Exit Through The Gift Shop, which received an Oscar nomination. Needless to say, it is not exactly easy to get into Banksy’s inner-circle. Barrow has worked on several other projects as well since Third, but he has put the most energy into his record label, Invada Records.

Invada was started as an Australian label by Barrow, Ashley Anderson, and Fraser Stewart, in 2002. In 2003, Barrow, with the help of Paul Horlick, moved its focus to the UK and began to build a roster of British artists. The label has since been at the forefront of experimental music in the UK, eschewing genre labels entirely, and attempting to bring listeners as disparate a roster as possible. Invada exists in the dub, experimental rock, and hip hop worlds, but is not limited to any one.  Anika, who I mention above, is one of the more popular artists on the label, and in a lot of ways her being signed to Stones Throw and Invada makes a lot of sense. Two forward-thinking, experimental labels are not going to sound remotely alike, but Invada and Stones Throw share a similar ethos when it comes to signing artists, and releasing music.

Invada has garnered a cult-like following in the UK, but is still largely unknown to American audiences.  This needs to change. Last week, the label released a sampler featuring recently released, or to be released tracks from its roster. The only artist, I had previously heard of was Anika due to her Stones Throw cred, but listening to this sampler has captivated my interest in the rest of Invada’s roster. Barrow has a hand in many of the tracks on the sampler, but none of them sound like Portishead knockoffs, or even attempts at emulation. I don’t have the musical knowledge, or time to analyze every track on the sampler, but if you’re going to give anything a listen today, this should be it. Hopefully, Invada will gain an American following in the coming months/years, and if this sampler is any indication, it will happen sooner rather than later.