Invisible Hands Music

Invisible Hands Music
Founded1987 (1987)
FounderCharles Kennedy
Country of originEngland
LocationLondon
Official websiteinvisiblehands.co.uk

Invisible Hands Music is a UK-based independent record label.[1]

The label is owned and run entirely by Charles Kennedy who started out by self-releasing cassettes sold at gigs by his first band 'Night World' in 1987. The first CD release was Fretwork Southeast, a compilation album of local bands from Southwest London in 1993. After three more CDs in the series, and an eponymous debut album by Kennedy's alias The Aries Project, the label moved into signing legacy artists starting with Wishbone Ash, and singer-songwriter, Rob Reynolds. Other releases in the 1990s, distributed by Pinnacle in the UK, included electro compilations such as Speed Garage Invasion and Drum n Bass Invasion.

After a gap of five years, the label restarted operations in Camden Town in January 2003, releasing niche cash-in products such as a box set of Emerson, Lake & Palmer remixes by Mike Bennett, a box set of Wishbone Ash demos, and a compilation of covers of David Bowie songs. Hazel O'Connor joined the label with a reissue series of her 1990s albums. Releases included music by guitarist Stevie Salas, Silver Sun (two studio albums), Hugh Cornwell (two studio albums and a live set) and Thomas Dolby (live CD / DVD box set).

In 2008 Invisible Hands signed a partially-reformed lineup of The Jam (sans Paul Weller), and released a new Hugh Cornwell album, Hooverdam, available as a free download.

After a four-year hiatus between 2010 and 2014, the label restarted operations in London's West End, rereleasing The Aries Project's eponymous album under the new title "English Ghosts".

Other artists and releases:

  • Miranda Lee Richards – Echoes of the Dreamtime
  • Tangerine Dream – Out of this World (Limited edition numbered, double transparent tangerine coloured vinyl)
  • Hugh Cornwell – The Fall and Rise of Hugh Cornwell
  • Libera – Forever (2023),[2] If (2021),[3] Christmas Carols with Libera (2019),[4] Beyond (2018),[5] Hope (2017),[6] Libera at Christmas (2016)[6]
  • Mishka Shubaly – Cowards Path

The above 5 releases were half-speed mastered at Abbey Road studios by Miles Showell.

Releases for 2016 were by Animotion, Crosby & Nash, Superdrone (flexi-disk project), REM, Pearl Jam and James Taylor.

In addition to albums, Invisible Hands released promotional VHS tapes for Rob Reynolds ("Stormy Weather", "Take It Easy", "Sweet Mother"), Clear ("Johnny Marr Was A Mistake"), Hazel O'Connor ("One More Try"), Mick Karn ("The Jump"), and Hugh Cornwell ("Live in London").

  1. ^ Holder, Bev (29 April 2017). "Johnny Depp favourite Mishka Shubaly to perform at The Duke William in Stourbridge on Friday May 5". Halesowen News.
  2. ^ Libera (9 April 2023). "Forever • Libera". Libera. Retrieved 12 August 2023.
  3. ^ Libera (10 June 2021). "If • Libera". Libera. Retrieved 12 August 2023.
  4. ^ Libera (14 November 2019). "Christmas Carols with Libera • Libera". Libera. Retrieved 12 August 2023.
  5. ^ Libera: Beyond
  6. ^ a b Invisible Hands Music discography at Discogs