Spirit Level (record label)

Spirit Level is a music label established by Wally de Backer (solo project Gotye, and drummer in The Basics) and Tim Shiel (musician and Double J radio broadcaster) in 2014, based in Melbourne, Australia.[1][2]

Spirit Level operates out of the converted Metropolitan Meat Market in North Melbourne.[3]

The impetus for starting Spirit Level was the realisation that one of their favourite American artists, Zammuto, was not able to get an Australian release for their new album "Anchor".[3] They discovered Zammuto when they opened for some of Gotye's international shows.[2][4] Spirit Level supported the launch of the album in Australia, signing a distribution deal with Inertia and presenting an Australian tour for the artist.[3][4]

Although the label includes artists from outside Australia, the majority are Australian artists.[5] Spirit Level artists include Braille Face, Happy Axe, Kcin, and Hemm.[5]

In 2019, Spirit Level was nominated by the Australian Independent Record Labels Association (AIR) as one of the top 5 independent record labels in Australia.[1]

  1. ^ a b "Five dynamic indie labels make it to AIR nominations list". The Music Network. 2019-05-29. Retrieved 2022-02-18.
  2. ^ a b "Gotye Launches New Indie Record Label In Australia". Tone Deaf. 2014-09-18. Retrieved 2022-02-18.
  3. ^ a b c "Double J Host Tim Shiel Revives Indie Label Co-founded With Gotye". The Music. 4 April 2016. Retrieved 18 Feb 2022.
  4. ^ a b "Gotye's New Label". Forte Magazine. 2014-10-10. Retrieved 2022-02-18.
  5. ^ a b "The Melbourne independent record labels you can support this lockdown". Beat Magazine. 2020-09-10. Retrieved 2022-02-18.