Artist: The Invisible
Album: What's Left of It ("New Babylon")
Year: 2022
Label: Digitalia Records
Format: MP4 (Single)
Track-list:
Polehouse: Recorded at, Mixed at
Personnel:
Kris Bauer: Vocals (1), Guitars (1,2), Bass (1), Drums (1)
Karl Bauer: Bass (2)
Zack Sloan: Drums (2)
Elmo Townsend: Programming (1,2)
© 2022 Digitalia Records. All rights reserved. Written, recorded, and performed by The Invisible at Polehouse.
Notes: The Invisible was originally called Groove Timber. The previously unreleased "Prequel" B-side was recorded c. 1997-1998, but wasn't included on the debut cassette album (influences: #Sorgum #Mosaic #TheHappyBluesBand #AllStarFrogs #GatorAlley)—its "Escape from Planet Earth" outro splice is a samplephonic cinematic cyclone, unleashed from the pit of the orchestra by Digitália house beat conductor Elmo Townsend.
"Minors in a scene... well known to those familiar with it"—with a nod in Smile Politely's "CU Albums of the Decade," and performances at the first Pygmalion, IMC Fest, and the first Headlights show, all helping to secure their place in the footnotes of Central Daylight Time, where little more than a fleeting reference sporadically appears.
The 2002 debut featured Kayla Brown of We the Animals and Tristan Duke on "steamwand" (recorded at Paradiso). It was mixed and mastered by Jonathan Pines at Private Studio, Urbana, which was then next door to Polehouse, right off Coler on Western Ave. The sophomore CD release was with Shipwreck (pre-Dirty Feathers), and then The Invisible vanished from Polehouse until 2022.
The "K. Bauer of The Invisible" moniker, featured on the new single's cover art, dates back to Lo-Fi Apocalypse, which was also a solo analog production—apart from a Jon Pines mastering credit and a mix by Brendan Gamble, the original drummer from Poster Children, of Private's Studio B.
New Babylon was recorded with a built in mic, like an old school Groove Timber song, with a light George Martinesque makeover by way of Elmo Townsend. It's acoustic—almost Mento, or Tropicália—plucked melancholia. And while the Invisibility rain cloud remains ever in the foreground, the cover shot's the same Polaroid hiding in some Here It Comes and High Spirits photos. The Groove Timber (Pre-Invisible) B-side, Prequel ("Escape from Planet Earth" Splice), is a bonus track from the 98 Groove Timber debut, a cassette tape revived, again, by way of Elmo Townsend.
The Invisible/Groove Timber Origin Story—From the December 13-19, 2003 CU CITYVIEW:
Album: What's Left of It ("New Babylon")
Year: 2022
Label: Digitalia Records
Format: MP4 (Single)
Track-list:
- The Invisible - What's Left of It ("New Babylon")
- Groove Timber - Prequel ("Escape from Planet Earth" Splice)
Polehouse: Recorded at, Mixed at
Personnel:
Kris Bauer: Vocals (1), Guitars (1,2), Bass (1), Drums (1)
Karl Bauer: Bass (2)
Zack Sloan: Drums (2)
Elmo Townsend: Programming (1,2)
© 2022 Digitalia Records. All rights reserved. Written, recorded, and performed by The Invisible at Polehouse.
Notes: The Invisible was originally called Groove Timber. The previously unreleased "Prequel" B-side was recorded c. 1997-1998, but wasn't included on the debut cassette album (influences: #Sorgum #Mosaic #TheHappyBluesBand #AllStarFrogs #GatorAlley)—its "Escape from Planet Earth" outro splice is a samplephonic cinematic cyclone, unleashed from the pit of the orchestra by Digitália house beat conductor Elmo Townsend.
 |
| The Invisible, S Coler, Boneyard |
The 2002 debut featured Kayla Brown of We the Animals and Tristan Duke on "steamwand" (recorded at Paradiso). It was mixed and mastered by Jonathan Pines at Private Studio, Urbana, which was then next door to Polehouse, right off Coler on Western Ave. The sophomore CD release was with Shipwreck (pre-Dirty Feathers), and then The Invisible vanished from Polehouse until 2022.
The "K. Bauer of The Invisible" moniker, featured on the new single's cover art, dates back to Lo-Fi Apocalypse, which was also a solo analog production—apart from a Jon Pines mastering credit and a mix by Brendan Gamble, the original drummer from Poster Children, of Private's Studio B.
New Babylon was recorded with a built in mic, like an old school Groove Timber song, with a light George Martinesque makeover by way of Elmo Townsend. It's acoustic—almost Mento, or Tropicália—plucked melancholia. And while the Invisibility rain cloud remains ever in the foreground, the cover shot's the same Polaroid hiding in some Here It Comes and High Spirits photos. The Groove Timber (Pre-Invisible) B-side, Prequel ("Escape from Planet Earth" Splice), is a bonus track from the 98 Groove Timber debut, a cassette tape revived, again, by way of Elmo Townsend.
The Invisible/Groove Timber Origin Story—From the December 13-19, 2003 CU CITYVIEW:
In 1996, singer/guitarist Kris Bauer was a 15-year-old sitting in his backyard in what he calls the Polehouse—essentially a tree house minus the tree—trying to convince his older bother Karl to join his band. The rest of Kris' band, which at the time included guitarist Jake Montgomery and drummer Zac Sloan, were Kris' peers, all members of the high school drum line. Karl agreed to join and play bass, and the band got busy recording their first demo, an acoustic arrangement of the theme song from Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory. It was and odd choice for a demo, but good enough to land The Invisible—who were known as Groove Timber back then—their first gig at Urbana High School's annual Tailgate party (where, subsequently Absinthe Blind also performed).