InvisibleConnectionsFrontIntroduction

“Invisible Connections” is an experimental avant-garde album by Vangelis released in February 1985. Sometimes the album is considered the second in a series of albums, together with the study of minute life on Earth “Soil Festivities” (1984) and the choral album “Mask” (1985), all works in which Vangelis would break away from the style that had made him a popular and well-known composer for film, and which showcase Vangelis’ ability to venture into new musical worlds without limitations.

The music of Invisible Connections is presented in three long tracks, all instrumental pieces of electronic music and some percussion without melody or rhythm, more like a collection of sounds played with lots of reverb giving a spacial and sometimes eerie atmosphere. The long and minimalistic tracks did not make good material for a single release, hence none were released from this album.

Although Vangelis never revealed much of his motive to create and release Invisible Connections, the album is certainly not his first release with experimental music. Earlier such works that preceded this album and with which this album is sometimes compared to are “Hypothesis” and “The Dragon” (1971), some parts of “Heaven And Hell” and the soundtrack of “No Oyes Ladrar Los Perros?” (1975), and of course “Beaubourg” (1978). The artwork and track titles of the album seem to suggest Vangelis was inspired by the invisible world of atoms, electro-magnetism and quantum mechanics.

To underline the avant-garde nature of this recording Vangelis and his record company Polydor decided to release Invisible Connections on the Deutsche Grammophon-label, a distinguished label for classical music. The original 1985 release however incorrectly switched the track ‘Invisible Connections’ with the combined tracks ‘Atom Blaster’ and ‘Thermo Vision’ (side A and B of the LP), thus showing different track lengths. This was finally corrected in 2017, when the album received a re-release which was personally remastered by Vangelis. This edition is decently remastered and remains true to the original recording, which makes it the recommended version to find if in need of a copy of the album.

 

InvisibleConnectionsLPBackTracklist and credits

  1. Invisible Connections (21:03)
  2. Atom Blaster (8:37)
  3. Thermo Vision (9:44)

Note that this tracklist corresponds with the corrected release from 2017. All earlier releases incorrectly switched the track ‘Invisible Connections’ with the combined tracks ‘Atom Blaster’ and ‘Thermo Vision’ (side A and B of the LP), thus showing different track lengths.

  • Composed, arranged, produced and performed by Vangelis.
  • Sound engineer: Jess Sutcliffe (uncredited)

 

Discography

CD

LP

  • 1985 Deutsche Grammophon  415 196-1 Germany, France and Brazil.
  • 1985 Deutsche Grammophon Van 10 Canada

 InvisibleConnectionsCD

Recording studio

Even though there is no mention of the recording studio on the album, this music was recorded in Vangelis' Nemo Studios in London by engineer Jess Sutcliffe. 

 

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