God Unknown Records at 10

“I wanted to release music that I love, that really meant something. Something real.” This weekend sees God Unkinown Records mark a decade of releasing diverse, cutting-edge music from artists based all over the world. We caught up with label founder and driving force, Jason Stoll…

TDN: First off, congratulations on the anniversary – it’s quite the achievement in today’s climate! When you launched God Unknown, did you have any expectations that it could have such longevity?

Jason Stoll: Thanks Mike. Yeah, ten years! I can’t quite believe it’s been that long. It’s flown by. When I started the label I never really thought about where it would be the following year, never mind in 10 years time. To be honest I didn’t really think it to be anymore than the first run of singles.

I’m really proud with what the label has accomplished in that time. Looking back at the catalogue is pretty mind blowing to me, not just 10 years of releasing brilliant music but also the sheer amount of music God Unknown has had the pleasure of releasing.

You began as a singles subscription service – how has the model changed and adapted over the decade?

Yeah, that’s right , it started as a singles club / subscription service and it was a great way to introduce the label to the world. For the first Volume we had 10 split 7” records with a different artist on each side, 40 artists / songs, from some of the uniquely wonderful artists around in 2014.

Switching to a more album-led label become a necessity, the price of pressing vinyl, be that 7” or 12” has increased a lot over the last 10 years, whilst the price you can sell records for as an independent label hasn’t increased that much. And for me it wouldn’t feel right selling at too much of a high price. Blows my mind the price of some albums. Recently, I saw a new standard reissue of a Blur record for £59.99, shows that major labels don’t have a problem selling overpriced vinyl.

Sadly 7” records ain’t very cost effective to produce. I think in the format of the single club series it really worked, but if I was starting now I’m not sure I would do it in the same way. Saying that though I do really love the 7” format, it has been a brilliant gateway / introduction to music for me over the years – starting with buying Motorhead 7”s as an 8 year old with my pocket money.

The God Unknown lineup has always struck me as challenging and diverse, while forging and maintaining a certain identity; can you speak to that a little and also pick out any artists that stand out as, not necessarily favourites, but that you might not have expected to see on the label?

Thanks Mike. I never wanted to do a label that released a certain genre of music. I wanted to release music that I love, that really meant something. Something real. Hopefully that comes across in the music the label has released.

When I look at the back catalogue, I never even imaged in my wildest dreams that I would get to have worked with a lot of people on the label, like Monster Magnet, Matt Cameron from Soundgarden, Low, Scott McCloud from Girls Against Boys, Mark Lanegan and even Penny Rimbaud from Crass. All very important artists in my own musical journey. The thing about the music on God Unknown is that the artists aren’t people making music to make a career they are making music as a necessity, because they need to. That makes a big distinction.

Where should God Unknown converts begin to get to know its artists better?

Start at the latest and work backwards.

Your anniversary show is this weekend. But if people can’t get to that, are similar events going to tour? If not, which of your artists are currently (or soon to be) on the road?

The London anniversary show is going to be a huge celebration of the label, so it would be worth it if you can make it to London. No definite plans at the moment, but lots of ideas, there are always lots of ideas. One of my defining moments as a teenager was seeing the Rollercoaster Tour in Manchester. It was Jesus and Mary Chain, My Bloody Valentine, Dinosaur Jr and Blur touring together with alternate headlines each night. I’d love to do something like that with a few artists from the label. In the near future [Stoll's band] Sex Swing are touring,

For those considering embarking on a similar endeavour –  starting a label –  what would you say? Do you have any advice?

One important piece of advice for anyone starting an independent label is to remain true to your vision and practice patience. It’s crucial to release music that you truly believe in. Be ready for a lengthy journey – building a label requires time, persistence, and hard work. Surround yourself with a community of like-minded artists, collaborators, and supporters who share your vision.

Something that’s always struck me about God Unknown – aside from the artists themselves – is the attention to detail and quality of the label’s aesthetic. Do you have any particular favourite sleeve artwork over the decade of releases?

I love all singles club sleeves. I worked closely with my good friend and Liverpool Psych Fest / Ladytron / Forest Swords collaborator, Sam Wiehl, to give an identifiable uniformity to each Volume of the Singles Club. There were 4 volumes of the Singles Club, each with their own die cut sleeve and a different colour insert in each. Sam did a fantastic job designing them. Looking back now –  these were all hand packed 1200 7” records and inserts –  quite the task.

But there’s also been so many great album sleeve designs. A lot of time has been spent on them. Monster Magnet did an acid blotter design (above) of the Manson Family on the inner sleeve of their record, quite tongue in cheek, but also a reference to death of culture at the end of the 1960’s in America. Which is really what their early days were about; acid trips, Altamont and the dark side of the American dream. I’m happy to be a part of the push for keeping record sleeves as an art form and not a tiny digital image you see on streaming sites.

What’s next for God Unknown?

We are gonna aim for the next ten years. We’ve got quite an exciting year ahead with nearly a year of albums planned for 2025.

As told to Mike Pinnington

The God Unknown 10th Anniversary show takes place at Walthamstow Trades Hall, Saturday 5 October

Images, from top: Duke Garwood - Satin Warrior. Single cover painted by Garwood himself on a 20 meter canvas; Low / Domes - Split 7″ From Vol. 4 of God Unknown Records : Singles Club. Designed by Sam Wiehl. He designed each of the 4 volumes of the singles club, each uniquely different; Monster Magnet - Test Patterns LP Inner Sleeve. Also designed by John McBain; Home page lead image: Sex Swing - Golden Triangle LP Artwork by artist Alex Bunn