Andy Bell's GLOK side project released a new album last week, eight versions of previously available songs played live in session for Electronic Sound. The album, Gateway Mechanics, is out at Bandcamp digitally and on bright yellow vinyl. He's on tour as GLOK at the moment. The versions on the live album are superb, the synths and guitars flying off over pre- recorded drums, Andy's cosmische/ motorik influences in full flow. This version of Dissident (from the first GLOK album of the same name, released in 2019) is twelve minutes of Michael Rother- esque guitars and pulsing sequencer lines, the fuzzbox seeing some action in the final few minutes.
As a bonus, a few weeks ago Andy and Masal put out a cover of Neu!'s Hallogallo, recorded at The Social in May this year, nine minutes of West German by way of Oxford bliss.
Andy Bell's album with Essex duo Masal is a thing of wonder, a four track album that floats in the spaces between ambient, shoegaze and astral jazz. The four instrumental pieces all have long titles- Murmuration Of Warm Dappled Light On Her Back After Swimming, The Slight Unease Of Seeing A Crescent Moon In A Blue Midday Sky, Tidal Love Conversation In That Familiar Golden Orchard and A Pyramid Hidden By Centuries Of Neon Green Undergrowth- inspired by Felt's long stream of consciousness song titles. The music on the opening track, Murmuration Of Warm Dappled Light On Her Back After Swimming, glides by slowly, drones, waves of sound, sporadic bursts of wandering psychedelic guitar, and on top a harp. Like lying back in a warm bath with the sun on your face, and gently drifting in and out of being awake/ half asleep.
Murmuration... is the longest track here too at nearly fifteen minutes long with the rest are all coming in between seven and ten minutes long. The album, Tidal Love Numbers, can be bought at Bandcamp although the CD and cassette versions are long since all sold out.
We spent last weekend on the western coast of northern England and the weekend just gone on the east coast, a few days in a caravan north of Hartlepool. The beach north of Hartlepool is dramatic and beautiful, a little wild and both unspoilt and post- industrial. The beach has coal mixed into the sand, the coal seam surfacing in the sea and lumps of coal and coal dust being washed up on the beach. The view above was taken on Monday evening at high tide, standing at the edge of the north sea looking out towards Europe at dusk. The one below was on Saturday morning, much bluer and brighter skies.
I love a beach with bits of the industrial past half buried in the sand, the tide wearing it away slightly more every day. The coast is good for the soul.
Two new songs for Tuesday. First is new from Andy Bell, a frequent visitor to these pages in solo form, as GLOK and as a member of Ride. He has recorded a four track with Masal, out in May, with the first track from it being available to listen to and buy now. Tidal Love Conversation In That Familiar Golden Orchard is described at Bandcamp as 'ambient, astral jazz' and that fits perfectly. Andy's wandering, cosmische guitar lines are underpinned by brushed drums, analogue synths and harp, a light, floating psychedelic exploration.
Also out last Friday is the latest from Pye Corner Audio, who has previously worked with Andy, remixing six songs from The View From Halfway Down, with Andy returning the favour by playing guitar on last year's Let's Emerge album. The new Pye Corner Audio track, Seen From Above, is at Bandcamp (a pay what you want deal) and is a return to the darker, dystopic sounds he's known for with a kick drum and hi hat adding some propulsion to the menace. Dark techno, the flipside to Andy and Masal's Tidal Love.
