Monday's Long Song

Nothing has been posted here by Andy Bell for several years, and it's time to change that. 2019 saw the debut Andy Bell under his moniker GLOK, Dissident. It was an album I played often at this time because I was impressed by it's sound. Inspired by krautrock and house Bell layered guitars and synths on top of each other, letting them flow from the speakers in seemingly endless waves. It’s all so understated, and every note is perfectly placed. The songs have a hypnotic quality that draws you right into them. Yeah, it sounds corny, but I still love this album.

GLOK - Pulsing

Alliance

 

As almost every year, Andy Bell presents us with a new album and a new collaboration. This time it's Timothy Clerkin, a record boss and producer who reworked a GLOK song years ago. The two allegedly first met at Andrew Weatherall's funeral and have stayed in touch ever since.

It was to be expected that an album would come out that once again shows the spectrum that Andy Bell can integrate into his music. From a tribute to Spacemen 3 and Spiritualized on The Witching Hour with fuzzbox and an acid-house-rock, this song stands out.

At the same time, he managed to record another hypnotic track on Empyrean, reminiscent of an Andrew Weatherall remix with its slow but constantly driving structure, ethereal voice and electronic modulations. An album that offers plenty of room for new discoveries even after repeated listens.

Empyrean

 

In Germany, you can buy a monthly rail ticket for 49 euros, which allows you to use regional trains without limit during this period. As I can also travel to Salzburg, Austria, with this ticket, I decided at the beginning of this week to spend what might be the last sunny days there. The fact that it is tedious and slow to get to my destination this way with several changes is one side of the coin, the other makes it possible to travel in comfort.

Salzburg lies at the foot of the Eastern Alps and impresses with its historic city center and buildings from the Middle Ages and the Baroque period, as well as the Hohensalzburg Fortress.

After a day of sightseeing, I treated myself to a beer in a pub in a neighbourhood that is mainly frequented by students. To my surprise, I realized that the music selection was pretty much the latest music from local and international bands. 

This is where I listened for the first time to the new song by GLOK. It is from the upcoming album showing the collaboration with Andy Bell and Timothy Clerkin a London based DJ. It is a seven minute downtempo song built on drone guitars and sprinkled synth melodies. 

2023 - This Year In Music Part III

 

It was conceivable that Reset, the last year record by Sonic Boom and Panda Bear will be remixed. But I didn't expected that Adrian Sherwood will be at the controllers to create a dub version of this album. The original was a favorite of mine last year and this dub album was a steady companion to me during the summer.

No year without anything new by Andy Bell. Earlier this year he released Tidal Love Numbers, a good collaboration with Essex-based duo Masal to explore some ambient jazz roots to release Gateway Mechanics a live experiment by GLOK in September this year. This record shows everything I like from him: dubbed-out acid, psychedelica, a bit of Balearic and ambient. Wish I could see him live one day.

Since Craven Faults released their first album in 2020 I was fascinated by their music. Not only because you can classify them easily. I enjoy their hypnotic sound made only with a few drum snippets and putting an electronic coat over them. Of course it is another music to drift away but if it is made like on Severals, I will walk this road with them.

This Is The Kit is the alias of British singer/songwriter Kate Staples. Her latest album Careful Of Your Keepers was a surprise and a delight. I seldom heard a new great voice like her during the last years. One of the best new artists for me.

Another album that made fun for a while was Zuma 85 by California based Allah-Las. With songs between Velvets, glam and vocoder their songs work well. Not the big thing but a band you get from what you expect.

Monday's Long Song

 Another long song Monday with a new release by Andy Bell/GLOK. I really don't want to get on someone's nerves featuring this artist but his output is always on a high level and I still can't get enough of it. This live experience is the result of a session by Norwich's Electronic Sound magazine where he was invited to rework songs from Dissident and Pattern Recognition. Most of these songs were played often at my place and it is great to see what Bell can do with these songs. He lifted these songs into another dimension while he was using a feedbacked, psychedelic guitar. Surely another album for a years end list.

Unchanged

The first half of the year is over and I got a few days off work. Later this afternoon we will fly to Brittany, France to visit a few good friends for almost a week. I am so happy to see some different places and cultures instead of a desk full of work. At the end of last month Dot Allison released a remix by GLOK/Andy Bell. It is a collaboration I waited a long time for and for me a highlight this year. Dot's volatile woice meet guitar, loops and feedback. Kind of magic.

Dirty Hugs

 

Yesterday a few remixes of songs from GLOK's album Pattern Recognition were released and all of them were fantastic. Regular visitors of this pages will know that I am a fan of Andy Bell and I featured his work and remixes during the last years. Richard Sen's remix of Dirty Hugs shows another time how great Bell's song were. As he did a great work on his version of Dissident he didn't disappoint the second time. He took the original 20 minutes long song and added a hypnotic krautrock inspired groove to Bell's guitar licks. A perfect start into the weekend.

Damascene

 

Another superb remix by GLOK was released a few days ago. Damascene is originally just another good ballad by Do No Harm, a band to be frankly I've never heard before. Any Bell succeeds again to remix a good song to an excellent song. A perfect start into the weekend.

Star

 

Sometimes a song comes unexpected and stays for days and probably will become a high position in my years end list. On the last days of last month A Mountain Of One a British band that is typically filed under psychedelic and prog rock. Now they released wit Star their now song. It was released with various remixes and the one by GLOK is certainly the best. A dubby journey into another space. More versions and the original could be found here

Albums Of The Year

 

As every year I compile a list of albums that was on on heavy rotation this year on my turntable, inspired me in any way or made me feel familiar with the music. I started a few weeks ago to collect a list and I couldn't decide which one doesn't make it on the final list of ten albums. For this reason fantastic albums by Daniel Avery, The Orb, Four Tet, Whyte Horses, SAULT, Kanaan or Little Barrie & Malcom Catto doesn't appear on the final list but are highly recommended. So here are ten albums without valuation.

Sonic Boom - All Things Being Equal: In the middle of the year former Spacemen 3 Pete Kember aka Sonic Boom released an album that has everything I expected from him. From spaced pop songs to Phil 

Spector's wall of sound and everything in between is assembled on this beautiful album.

Michael Rother - Dreaming: After 16 years Michael Rother, one of the best living fossils from the golden krautrock days released a new album. From the first chords you realize that this guitar only could be played by the former member of Kraftwerk, Neu! and Harmonia. Timeless guitar phrases like played on his first album make a perfect combination with the voice of Sophie Joiner. Probably on of those albums that will be overlooked.

Waxahatchee - Saint Cloud: Katie Crutchfield released as Waxahatchee an album that could be filled under Americana but it is much more. Her voice, some big guitars, well-honed noise and battering sounds makes her different to many other singer-songwriters in these days and sometimes helped me making some days better this year. 

Glok - Dissident Remixed: Last year one of the best albums and this year the remixes were played on heavy rotation when they were released. Andy Bell gave the tracks to some well known mates to develop the originals. Together they made their owns visions of the source material, delving into ambient techno, psychedelic acid disco, krautrock and beyond.

Rose City Bank - Summerlong: It seems like Ripley Johnson can't make any mistake in music. Either as Wooden Shjips or Moon Duo. Also laid back California psychedelic sounds are close to him. It is every time a pleasure listening to his beautiful guitar lines. A second album that has the same quality as the first. 

Bob Mould - Blue Hearts: Every album by ex-member of Hüsker Dü Bob Mould is a good one. But this is maybe the best he recorded during  the last years. He returns as an angry man shouting out what is going wrong in days like these. With the fury of Hüsker Dü he made the best songs since a long time.

Julian Cope - Self Civil War: This album is one of them I came back often this year. Not just because it shows how great Cope is. Returning after years on high level with 13 songs between his interpretation of rock music and krautrock added with orchestra and ballads. A weird bastard of an album but I love it. 

 The Long Champs - Straight To Audio: Welsh producer Lloyd Jones and his latest album was one of the discoveries I made this year. A collection of compositions that range from dancefloor to after hours drifting always with an upbeat mood and sinister soundscapes. This was a record that made the strange days of lockdown more brighter.

Richard Norris - Elements: The idea of making an album about earth, fire, water, air and space is probably not the first one ever but for me the best realization I heard. Far away from any cliché of modern music he invites us to a trip into ambient and space. An album that grew with every time I listened to. 

Andy Bell - A View From Half Way Down: This album arrived in late autumn and I played it often since then. I like the perfect mixture of his warm interpretation of neo-psychedelia combined with shoegaze and dream-pop. For me the blueprint how an album should sound in 2020.

Velvet Dessert Music: Finally a compilation that was worth to be named in a year-end-list. Cologne's Kompakt-label released in spring a compilation of electronic variations of electronic sounds. The common sense of all is a new interpretation of dessert sounds. Sometimes it sounds like Ennio Morricone in a psychedelic style, sometimes like a downtempo variation of krautrock with psychedelia but always worth to come back to.

Solitary

This is a song that could appear in our Monday's series of long songs and I found it while I was searching for something totally different. Franz Kirmann is a French producer and composer now living in London making records since more than 10 years. I have to admit that I never heard anything from him before but Solitary remixed by GLOK's Andy Bell is one of those compositions that touched me from the beginning. Someone said about this song it is 'a fascinating blend of electronic and organic tones. Immersive, expansive and hauting' . And it describes it well. A good start into weekend.
 

2019 Songs

Yesterday was the last day working in my office. When you will read this words I am on the way to Sri Lanka again like every year to recreate from all the horrible stress I had during the last months. Before I left I took a look back what happened in music during the last year and I have to say that very good music came to my ears this year. It is difficult to order the songs I listened often in a row so here are this songs that enjoyed me several times I listened to them. And if I will find the time and the mood in the next weeks probably I will write about the albums that inspired me this year. I wish  all of you joyful days, a great Christmas time and a wonderful start into the new year. Take care all. See you next year.

Dissident

Dissident is the title track from the new album by GLOK, the project of Ride's guitarist Andy Bell and it is a record I listened often during the last days. Adam featured the leading track a few weeks ago and since then I couldn't resist to set this song on my heavy rotation mix. This song is an almost 20 minutes long monster of cosmic and krautrock influenced sounds with pulsing beats, warm synths and sporadic guitar breaks.

Enjoy and have a great Sunday