glok: pattern recognition

GLOK is the electronic alter ego of Andy Bell; best-known as the guitarist in venerated shoegazers Ride, alongside stints in other famous groups, with a noteworthy solo career too. His first album proper as GLOK -- Pattern Recognition -- is released via Ransom Note Records' sister label Bytes. Although usually renowned for purveying the finest quality jangle, drone and general guitar-based magic, Bell's foray into dance music should come as less of a surprise than immediately meets the eye. There are parallels between the genres within the sonically-deep layers, hypnotic sound and trance-like headspaces, or, as he puts it more succinctly: "GLOK is all about the push and pull between electronic and psych in my music." Although not a full-blown concept album, Pattern Recognition has a loose thread which takes in a week of life, from weekend to weekend, with each of the vinyl's four sides capturing different mindstates across that transition. Each side has a distinct feel that's different to the last but inherently cohesive -- much like the changes an individual goes through over seven days. Across the album with loving craft Andy weaves together throbbing dubbed-out acid, steamy jack trax, levitational psychedelia, sparkling Balearic, techno, Kosmische, shoegaze, art rock and Compass Point-style post punk -- with just a hint of ambient, new age and contemporary classical too. For fans of: Andy Bell, Ride, Andrew Weatherall, Death In Vegas, Daniel Avery, Pye Corner Audio, Underworld, The Lucid Dream. Features Shiarra, Shamon Cassette, Sinead O'Brien, and C.A.R..