Strange Loops & Outer Psyche

『FLICKER』の中で最も人気のある曲であり、その原案は90年代まで遡る"SOMETHING LIKE LOVE"、OASISのツアー中に書いたという"WORLD OF ECHO"、DAVID HOLMES、MAPS、RICHARD NORRIS、そしてbdrmmによる『FLICKER』収録曲のREMIX /REWORKヴァージョン、そしてYOKO ONO"LISTEN, THE SNOW IS FALLING"、PENTANGLE"LIGHT FLIGHT"、THEKINKS"THE WAY LOVE USED TO BE"、そしてARTHUR RUSSELL"OUR LAST NIGHT TOGETHER"など、『FLICKER』に影響を与えた楽曲カヴァーを収録。
今回リリースされるCDには、オリジナルの限定盤には収録されていなかった4曲も収録されています。

Rides Andy Bell was in peak form on Flicker, his 2022 album and sophomore solo effort. The songs on Flicker drew from various corners of his rich songwriting profile, and offered expressions of his guitar-centric style that ranged from droning and heavy space dirges to jangly shoegazing pop on par with the best of his early-90s output with Ride. Flicker was an artistic triumph, and it proved to be a gift that kept on giving, as in the months following its release Bell produced three EPs with remixes, acoustic versions, and other Flicker-related asides. Strange Loops & Outer Psyche collects these EPs, offering a comprehensive look at the bonus material connected to his larger statement. The three EPs gathered here are I Am a Strange Loop, a collection of Bell songs remixed by Claude Cooper, Maps, bdrmm, and others; Untitled Film Stills, which included four acoustic cover songs; and The Grounding Process, another acoustic release but with stripped-down versions of Bells own tunes from Flicker. Instead of the original running order, Strange Loops & Outer Psyche intersperses remixes and acoustic songs in a new track listing, creating an album-like flow. The set drifts from David Holmes airy, downtempo remix of "The Sky Without You" into light and ambient covers of Arthur Russell and the Kinks, mixing up the colorful electronic interpretations with more plainspoken acoustic arrangements. This running order highlights the contrasts that can happen within different versions of the same song. In particular, A Place to Bury Strangers overblown assault on their remix/reconstruction of "World of Echo" sounds like a completely different song compared to Bells acoustic rendering. Richard Norris dizzying remix of Flicker standout track "Something Like Love" (appearing here as both an instrumental and in a version with the vocals processed into infinity) is a little closer to Bells solo version, but the counterpoint illuminates how strong the songwriting is and how many different ways a single idea can be developed. A sweetly smiling cover of Yoko Onos "Listen, The Snow Is Falling" ranks with Galaxie 500s near-perfect take on the same song, and moments like bdrmms dreamy remix of "Way of the World" break up some of the sleepiness of multiple mellow songs in succession. Anyone moved by Flicker will appreciate the bounty of additional material offered by Strange Loops & Outer Psyche, which acts as the sonic equivalent of directors commentary and deleted scenes for some of Bells best work. ~ Fred Thomas