Glider is the first full-length album by American ambient techno musician The Sight Below, released on November 11, 2008 by Ghostly International. It was released worldwide in January 2009 with a bonus track, only available at the label's digital store. The album was recorded live in Seattle during the winter of 2007-2008 and focuses on manipulated electric guitar sounds, equally influenced by shoegazing, ambient techno, and 4AD's early catalog.
| Glider | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | November 11, 2008 | |||
| Recorded | 2007–2008, Seattle, Washington, United States | |||
| Genre | Ambient techno, shoegazing | |||
| Length | 49:08 | |||
| Label | Ghostly International | |||
| Producer | The Sight Below | |||
| The Sight Below chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |   [1] |
| The A.V. Club | (B)[2] |
| DOA | (very positive)[3] |
| Foxy Digitalis |   [4] |
| Pitchfork Media | (6.8/10)[5] |
| PopMatters | [6] |
| RA |  [7] |
| Tiny Mix Tapes | [8] |
According to several interviews, The Sight Below didn't use any synthesizers on Glider.[9] The ambient drones and soundscapes on the album were created by performing with a viola bow or light pick and running guitars through a chain of reverb, delays, and looping effects, with a stronger emphasis on textures and subliminal rhythmic patterns.
The album was very well received by the press and music community, including praise from Radiohead's Thom Yorke, who charted "At First Touch" on his January 6, 2009 "Office Chart" posting on the band's website Dead Air Space.[10]
Glider shares its title with a 1990 My Bloody Valentine EP, an influence on The Sight Below's music.
Glider's desolated artwork imagery was created and designed by graphic artist Michael Cina. The inner sleeve contains a quote from Albert Camus. In an interview with Seattle's The Stranger newspaper, The Sight Below stated being influenced by Camus' work as a teenager.[11]
Track listing
edit- "At First Touch" – 4:53
- "Dour" – 4:54
- "Without Motion" – 4:38
- "Life's Fading Light" – 5:46
- "Further Away" – 6:00
- "The Sunset Passage" – 3:49
- "Already There" – 5:44
- "A Fractured Smile" – 5:09
- "Nowhere" – 8:19
- "Feeling Lost Forever" (Digital-only bonus track)
Personnel
edit- The Sight Below – Production, mixing, guitar, laptop
- Michael Cina – Artwork design
- Stefan Betke – Mastering
References
edit- ^ Andy Kellman. "Glider". Allmusic. Retrieved 2012-03-29.
- ^ Matos, Michaelangelo (2008-11-10). "The Sight Below: Glider". The A.V. Club. Archived from the original on January 29, 2009. Retrieved 2012-02-18.
- ^ "The Sight Below – Glider/No Place For Us EP : DOA". Adequacy.net. 2008-11-13. Archived from the original on 2012-03-22. Retrieved 2012-02-18.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link) - ^ Paul Simpson (2009-02-12). "The Sight Below "Glider"". Foxy Digitalis. Archived from the original on 2012-02-26. Retrieved 2012-02-18.
- ^ Brian Howe (2009-03-05). "The Sight Below: Glider". Pitchfork Media. Retrieved 2012-03-29.
- ^ Dominic Umile (2008-12-03). "The Sight Below: Glider". PopMatters. Archived from the original on 2012-06-07. Retrieved 2012-03-29.
- ^ Derek Miller (2008-11-17). "The Sight Below - Glider (Album)". Resident Adviser. Archived from the original on 2012-12-10. Retrieved 2012-02-18.
- ^ Lukas Suveg. "The Sight Below - Glider". Tiny Mix Tapes. Archived from the original on 2019-01-29. Retrieved 2012-02-18.
- ^ "// Cuemix Magazine //". // Cuemix Magazine //. Archived from the original on 2012-02-25. Retrieved 2012-02-18.
- ^ "Office chart for South America - RADIOHEAD | Dead Air Space". Radiohead. 2008-03-10. Archived from the original on 2010-11-20. Retrieved 2012-02-18.
- ^ "High on the Down Low by Dave Segal - Seattle Music - The Stranger, Seattle's Only Newspaper". Thestranger.com. Archived from the original on 2011-08-06. Retrieved 2012-02-18.
External links
edit- Ghostly International release page for Glider Archived 2010-01-03 at the Wayback Machine