Various Artists - Sand from Water

All Music Guide

Glider's first album, With Ocean Between, did well enough in post-rock circles to prompt a remix project. Friends of Quebecer Pascal Asselin and Londoner Gavin Baker reworked tracks from the album, sometimes quite extensively. For once, the collective effort tops the original outing. Not that With Ocean Between was a bad CD, but the diversity of approaches and the sheer quality of the contributions make Sand From Water a standout remix album. And the term "remix" must be used very loosely, as in some cases the pieces are reinterpretations in their own right. Take the rereading Micro:Mega's Sylvain Chauveau makes of "L'Égalité des Hommes Devant la Mort." He completely rearranged it, getting rid of the guitar and drums in favor of light piano and violin, giving it a completely different feel, although still respecting the spirit of it. Below the Sea (one of Asselin's other projects), Galerie Stratique, and Terminus B all deliver thoughtful remixes, but Yellow6 tops them all with their li...terally aquatic "Rivière Beauport (Almost Groove)." The other contributing artists are Couch, Rothko, Ativin, and 1-Speed Bike. Just so one can be reminded how far they have strayed from Glider's "real" sound, the CD ends with two new pieces, "Un Couple Affreux" and "After the Fight." The album holds together, thanks to its shoegazing mood and the meeting between rock and electronics that provides its main thread. Recommended. - François Couture, All Music Guide Read more Less