Tag Archive: Andy Bell


Common Primitives is the second collaborative album between Andy Bell (Ride guitarist, Oasis bassist) and Essex-based harp and synth duo Masal. It’s a stunning, meditative collection which veers from kosmische to astral jazz by way of Turkish folk tunes and all the way back again.
Their first outing, 2023’s acclaimed Tidal Love Numbers, consisted of four lengthy and almost ambient tracks and is included here on vinyl for the first time as part of a two-record set with the new album. By contrast, the seven tracks that make up Common Primitives are almost concise, but also a lot more layered and complex.
“We tend to work from initial, free-jammed ideas, building form and arrangement from there,” explains Masal’s Al Johnson.

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…with 4 bonus Dave Audé extended mixes, unreleased on any physical formats.
An Andy Bell solo album has always felt slightly jarring in the past. When your voice is so inextricably linked with Erasure, one of the biggest synth-pop bands of recent times, it’s hard to readjust to a solo performance. It’s like Neil Tennant singing away with no sign of a grumpy-looking bloke in a baseball cap lurking next to him.
However, the main issue with Bell’s solo ventures so far have been that the songs aren’t as strong as anything Vince Clarke could come up with. To resolve this on Ten Crowns, Bell has linked up with another award wining producer, LA based Dave Aude – whose presence seems to have revitalised the singer.

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