by François Couture 　　The duo Glider came to life in 1999 as a mail-only project, so to speak. Their first full-length album, With Ocean Between, came out in July 2001. 　　 　　Gavin Baker, a guitarist based in London, England, and leader of the group Billy Mahonie, and Pascal Asselin, drummer for the Quebec instrumental outfit Below the Sea, were introduced to one another via e-mail by a mutual friend. Aware of each other's music, they decided to form a duo, even though they were split across the Atlantic. Asselin recorded a bunch of drum tracks, to which Baker added the guitars. A first single, Glider Songs, was released on Johnny Kane Records in July 2000 (at which time the drummer flew to London, the first time both members of Glider stood in the same room), followed by a second one, They Call Themselves Glider, on Bearos Records, in January 2001. Their laid-back, simple instrumental tunes gathered good reviews from the alternative/post-rock press and even got some exposure on John Peel's radio show. The complete album came out in mid-2001, but was not backed by any live concerts, both musicians being on tour with their respective bands.