"Before entering a period of rest, Noel's first move was to record his instrumental composition 'Teotihaucan' for the X Files film. It was his first solo effort, using samples and a recurring piano riff to create effective, brooding music. At the time he called it 'the best thing I've ever done'."

In the summer, after avidly watching the World Cup, Noel began writing a new batch of songs. They had titles such as 'Gas Panic,' 'Cigarettes In Hell' and 'Revolution Song'. Every so often, he, along with allies such as Coyley or Strangeboy, would enter a studio and record his work to date. Noel, as far as I could hear, had chosen not to rely on the songs he already had but to create entirely new music. The other members, in turn, had also been productive. Guigsy set up his own home studio and began creating dub-influenced music. *

Liam and Bonehead also wrote songs, Liam in particular finishing off a maddeningly catchy tune called 'Little James', which he would sing 200 times to anyone who would sit near him. Even Alan White, when spotted once in public, talked of 'a symphony in my head I'd like to get down'. All of them had invested in home studios. Touring, it seemed, had activated all their creative buttons.