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This month’s premium compilation of electronic productions is Global Glitch Vol. II. The album comes to us from Bay Area producer/taste maker and Street Ritual label head, spacegeishA. It is Street Ritual’s 100th release since the label’s inception in 2008. The compilation showcases a group of talented underground glitch hop and bass artists from North America and across the Atlantic, including producers beatfarmer, CALMA DUB, CloZee, DRRTYWULVZ, Echo&Tito (TRIBONE Remix), Ecometric, Floating Anarchy, Halfred, Johny Pablo, K.L.O, Matt Pleztrom, Secret Recipe and Sixis.
The genre itself has come a long way since its introduction in German underground clubs in the 1990s, with its humble start in establishing its own aesthetic of malfunctioning sounds and incorporated samples, beats, and ambient synthesizers (see also: Oval’s 1993 watershed glitch album Wohnton). With several evolutions through the ears of proceeding generations, it has begun to take on a variety of musical influences, notably from hip hop, funkadelic, and early drum and bass. These changes have led to major advances in defining the genres of grime, but most importantly in the underground bass works that continue to spark creativity and explore new auditory ground.
This 14 track compilation is a collection of glitchy bass lines, distorted vocals and atmospheric sounds, with a beautiful blend of organic layers and deviant synths. An example of a perfect combination of the organic and the electronic is Clozee’s “Arena”, a personal favorite from the album. It includes Asian string arrangements and choir samples, clapping beats paired with polyrhythmns, and steady and sweeping synths. It’s incredibly catchy and keeps me on the edge of my seat. It reminds me of a more complex, entertaining version of Bonobo’s “Kiara.”
The hip hop samples in Floating Anarchy’s “Welcome to the D Next Level” are also a fresh visitation to the fusion of hip hop and glitch. The West Coast/East Coast rap samples from LA’s Tha Alkaholiks and East Coast mafioso rap king Notorious B.I.G. tie in with the wobble bass and glitchy samples for the ultimate glitch-hop fusion.
Diverse tempo buildups and lush song progressions combine with a unique take on glitch fusion, which makes Global Glitch Vol. II a successful representation of the growing underground glitch hop/bass scene. Although the label has begun to branch out into more psy-bass and IDM releases lately, it’s safe to say that Street Ritual’s next 100 releases will continue to include those innovating and pushing glitch to its next progression.