Badass line-up for RAWKMusic's New Year's Eve Party at Marrs Bar in Worcester tonight, with Orangudan, It Takes Two To Tango and Niiko bringing the bass! Read our review if the first RAWK Music here and grab your tickets for tonight here. Happy New Year glitches!
Krossbow smashed it at Whomp last night, with this new remix of Olux & Teknizim's eastern infused beast sounding bagning through the Funktion 1
We're loving the full set of remixes which see FarfetchD collab with Crazy Daylight, plus tasty cuts from Tantric Decks and Andy Malex 2.0. It's out now on Empathy Recordings.
As 2012 comes to a close, it's time to celebrate the very best skipping, tripping and beeping glitch hop bass sounds of our first year.
You'll have heard most of these tracks and artists on the weekly UK Glitch Hop radio show that we've been hosting on Glitch.FM since March. If there any any you've not discovered yet, we hope that these nominations will lead you to some amazing new music!
MASSIVE THANK YOU TO ALL THE ARTISTS, LABELS, PROMOTERS AND HEADS WHO'VE MADE 2012 THE MOST AWESOME YEAR OF GLITCH TO DATE!!!
*UPDATE*
The awards night will be Friday 15 February at Juno, London.
Akira Kiteshi - Snaggletooth
Beat3 - Get the Cash
Culprate & Maksim - Nightmares in reality
Dephicit - Gutter Fruit
Ford - One Day
It Takes To to Tango - Keep it Fresh
Koan Sound - Sly Fox
Kursa - Bonnibelle
Maksim & Retrospect ft. Captain Crunch - The Funk
MakO - This is my funky song
Pistol Shrimp - Gravity
SixAM - Bad Mother
Spenghead - Romancing the Colossal Squid
Tipper – Spunion
VENT.vs. Crush - Smack
William Breakspear vs. Mouldy Soul - Mash Up the Scene
2. Best Remix (UK artist)
Blunt Instrument - The Pocket (Krossbow remix)
Busta Rhymes - Woo Ha (Beat 3 remix)
Dead Prez - Hip Hop (Terrorbyte Glitch Hop bootleg)
Ill.Esha - Blazed (Standard & Push remix)
Ill.Gates - Live and Learn (Zen Death Squad remix)
K+Lab & Funkadunk Monk - McFly was a raver (William Breakspear remix)
Kry Talk - Bend it (Dephicit remix)
Mustard Tiger - Spell On (Mouldy Soul remix)
Sedge Warbler - Octopus Lover (SixAM remix)
Spenghead - Romancing the Colossal Squid (Shamanic Technology remix)
3. Best EP (UK)
Culprate - Nightmares in Reality
Dephicit - Gutter Fruit
Ford - Break Sound
Koan Sound - The Adventures of Mr Fox
Krossbow - Konnect4
Kursa - Machinate
Mouldy Soul - The Harangu
Tipper - Puzzle Dust
William Breakspear - The Royal Breakspear Company
Spenghead - The Cephalopod
4. Best Album (UK)
Akira Kiteshi - Industrial Avenue
Slugabed - Time Team
Reso - Tangram
Two Fingers - Stunt Rhythms
William Breakspear - Bardcore
5. Best Producer (UK)
Akira Kiteshi
Culprate
Koan Sound
Mouldy Soul
Tipper
Two Fingers
VENT
William Breakspear
6. Best newcomer (UK)
Dephicit
Ford
It Takes Two To Tango
Krossbow
Kursa
Pistol Shrimp
Shamanic Technology
Skope
Spenghead
Triptych
7. Best Glitch Hop Label (UK)
Colony Productions
Donky Pitch
Inceptions Records
Inspected Records
Jump Music
Ninja Tune
Planet Mu
Riddim Fruit
Skanky Panky Records
Wonk#ay Records
8. Best live act
Akira Kiteshi
Beat3
Culprate & Maksim
Koan Sound
Krossbow
Mouldy Soul
Slugabed
VENT
William Breakspear
Zen Death Squad
9. Best DJ
DJ Frear
Itchy & Scratchy DJs
Mike Wallis
Morbidly Obese Midget
Orangudan
SixAM
DJ Switch
William Breakspear
Your Niece
10. Best Night (UK)
Beta Birmingham
Badger's Nuts
Rawk Music
Uppercut / The Meteor / The Drop
Whomp
UK Glitch Hop Awards nominations (international)
1. Best Track (international)
AMB - Damn Hot
Habstrack - Get Funky
KTheory & Blunt Instrument - The Observer
MC2 - Beat Em Up
Lucky Htz - Glitch Hoppi
Opiuo - Fizz Tickler
Mr Bill - Cerebellum Serenade
Myselor - Neurolife
PLAYMA - Speaker Licker
2. Best Remix (international)
AMB - Bangers and Mash (Goosebumpz remix)
Mr Bill - Router (Circuit Bent remix)
Adina Howard - Freak (Intelepaths remix)
Beastie Boys - Intergalactic (Psymbionic remix)
Crazy Daylight - Shake it up (AMB remix)
Dr Dre - Next Episode (Staunch remix)
K+Lab - Need To Know (Blunt Instrument Remix)
K Theory - Good & Gone
Kimbra - Come into my head (Opiuo remix)
Ill.gates, Opiuo + Vent - Trillogy (Spoonbill remix)
Ionik - Set Your Heart Free (REG Remix)
Infected Mushroom - UR So Fucked (Opiuo remix)
Mr Bill - Cerebellum Seranade (ionik remix)
3. Best EP (international)
Andy Malex 2.0 - Love Doctor
Bran Richards - The Collaborations
He.Robust - Screw Loose
Ionik - Sexy Shapes / Remixes
Ill.esha - Imaginary Friends
Jobot - Until Tender
KTheory - Welcome to KTheory
Opiuo - Butternut Slap Vol.1
Myselor - Neurolife
Spoonbill - Astro Archipelago
Stephan Jacobs - Mad Era + In The Vortex Remixes
VibeSquad - Orphan Alien
4. Best Album (international)
Eprom - Metahuman
Flying Lotus - Until The Quiet Comes
Freddy Todd - Sick In The City, Alive In The Woods
Griz - Mad Liberation
Kalya Scintilla - Dance of the Spiral Never Ending
JPod - Halfsteppin
Mr.Bill - Focus
Stephan Jacobs - Stephan Jacobs
5. Best Producer (International)
AMB
Amon Tobin / Two Fingers
Bran Richards / Gruff
Dank
Die Antwoord
Eprom
Freddy Todd
HeRobust
ill-esha
ill.gates
Jpod the beat chef
K+Lab
Knight Riderz
MC2
Opiou
Mr Bill
Mustard Tiger
Spoonbill
Stephan Jacobs
The Glitch Mob
6. Best Newcomer (International)
Andy Malex 2.0
Angus Green
BarryKoota
Circuit Bent
Goosebumpz
JoBot
KTheory
kLL sMTH
Lucky Hz
Msyelor
Staunch
Teknian
TNGHT
7. Best Label (International)
Addictech
Adapted Records
Caliber Music
Chateaux Bruyant
Enig'matik Records
Empathy Records
Gravitas Recordings
Gruntworthy
Headtron
OWSLA
Muti Music
Robox: Neotech
Simplify Recordings
Swing Set Sounds
The Pooty Club Records
8. Best live international act to play the UK in 2012
One half of Critical Cuts and a regular at Riddim Fruit nights in Exeter, James Stafford aka. Dephicit's been plugging glitch in the South West like a trooper for years. This debut EP for Adapted Records sees him really come into his own as a producer though, with plenty of crisp licks and skanks filling the fresh space that he's opened up around his trademark deep funk wobble. It all layers together beautifully building into an irresistible rolling bounce in Gutter Fruit, while the Kry Talk remix is just pure, sweet ear nectar. Mouldy Soul's remix takes a light touch that really compliment's the original track, whereas Mustard Tiger pumps the funk by introducing slap bass into the mix (of course). The cover art (a digital mushroom garden spacescape) by Point Zero One Productions is as gorgeous as the music. Essential release!
You can read our interview with Dephicit and download his Glitch.FM mixtape here.
Keep your ears peeled for more tunes on Riddim Fruit in the near future!
Christmas gives people licence to do stupid shit like cover their houses in inflatable Santas, get pissed with family, eat turkey and release novelty records. In keeping with this fine tradition...
William Breakspear's gifted one of the best ever Christmas glitch mixtapes to Radio Eject (promo for Ejecto's clothing), with Dogspocket providing the decorations...
...and been mashing up the Xmas pudding with Mouldy Soul...
...who's been rolling in tinsel with his kecks down...
Mouldy Soul's The Harangu EP is released today on Beatport and Addictech through Adapted Records, or you can just name your price / pay by email at Bandcamp. We love Dragon Crunk and there's even a hype-dubstep piss-take, Slanted Master.
The Mouldy one will be touring his wibbly-wobbling-wangling-awesomeness to Australia in the new year, watch this space for details...
Koan Sound homecoming, Opiuo back in the UK... need we say more? This is already looking like one of the events of 2013 and there's still more acts to come. Tickets go on sale this Friday - keep an eye on Koan Sound's Facewaste page for details and get on it damn quick!
The second installment of Conscious Movement sees the Beta Birmingham lads hit the Croft in Bristol this Friday 7 December. Terrorbyte, Automaton and 3xDMC world champion DJ Switch bringing the glitch bounce alongside live funk band the Boom Operators and a whole loada reggae and Brazilian beats.
The first Whomp in October has already become a thing of legend, with Opiuo blowing the building off the basement of PlanB in Brixton for his first ever London show (read our review here).
Tickets are now on sale for the second edition on 28 December and likely to sell out quick with headliners Reso plus UK Glitch Hop favourites Vent, Krossbow, William Breakspear of Skanky Panky, Tryptich, Mike Wallis of Colony Productions and Lumo completing the bill. Should be a gone one to work off all that turkey and cheese....
Opiuo (Copyright: watchlooksee)
International glitch heads will know of Reso from his remix of Koan Sound's80s Fitness, while his debut album Tangram came out on Civil Music last month. As you can hear from the clip below, like label-mate Om Unit he inhabits a liminal space of bass that nods between house, twostep, future hop and mid tempo without ever being too tied down.
So today's been branded Cyber Monday in the retail trade - the day that everyone buys their gifts online for a certain winter festival because they've just been paid. Now we're not suggesting that you follow the crowd, but with two long awaited mid-tempo EPs released today - Skope's Razor Beam on Adapted Records and Tryptich's Twister / Eucalyptus on Colony Productions - perhaps now IS this time to treat yourself to some early pressies...
Founder of top midlands glitch-hop night Beta Birmingham, Terrorbyte hosts a Glitch.FM show with Automaton (this Wednesday 5 December 10pm-12am) and is just about to launch a new project, Beta Test...
Please introduce yourself....
I'm Harley Davies aka Terrorbyte hailing from Birmingham UK and architect of Beta Birmingham and the forthcoming Beta Test Records.
How would you describe your particular style of bass music?
That's always a difficult one as I hate to pigeon hole myself. Hybrid bass with a heavy dose of electro infused Hip Hop? In the past I've tried to experiment quite a bit so I've made anything from robot electro to ragga and breakcore. I like future b-boy music [thanks Andy Jaggers].
What equipment / software do you use?
I use fruity loops with a midi keyboard and my mpd32 for most of the beat making then switch it to Ableton for edits and glitches and master everything using Cubase and my TL Ivory valve compressor. Reaktor, Fm8, Massive, Predator, Albino soft synths. I have an Ensonique dp2 also which is truly shocking. I'm looking at maybe going analog and getting either a Moog Minataur or a Mini Brute as they look outstanding. Got a bit of synth love there, need to stop dribbling on my keyboard.
What first turned you onto bass / glitch / lazer music? Any particular artists or tracks?
Through a few avenues really. The early Warp, Ninja Tune, Detroit Underground and Rephlex stuff were definitely a big influence in getting me into Electronica and experimental electronics in general. It was Prefuse 73's One Word Extinguisher album and Forss' Soulhack that really stand out.
I worked engineering at a funk and jazz bar for 5 years and that introduced me to all kinds of sounds [shout outs to the Yardbird!]. I'd occasionally DJ there in between engineering the bands and that introduced me to funked up glitch breaks from the likes of Sticky Buds, Featurecast, and Shepdog. We had some amazing gigs there, working with such a high calibre musicians taught me loads about production. The UK B boy champs regularly throw down there too which made for a wicked atmosphere. We made a video for them actually, definitely worth a look!
Production wise, until recently I was always more into producing Electronica, Breakcore, Techno and Electro but I ended up playing a gig supporting Edit from The Glitch Mob and that was an epiphany. It's funny now as I had no idea who he was at the time. I was playing a boom bass electro set but after hearing the stuff he was playing I was hooked. That introduced me to the likes of kraddy, Boreta, Deweyb, Ill esha, Bassnecter and Breakbeat Buddha and there was no looking back really. At that point there wasn't much in the way of glitch hop in the UK and it's been amazing to see how the sound has progressed and how many people are switching up over the last few years.
I found Colony Productions after playing a gig with Point B back in about 2003-4 and always loved their stuff. Glitch Hop wasnt really a genre back then in my mind and I considered their releases to be more electronic than anything but Colony have been true innovators of the sound in the UK over the years in my opinion so massive respect to Mike and Sam!
I think it was at the edit gig though that I realised the potential of mid-tempo 100 - 110 bpm music and changed focus. There appears to be no end in scope for what you can get away with in Glitch Hop and Bass music in general.
What's the scene like where you are?
Painfully slow really but Birmingham is a notoriously difficult egg to crack. It's strange, there are so many wicked producers and musicians here, which is why I set up Beta Birmingham, but whenever we make an effort and put decent events on it can be hit and miss as to whether people represent. Then you get the old "there's nothing good on in Brum" speech which can be frustrating. Don't get me wrong, Birmingham is a melting pot for creatives and I love that, but I wouldn't really say there was so much of a "scene" for decent bass music here unless you like commercial Drum and Bass birthday parties or drole Dubstep events. There has always been a wicked Reggae scene in Brum Town though so it's not all bad.
Both myself and cohort Automaton have been holding down a bit of a monthly residency for the afore mentioned Andy Jaggers [ADJ] from Pyramid Transmissions and to be honest without those events and the bits we do, there isn't much else which is tragic. Under The Counter have done a couple of cool events but it's all a drop in the ocean really. Quick shout out to Ben from Jam Hott though, played a wicked show for them a few weeks back and it sounds like they have some interesting projects lined up for 2013!
Where do you like to play the most?
Festies are great fun but I prefer 200 cap venues as you're right up next to the crowd and that's a real buzz. I used to play loads of free parties under motorway bridges and in abandoned warehouses, except for the odd bit of trance music they were pretty epic.
What's the craziest gig you've ever played?
Ha! I'm not sure I'm allowed to mention all the details but I was on my way to be interviewed on the Tim Shaw show on Kerrang Radio to promote one of our gigs years back but on the way to the studio the police tried to pull us over. I'd not met the guy giving us a lift before but he turned out to have a bit of a shady past as a bit of a getaway driver. He had some weed on him or something and decided to pretend to pull over and then do one. A few handbrake turns later and we were at the studio. Never laughed so hard in my life!
Absolutely loved playing at Shambala Festival in the ufo this year as they had alien air hostesses with lazer tits.
Who's inspring you most at the moment?
Such a difficult question, I guess what has inspired me the most has been the emergent scene in general and all the characters I've met along the way. No beefs or arrogance and just pure passion for the music is my general experience to date and that's really refreshing to see.
What's your next project in the pipeline?
Big things planned for the future! The label is going through a bit of a transition at the moment as we are changing the name from Beta Birmingham to Beta Test. I've always wanted to represent a pretty broad spectrum of bass music but now I want to move away from the D and B and Dubstep and concentrate more on the Glitch Hop stuff as this is what I'm enjoying the most at the moment and it's also the stuff we have had the best reception to. Originally the label was conceived to represent the Midlands but we are going national now so the name is a reflection of that.
I'm currently coordinating our first vinyl release, admittedly its taking a little longer than expected but once the first one is out and we're set up properly we will be looking to do one every 6 months and to be honest it's worth the wait. I can exclusively confirm that we have William Breakspear, Mouldy Soul, Abstrakt Knights, Shamanic Technology, Spenghead, Automaton, Inaudible and myself. This is a heavyweight line-up to be pressed to a gatefold double vinyl with scratch samples and lock-grooves for remixing the tracks on the fly. I want to make Glitch Hop battle wax basically and the response we have had already to the idea has been immense. I don't want to say any more as there are still a few other bits to confirm, but that alone is pretty dope ey?
I'm in the studio 5 days a week at the moment finishing up a few projects so I'm expecting to be a lot more prolific in the coming months. I've just done a mashup of Dead Prez's Bigger Than tune which is available for free download by liking my page on Facebook. Glitch Hop Bootlegs are bigger than hip hop but with Funk licks and some brass and Clavia synths to boot.
