Making the world stop and listen
The Glitch Mob and their hip-hop infused electronica have become dancefloor regulars since 2006. Innovative and forward-thinking, their bass-heavy beats have rocked the US dance scene. Now, following the release of one of 2010’s premier electronic-music albums ‘Drink The Sea’, this year saw The Glitch Mob unveil their groundbreaking EP ‘We Can Make The World Stop’ ahead of a new album in 2012. This Los Angeles trio are set to kick things up a notch with a 16 date European tour replete with sonic gambits designed to elevate everything the band has done onstage to new levels…
Ed, Justin and Joshua welcome to the DMC world. A great two years that has seen your 2010 smash ‘Drink The Sea’ long player everywhere. June saw a new EP released ahead of next year’s new album that included the much loved track ‘We Can Make The World Stop’, what’s the latest?
“Thanks a lot. We are really excited to get back out to Europe and the UK. The upcoming album is still very much in the production phase and will be out some time early next year.”
What can you tell us about the new album?
”We are trying out a lot of new writing styles with this album, pushing ourselves creatively in a new direction. Can’t say what exactly it is just yet, but we are having a lot of fun with it. ‘Drink The Sea’ took about 9 months to create and it seems as if this new album will take considerably less time. We’ve gotten a lot more comfortable in the studio working in the album format since then.”
How would you describe your sound?
”Adventure dance music.”
You are three LA homeboys. How did the band get together in the first place?
”We were friends long before we decided to start a band. It all kind of happened accidentally. We were doing a lot of solo DJ gigs a couple years ago and one night we just decided to perform with each other. After that, well it was all downhill.”
What music were you listening to as kids?
“So much different stuff, we like pretty much everything. But if I had to sum it up, I’d say our main influences are hip hop, rock, punk, metal and electronic music. Especially jungle/D rum & Bass. We were big Drum & Bass heads growing up.”
Did you all want to be musicians growing up or were there other career paths available?
”It all happened as an accident, we didn’t really set out to be musicians. There were other career paths for all of us and at some point we just decided to go with our true passion.”
What are each member’s best qualities they bring to the band?
”We are fortunate to have a good balance with each other. Some of us are organized and some are spur of the moment, some of us get up super early and some of us get up at noon. Because we’re all pretty different it all evens out to a pretty well oiled machine.”
What is the best Hip Hop album ever made?
”The Black Album. No question.”
Los Angeles seems to be going properly off right now at last, good bands, good DJs, good club nights seven days a week…
”Absolutely. LA is such a cool place to be right now. There’s so much happening that it’s infectious. A lot of incredibly talented and ambitious individuals come through LA to see there dreams to fruition.”
What is the best and worst thing about living in Los Angeles?
”Best – The weather of course, its hard to beat LA weather, there’s a grip of amazing restaurants in our neighborhood. We are big foodies and always seek out the real top notch spots.
Worst – I’d have to say the drive back home from LAX airport after you get home from a long weekend of shows, it can take up to one and a half hours…no fun!”
Was there a moment, and we know it’s been a rocky road to success, when you realized, yes – we have something of real potential here?
”DEMF 2009 was a defining moment. It was the first nationwide electronic festival where we brought our sound to a sizable audience. We were pretty much only known in underground niche scenes at the time, but after DEMF something definitely shifted and we began to appear on a lot more festival lineups. Selling out the Fillmore in Denver, CO on Halloween 2010 was a big night for us. We had released Drink The Sea earlier that year to mixed reviews. The record received a lot of hate and criticism online. We endured a rocky 30 date US tour and a pretty rocky month long European tour. However after an extremely successful fall US tour, it was apparent that the record had finally taken it’s time to sink in. It was amazing to end the tour in Colorado with our own sold out show on Halloween night to a crowd of 4500. We felt like the record had finally come full circle and the fans “got it”. Fast forward to summer 2011, we returned to Red Rocks Amphitheater in Colorado to play our own headlining show to 8500. It was our biggest headlining show to date and a big milestone.”
Last year was mental for you promoting the album. What were the big audience highlights, what festivals rocked?
”As mentioned above, Halloween 2010 to a crowd of 4500 was huge at the time. This past summer we headlined Red Rocks and brought in 8500 people. We also played to huge crowds at Electric Daisy Carnival and Lollapalooza.”
Best festival story from 2010?
”Debuting Drink The Sea to a completely packed Sahara tent at Coachella to a crowd of 10,000 sandwiched between Rusko and the Ed Banger crew. Afterwards all of the press said it was one of the most daring and bold moves they had ever seen. We were surprised because we just thought it would be a good idea to debut our new record on the biggest of stages. Looking back in retrospect maybe there was a little truth in what they were saying.”
Best festival of 2011 in the States?
“Electric Daisy Carnival 2011 in Las Vegas. 250,000 people in attendance with the best sound systems and production quality on any festival out there.”
Which DJs would you check out when at a festival?
”Skrillex. We have played with him multiple times and even played before us at Ultra this year. The energy he brings is unparalleled. Also love Gaslamp Killer.”
Do you like touring, most bands think it a real pain in the ass?
”We love it. It’s exhausting, but it’s the best job in the world. Wouldn’t trade it for anything.”
What sort of sounds are you playing on the tour bus this year?
”We listened to some Phil Collins, Johnny Osbourne ‘No Ice Cream Sound’ a lot, ‘Peanut Butter Jelly Time’ and ‘Tame Impala’.”
What’s the most annoying habit each of you have on tour?
”None really, we are all solid friends and know how to live in close quarters by now.”
Your music has appeared on many TV shows, films and adverts – was that something you were always looking to do?
”Not really, it just happened naturally. We never push to have our music on TV or films, it just seems to fit due to the cinematic of the music.”
Is your live show 2011 different than live 2010?
”Yes, its always changing and evolving with new music, new controllers, new lights and structures. I think it will always continue to change as much as possible.”
Who are your all time heroes?
”Jay Z, Jim Morrison, Will Ferrel, John Lennon and Ironman.”
Your Haiti charity project you claim “was a milestone for us” – explain…
”Our Haiti remix album project was our first foray into using our music for a cause. It helped us realize that music has the ability to carry a message far and wide, and really speak to something bigger than ourselves.”
Who else on the US Electronic scene are you giving props to at the moment?
”Skrillex, Bassnectar, Com Truise, Free The Robots, Deru, Panty Raid, Marty Party, R/D, Flylo & the whole Brainfeeder crew, and the whole Low End Theory crew.”
Your European Tour takes in some really cool places – where are you looking forward to the most?
”Eastern Europe is a lot of fun, and we love Amsterdam and London is like our second home across the pond.”
And finally, what is already planned for 2012?
“More music!”
The tour in full
October
Fri 14th Oct – Paris, FR @ Le Nouveau Casino,
Sat 15th Oct – Boulange Sur Mer, FR @ Festival Poulpaphone
Weds 19th Oct – Amsterdam, NL @ Paradiso
Thurs 20th Oct – Brussel, BE @ VK Club
Fri 21st Oct – Budapest @ Merlin
Sat 22nd – Berlin, DE @ Icon
Tues 25th – Lille, FR @ Festival Ground Zero
Thurs 27th – Prague, CZ @ Roxy
Friday 28th – Stockholm, SE @ Debaser
Saturday 29th – Malmo, SE @ Debaser
November
Tues 1st Nov – Bordeaux, FR @ Festival Paradis Artificiels
Thurs 3rd Nov – Hamburg, DE @ Klubsen
Fri 4th Nov – Bristol, UK @ Motion
Sat 5th Nov – London, UK @ Electric Brixton
Sun 6th Nov – Glasgow, UK @ The Arches
Mon 7th Nov – Katowice, PL @ Ars Cameralis
Watch the video for ‘We Cam Make The World Stop’ at www.youtube.com/watch?v=ls-LYas5j8U&feature=player_embedded
