Heavy Rotation 009: The Glitch Mob | Drink The Sea.

So I'm gonna make an effort to post more Heavy Rotation entries. I mean, I listen to music almost constantly; you'd think I could write about it more often ...

Of all the sub-genres of electronic music I've been dipping my ears into over the past decade, glitch-hop has become one of my favorites. Getting into it was easy. The sub-genre is pretty accessible to new ears and the sounds are essentially radio-friendly (interestingly enough, I hate writing that) -- at least compared to other permutations of IDM. Anyway It's been a minute since I've posted a Heavy Rotation entry, and while I was composing this one I halfway-remembered that I'd already written about The Glitch Mob before.

Drink The Sea was released this summer and it's been a fixture in my playlist ever since. Certain elements of the album sound very similar to Crush Mode, but I'm pleased with the direction of DTS as a whole. There's the familiar, creaky wonk of glitch, but I hear a subtle lushness to the production as well. The tracks flow into each other, giving the entire experience an expansive, epic feel. I've listened to the album during long drives, while running, getting ready to go out, and even as a backdrop at bedtime. My brother uses it as study music, even.

Swan

Two tracks that stand out for me are "Bad Wings" and "Between Two Points," the lyrics of which are below. I love the melody and the way Swan's voice is manipulated at key points in the song, blending it beautifully with the instrumentation.

The Glitch Mob - "Between Two Points (feat. Swan)"
Lyrics by S. Palermo

we’ve got forever
slippin through our hands
we’ve got more time
to never understand

falling footsteps
weighing heavy on me

behind darkness
beneath candles
whispers waltz
around our dreams

the shortest distance
between two points
is the line
from me to you

feet turning black
is this the path we must walk
no turning back
wish i could just hear you talk

can something like this be pulled
from under our feet
leaving our skin
and burning coals to meet

tell me now

the shortest distance
between two points
is the line
from me to you

The song is gorgeous. Actually, so's the whole album -- do yourself a favor and cop it. Oh yeah, if that wasn't enough, the FREE mixtape, featuring mash-ups with La Roux, Drake, Daft Punk, Mobb Deep, Jay-Z, etc., is pure flames as well. You're welcome.