Quick Six: The Best of Glitch-Hop 2014

–Written by Kevin Madert

I know we’re only a little over halfway through 2014, but the amount of quality music that’s already been released is – to quote a close friend – “fucking bonkers.” It’d be a hell of a task to catalog it all for you at once, so I’ll break it down into loose genre categories, starting here today with music under the broken beat umbrella.

Gramatik – The Age Of Reason

Everyone’s favorite Slovenian beatsmith kicked off the year with a funkified bang back in January with his first true full-length since 2010’s “No Shortcuts.” It’s clear from the opening moments of “Brave Men” that TAOR won’t be giving a damn about conventions, critics, or anything other than quality music; kicking off your album with a six-minute epic is a bold move, and one that pays dividends here. The plodding, kick-drum propelled builds and guitar-infused breakdowns drew me into the album, familiarizing me with the sonic landscape I’d be traversing for the next hour. Other standout tracks: “Torture”, featuring mind-twisting riffage on the six string by Lettuce’s Eric Krasno; “We Used To Dream”, a laidback neo-soul jam with vocals from ever-charismatic Gibbz; “It’s Just a Ride”, which hops from smooth funk jam to guitar-driven rocker to synth-heavy glitch tune in just over five minutes.

Tipper – Forward Escape

Calling someone the “father” of a genre is also a bold move, but Dave Tipper is entirely deserving of the distinction. He’s been working in glitch for nearly a decade, but he’s been a key figure in the downtempo movement for even longer – essentially since his debut in 1997. Reports of a “new Tipper downtempo album” had me giddier than a schoolgirl on summer vacation, and “Forward Escape” delivered in a big way. There are few producers who can fill the space occupied by a song quite like Tipper; it’s clear a high level of meticulous craftsmanship went into the sound design of this album. I think I listened to it four or five times straight through, and each time found nuances I’d yet to hear. Standout tracks: The uplifting minimalism of “The Re-Up” plods along amidst burgeoning synth chords. “Dreamsters” bounces along beneath often frantic xylophonic tones. “Homage Sliders,” with its soulful meander and well-placed snaps and claps, almost sounds like Gramatik sat in on a few sessions.

Cheshire – Simply Lifted

This under-the-radar glitch-hopper from down under won’t stay that way for too long if he keeps putting out music this stellar. A recent signing to rising broken beat Aussie label Adapted Records, Cheshire has long since perfected his unique blend of funk, soul, and glitch. There’s so much fun instrumentation going on here – from marimbas to saxophones to keys – and the old-school vocal samples Cheshire listeners are used to give the entire album a throwback vibe, all while pushing the genre-bending envelope ever forward. Standout tracks: “Snatching It Back” features a bassline so crunchy you can practically taste it. Gadmandubs’ versatile verses atop “Clark Kent” are reminiscent of South African duo P.H. Fat. “Sing It” melds the best snippets of classic reggae dub, double-time glitch, and melodic guitar solos; hell, I think there’s even a church organ in there somewhere.

KOAN Sound – Dynasty

The glitchstep boys from Bristol, UK were always adept at crafting tunes on the heavier end of the spectrum. Then they released their Halo 4 remix, and their collaborative EP with Asa, and it became clear they knew how to turn the sonics down a few notches without sacrificing an ounce of their creative powers. Dynasty finds its home somewhere in the middle, with a healthy dose of familiar KOAN funk injected throughout. Standout tracks: “Lost In Thought” creates the illusion of speed without ever actually rushing you anywhere. The slap-bass rhythm section in “Infinite Funk” would make the “Seinfeld” band blush. The title track is also the heaviest, more reminiscent of earlier EPs like “Funk Blaster” and “Max Out.”

Minnesota – Voyager

“Future bass” is simultaneously a specific and vague descriptor, but in Minnesota’s case it’s also the most accurate. On his most recent EP, he’s taken his signature sound and upped the ante on the production side of things; this is the cleanest and most pointed the Cali-based producer’s tunes have ever sounded. Standout tracks: “Thunderdome” is an epic, bass-focused tune that features G Jones and almost begs to be freestyled over. The title track is classic Minnesota with shades of Seven Lions (I know I’m not the only one craving a follow-up to “Fevers”). The driving bounce and persistent high hats on “Airships” pilot it along without ever overpowering the airy vibe.

Opiuo – Meraki

For me, few glitch-hop artists can touch the production values, innovations, and overall funkiness of Opiuo. “Meraki” is the New Zealand native’s first major release since his trio of “Butternut Slap” EPs in 2012, a two year wait that was absolutely worth it. There’s a darker undertone here, a heavy rhythm that ties most of the tracks on the album together. The ceaseless kicks form a sort of off-beat marching cadence, carrying throughout the album whether at full or half time. Standout tracks: “On Your Side” showcases Russ Liquid’s admirable trumpeting chops, with chilled out builds and bridges that murmur “summertime” softly in your ears. Gift of Gab steals the entire album on “Life,” his lyrics punctuated by raw, stabbing wobbles. Musicality aside, “Quack Fat” is in the running for best track name of 2014.

You can stream a sampling of tracks from these albums below via our Soundcloud. Let us know if we missed your favorite in the comments!