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| | Arts Calendar / August 20 / Concerts |
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20:00 | The Glitch Mob (USA) |
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 Formed in 2006, L.A.'s Glitch Mob have wowed them on dancefloors around the world with a singular brand of bleepy electronica and heavy hip-hop-influenced basslines. After discovering that they were loosely affiliated with each other after performing at similar venues every night, the bandmembers began their musical partnership by DJing back to back as a "tag team." Consisting of four members (edIT, Boreta, Kraddy, and Ooah) armed with laptops and MIDI controllers, the Mob were associated with the new wave of Los Angeles' IDM/hip-hop scene of the late 2000s, along with the likes of Daedelus, Flying Lotus, and Samiyam, among others. Creating their own futuristic dance style with their noisy bass-driven electro, their material recalled the more raucous elements of works by electronic pioneers Aphex Twin and Autechre, as well as the heavier European breakbeat sound. Gaining considerable attention for their DJ sets in Los Angeles and San Francisco as well as being music veterans of the much fabled West Coast underground electro scene, the collective members began their foray into remixing in 2008, with the likes of Evil Nine and TV on the Radio benefiting from their sonic expertise. After citing "creative differences," founding member Kraddy left the group in 2009. The group carried on as a trio and released its debut album, Drink the Sea, in 2010. Four years later, Love Death Immortality arrived with Metal Mother, Nico Vega's Aja Volkman, and Sister Crayon's Terra Lopez as guest vocalists. Los Angeles-based three-piece the Glitch Mob drift even further from their name on Love Death Immortality, an album that suggests they be renamed the EDM Mob, the Big Room Mob, the Bass Drop Mob, or maybe the Totally Accessible Yet Utterly Awesome Mob. Whatever they decide upon, it's doubtful fans will be able to hear the announcement over this sophomore release, as the more reserved and calm bits of their debut, 2010's Drink the Sea, have given way to moments more meaty and beaty. The opening "Mind of a Beast" lives up to its title with a ridiculously punchy bassline, a chaotic set of sequencer melodies, and one of those high-pitched, screamy synth lines the Mob adore. It's a style that returns on "Our Demons," where Nico Vega vocalist Aja Volkman barks out the beautiful "No one ever asked you to dig deeper/No wonder you got demons," and suddenly, tough love therapy gets turned up to 11. Dark wave and dubstep wrestle their way down the hill on the starting-and-stopping highlight "Becoming Harmonious," featuring the enchanting guest vocalist Metal Mother, and with Sister Crayon vocalist Terra Lopez elevating the somewhat serene "Beauty of the Unhidden Heart" to an angelic level, that's plenty of evidence that the Mob certainly know how to pick their sirens. Still, the boomiest bomb of them all is the instrumental "Can't Kill Us," which creeps, groans, and grows as if it were built for a thriller soundtrack, but then comes the break, which twists and turns before shooting this dubstep-influenced mood piece into the sky like a firework. Even if the Glitch Mob are more crowd-pleasers than innovators, these are well-crafted floor-fillers created with great care, plus the album feels inspired the whole way through, banging from one song to the next with no bummers or filler to skip. The Glitch Mob made a name for themselves playing live, choosing to perform with laptops and MIDI controllers. Will be ready to hear Love Death Immortality and Glitch Mob's old hits at their Moscow concert! More info
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