To know the Glitch Mob isn’t necessarily knowing how to describe the Glitch Mob.
“We get people calling us all kinds of different genres,” band member Justin Boreta says. “Electro band, dubstep band, electronica, glitch-hop, laser bass . . . the list goes on. It’s a simple way for people to wrap their heads around the music.”
Perhaps the most accurate is Boreta’s own tag: “adventure dance music.” The Los Angeles-based three-piece-Boreta, Ed Ma and Josh Mayer-creates predominantly instrumental electronic tracks that sound like battle marches; epic calls to bass-booming arms that have the gritty spirit of grunge and the synth-driven power of dance.
The band’s debut LP, 2010’s Drink the Sea on its own Glass Air label, peaked at No. 15 on Billboard’s Electronic Albums chart. It has sold 19,000 units, according to Nielsen SoundScan. Follow-up We Can Make the World Stop, a three-song EP, was released July 12.
But as with many young bands, the Glitch Mob story isn’t about sales. The band is a synch powerhouse, with numerous high-visibility placements across different platforms. And the trio is quickly becoming one of the most in-demand live acts on the electronic circuit, with a kinetic stage show that goes well beyond dudes hiding behind laptops.
“Unfortunately, no one is moving a ton of units anymore,” sayscq manager Kevin Wolff of Shoot to Kill Music. “But the band owns their masters and publishing. Sales are important, but not nearly as important as cultivating your fan base, perception and awareness; delivering strong and unique products; and, most importantly, having complete artistic control.”
Glitch Mob tracks have popped up in trailers for major films like “Captain America” and Tim Burton’s “9,” as well as TV show trailers for FX’s “Damages” and Starz’cq “Spartacus.” A Fiat commercial currently airing across the world features the EP track “Warrior Concerto.”
However, Glitch Mob’s most memorable placement was on NBC’s “America’s Got Talent.” Finalist Fighting Gravity-a troupe that breakdances in black light, suspended from the stage-performed to several Glitch Mob tracks throughout the competition.
“When we saw it, we were absolutely blown away,” Boreta says.
Glitch Mob’s stage show is an audiovisual onslaught of its own, with an eye-popping light show synched to the music, and the band manipulating hardware-like snare drums-as well as software to create the sounds live. The show was designed by Bionic League, the team behind Kanye West, Daft Punk and Nine Inch Nails’ latest tours.
The Glitch Mob just completed a 35-city tour, which sold out large venues like San Francisco’s Regency Theatre and New York’s Terminal 5, as well as buzzed-about festival sets at the Electric Daisy Carnival in Las Vegas, Lollapalooza in Chicago and Ultra Music Festival in Miami. The trio will tour Europe throughout October and November.
We Can Make the World Stop is being released digitally, as well as in five different bundles through independent retailers and the band’s website. The offerings include a $55 limited-edition set boasting an exclusive 18-inch-by-24-inch screen print, a T-shirt, 10-inch vinyl record, two wallpaper packs and a digital download of the EP. Smaller collections of those items are available at lower price points.
“Fans and consumers want tangible products that they can hold, play, share, put on their wall, give as a gift or wear,” Wolff says. “Vinyl has always been a key part of electronic music’s culture. Today there is a terrific resurgence and demand for it. Being able to make limited runs of vinyl with bold and beautiful artwork, mastered specifically for play on a turntable, is a must for us.”••••