Glitch

Glitch on vinyl: when errors become music

In short: Glitch emerged from the mid-nineties: musicians used digital errors, clicks, dropouts and skipping CDs as sound material. What is usually seen as a fault becomes rhythm and texture – first in experimental electronics, later in IDM and pop too. The Vinyl Room currently has 16 glitch records.

What is glitch?

The crackle at the centre: Vienna’s Fennesz combines guitar and digital noise on “Endless Summer”, Finland’s Vladislav Delay builds long, shimmering arcs of sound on “Anima”. The Icelandic band múm mix glitch with delicate melodies on “Yesterday Was Dramatic – Today Is OK”.

From Berlin come Ellen Allien & Apparat with “Orchestra Of Bubbles” and Modeselektor, from London Loraine James. Under this label we also have pop such as Caroline Polachek’s “Billions”.

What to look for

Many glitch records came out on specialist labels and are being reissued today; label, catalogue number and year of release help you tell which edition you have – it’s noted with each copy.

From our stock

First pressings

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→ Modeselektor · IDM · Experimental · Electronic on vinyl · How to spot a first pressing · Grading explained

FAQ

What is glitch? Electronic music that uses digital errors, clicks and dropouts as sound material.

What is the difference from IDM? The boundaries are fluid; glitch puts the noise itself more at the centre.

Which artists are associated with glitch? Here, among others, Fennesz, Vladislav Delay and múm.

Is there glitch in pop too? Yes – here, for example, Caroline Polachek with “Billions”.