THE INTEGRATED GRIME UNIT :: REEL BASS TOUR 2008

Words & Photos by ill-esha——————————————————————————–“LIKE A ROBOT HAVING SEX WITH MC HAMMER,” grins Bevan of the hype Vancouver-based duo Glitchy & Scratchy when I ask him how he would describe glitch hop to someone who’s never heard it before. I’m sitting in my East Van recording studio swapping samples with Bev and Shaun, two glitchy young men who have taken over Vancouver with their unique sound. “Some people call it laser bass, turbo crunk, or womp hop..” they describe.

Although much of the current glitch-hop movement is based around San Francisco, Glitchy & Scratchy also credit UK act Tipper as an originator of the sound. “It’s kind of danceable downtempo taken to the same energy of a drum & bass track… like putting the fun back into hip hop.”Back in the day, Bevvy Swift and Global were breaks and D&B DJs at local raves. “We were tired of such constant heavy walls of sound, at such high BPMs, and wanted to shift towards music that was more about leaving space,” Bevan recounts.

Shaun agrees: “Playing stuff like Pendulum, but honing in on the half-time breakdowns.. Feeling like we needed to breathe more new life into our musical direction. We were writing D&B, but every track felt like it had already been done, so we took the elements of it that we liked and changed up the beats.”

The energy of these two DJs – also prolific producers and promoters – is infectious. After spending some time learning production, the two prowled the grounds of the Apex Festival in summer 2007, searching for any sign of the new sounds of artists they’d discovered. “At 3 am, we found a stage with these guys from Alberta – Jamie J and Application. We instantly connected, not having known there were any other locals into the Glitch Mob!! That was basically the start of [our crew], Integrated Grime Unit.”After the original meeting, the four also added fellow artist/producer Frank Grimes to the roster; as well, they connected with Deepz, who recently played with Glitch Mob at the massive Shambhala festival. Following that was a chance encounter with Dewey dB, a Toronto native and devoted promoter of bass music. “It didn’t originally register that Adrian knew a lot about glitch hop,” explains Shaun, “but after we started talking more and trading music, I realized differently. Besides being able to communicate with computers – we call him Tech Support – he’s been passionately supporting music. Throwing events with Dubslingers, running three dubstep sites.. he’s a production prodigy as well, and all of his tunes are very detailed.”

Bev’s eyes light up as he describes the I.G.U.’s first party, December 2007: “Everyone that came out was really excited just to hear this music. Our friends that came had been listening to us talk about it for two years, and then we got to showcase it. About 200 people, and it was funny because the police came, but they ended up apologizing because they realized it was a fundraiser and we actually had the proper licenses. We’ve had 7 parties since.”What was his favourite? “Zombies versus Robots, definitely. It was the biggest sweatbox party you’ve ever seen. Bringing you back to the 13-year-old raver days.. except this time the people are a little bit older, and know what’s up.”Shaun: “It was so hot that people should have left, but nobody did. Everyone just kept dancing and getting hotter. Awesome!”

One of the trademarks of a Glitchy & Scratchy set is their assortment of original tunes. Using Logic 5.5 Platinum on a PC, they also name Native Instruments and Waves as some of their favourite plug-ins. But contrary to their prolific production of highly technical beats, the two laugh that they’re still not particularly computer-oriented. And how do you make these crazy sounds when you’re supposedly non-technical?“If Jimi Hendrix learned to use a left-handed guitar, we can learn to use Logic 5.5 to make glitch-hop!” Bevan beams.

Glitchy & Scratchy also collaborate with other producers like Tones and crewmates Dewey dB and Frank Grimes. There is talk of starting a label, which would include other talented locals deserving more exposure.“Nobody else in our city is playing glitch-hop. Our intake of music is completely separate from others, because a lot of people simply don’t know about it yet.” And this is precisely what the Integrated Grime Unit hopes to remedy with their Western Canada tour. Until mid-December, Glitchy & Scratchy, Dewey dB and Deepz will be on the road in BC, Alberta and Saskatchewan to promote their brand of MC Hammer robot sex. Currently with a calendar marked for everything between Cranbrook and Saskatoon, I ask the boys what your typical unsuspecting civilian should expect from a Glitchy & Scratchy party. They are quick to fire off comments totally in sync with what I’ve seen in their high-octane, hyperactive shows:

Bevan: “I just wanna get drunk with as many people as POSSIBLE!”Shaun: “Do a whole lotta jumping off speakers and GETTING JIGGY WITH IT!”But really?Bevan: “Something that makes you react in ways you wouldn’t think.”Shaun: “We don’t give a larbage about anything except making music and having a good time with our friends. I have the best time of my life every time I spin a set, and I’ve been told it’s infectious.
”I’ve definitely been caught by the Glitchy & Scratchy bug and so have many others, judging by the high downloads of the Glitchy, Scratchy & Dewey dB “Laserbass” mix.

With achieving such quick success across the worlds of djing, promotion and music production, what kind of insight would they give other young artists on trying to launch their career? Bevan: “Create your own dream. We throw our own parties, create the atmosphere we want to play in. Just worry about getting your tunes heard, not signed.”Shaun: “Be prepared to put music above everything else in your life and never give up on the idea that you can make it. Focus on that feeling you get when you bring your tunes to people. DJing to me is like soaking the room with what I think is dope.”“Making it is not a place where you get,” says Bevan, “It’s how you feel while you’re getting there.”

I hand back their hard drives. “Here you go. Tonal FX, Lazers, Cinematic, Funk, Soul, Timbaland and Neptunes Drums, Horns, and Arcade Riffs.” Last question.. which one is Glitchy and which one is Scratchy?“Well,” says Shaun, “Wouldn’t you all like to know!!”

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MYSPACES (with TOUR DATE LIST):
GLITCHY & SCRATCHY
DEWEY dB

FACEBOOK:GLITCHY & SCRATCHY
INTEGRATED GRIME UNIT

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