What is Glitch Music?
Glitch music is a genre of electronic music that emphasizes the aesthetic of failure. It uses the disruptions and artifacts normally considered undesirable in digital audio—such as skips, distortion, and noise—as key elements of the compositional process. Artists manipulate sound through techniques that involve signal degradation, audio manipulation, and sampling from different sources.
The term "glitch" originates from the technical problems that arise during the process of digital data encoding and transmission. These imperfections are embraced by glitch musicians who see beauty in audio errors. This genre often incorporates elements from various musical styles, including ambient, experimental, and IDM (Intelligent Dance Music).
In terms of instrumentation, glitch music often relies on software and hardware samplers, synthesizers, and digital audio workstations. Artists may also use field recordings to include real-world sounds that contribute to the glitch aesthetic. Some notable glitch music artists include Autechre, Oval, and Fennesz, who explore the boundaries of sound and provoke thought about the nature of music itself.
Glitch music challenges listeners to rethink their perceptions of sound artistry, discarding traditional notions of harmony and rhythm. As a result, it has garnered a following within experimental and underground music circles, pushing the limits of what music can represent in our increasingly digital world.