Future Party Music

Undoubtedly one of the stronger debuts of the year, Drink the Sea introduces electronic trio The Glitch Mob, a collaborative effort from producers Ooah, Boreta, and edIT, to the music world—not just the dance/electronic community, but music fans as a whole. Yes, Drink the Sea is primarily an electronic album, but it’s diverse enough to break free from any preconceived genre restrictions. It’s a fine balance of smooth electronics, hipster hip-hop, big beat dance, and ballsy production.

The Glitch Mob is the definition of 21st century music. A group of production/remix whizzes gathers round some laptops and MIDI controllers to produce and live edit blips and bleeps on the fly, all the while synching to stunning background visuals for a multi-sensory experience. The group has been touted for their live show, and now Drink the Sea solidifies The Glitch Mob as bona fide artists rather than mere flavor-of-the-month knob twisters.

Drink the Sea is serious in tone, from the reclusive introductory guitar strums of “Animus Vox” to the solemn “How to Be Eaten by a Woman.” These aren’t dance tracks by clubbing standards, and it’s hard to picture anyone getting down on the dance floor to the slow-burning “Drive It Like You Stole It” or the soothing “Starve the Ego, Feed the Soul.” Yet somehow, it happens.

The virtually instrumental Drink the Sea serves a purpose: to put The Glitch Mob’s production, hands down the group’s strong point, at the forefront. That’s not to overshadow “Between Two Points,” which features singer Swan on beautifully electro-fied vocals.

Where Drink the Sea excels is obvious. There’s no need to dig deeper than the smack-in-your-face production throughout the album. It’s got attitude, style, and a voice unique to the group, a rare accomplishment for a debut, and The Glitch Mob nailed it on the first round.