Sounds From the Other Side: Glass Popcorn, The Witch House Bieber
Glass Popcorn is a 14 year old dude out of Tempe, Arizona, and is perhaps the most amazing artist I’ve come across for a while. Someone unconstrained by genre titles like Dubstep, Witch House, Mashup, Drag or electro. Someone who takes all these and creates something immense that borrows from each while pushing things forward with all the punk attitude of someone really great. 2011 Dubstep germinated in the desserts of the Southwest. A Witch House Bieber. It’s all good.
He labels his stuff “Trollstep”, which is as good as anything I suppose, and wow it’s just so dynamic. It’s got glowing recommendations from a few blogs so far, as well as Alex of BL§§D ØU† saying that Glass Popcorn “puts blog hype bands to shame” (as a blogger I see nothing wrong with unrealistic random mega hype anyways). This is someone who should definitely get all the hype he deserves. A bunch of blogs don’t really believe the back story, but I did a bit of Google sleuthing and, yep, he really is a 14 year old out of Tempe!
The sound is all Mashup and Dubstep, but with more of a dynamic range than you would get from just sticking to one thing. It’s dark and frantic and isn’t precious about what it does. You could dance to this all night or have it form the soundtrack to a satanic Destiny’s Child fan club swap meet.
He’s remixed BL§§D ØU†’s “§PNNR§” and turned it from a slow brooding claustrophobic piece into an epic gunshot Dubstep tune that kicks along loud and vicious, poking its strobing bass line into your spine like a steel finger. 2011 Witch House mark II is all about (in my mind) taking the genre next level and not sitting in a land of noise and late night stoner fog.
BL§§D ØU† – §PNNR§ (Glass Popcorn Remix) by Glass Popcorn
Hordes (Demo) by Glass Popcorn
Glass Popcorn is definitely going next level. This is as much Dubstep as anything else, but the overall effect is just so intense and 2011 in feel. Did I mention it’s loud, every track ramped up to overblown proportions, fuzzed out, and kicking at your speakers? He’s only following six people on Soundcloud, three of those being BL§§D ØU†, †een wi†ch and TeehnBwitches (all previously featured Sounds From the Other Side artists).
Those artists really give an indication of where Glass Popcorn is coming from or wants to go. There is supposed to be an EP, maybe called Trollstep, in the works and every one of his tracks up on Soundcloud is availbale to download for free, so go get them now. Plus hit up his Twitter and Tumblr for more info and music.
- Fokkawolfe
March 20th, 2011 at 7:08 pm
March 20th, 2011 at 7:32 pm
Didn’t Nattymari invent “Trollstep?” Or was it “Trollwave?”
March 21st, 2011 at 12:47 am
I don’t care if Lo-Fi Dark Step is popular in Brooklyn…
This kid obviously has no concept of the fundamental parameters of music; such as rhythm, melody, structure, form, texture and harmonic function. Which is the basic foundation that ALL MUSIC was founded upon. He could label his genre “Faggot Step” for all I care,
it actually sounds like Experimental Noise.
March 21st, 2011 at 1:12 am
March 21st, 2011 at 4:43 pm
@MattVanBuren dude chill out! And hey I love this and I dont reside in Brooklyn, anyways your musical fascism is a little on the strong side, and kinda makes no sense, I would argue to the ends of the earth that this kid knows “rhythm, melody, structure, form, texture and harmonic function” as you put it, I hear all of those in there, just cos they might not be “harmonious” to your ear doesn’t mean its shit!
March 21st, 2011 at 5:12 pm
Laurence, don’t even bother engaging him… not worth the trouble.
March 21st, 2011 at 7:33 pm
stand aside Mikhail, I’ll handle this.
having an opinion and being a Fascist are two different things. We just happen to have different tastes, thats all. I’m not trying to force my beliefs upon anyone, even if my views are completely logical and make absolute sense. if you like tween music than you are entitled to your own opinion. As far as I’m concerned, Glass Popcorn hasn’t made any contribution the advancement of musical theory, and you can argue all you want. But in the end you are just defending a 14 year old boy playing with his with Pro Tools. what is this? amature hour?
I read his twitter by the way:
@MishkaNYC
HEY because you blogged about me can i get a free mint polo? ill be reppin you @ my high school ;-) im famous too so…
March 21st, 2011 at 11:00 pm
I love the Bloglin and check it on a daily basis. I find the assortment of ideas and perspectives to be absolutely fascinating. Mishka has proven itself time and time again to be very unique, and I tend to cherish it’s multifaceted concepts. Even if Mikhail hates me and enjoys my suffering… I still respect his intelligence, because I appreciate his viewpoint. The only reason I talk shit is to keep you knuckleheads in check. but in the end, it’s all tough love.
March 22nd, 2011 at 11:16 pm
hey, going to comment on my own article for a second just to point out that just because “music was founded on the fundamental principals of rhythym, melody, structure, form, texture, and harmonic function” doesn’t mean I have to observe those in my songs. obvservation 1: not all art follows fundamental principals…if there were rules, it wouldn’t be art. observation 2: the current hipster/blog music scene is bullshit anyway so who is to say that a 14-year-old making music with no structure is any less legitimate than any other “lo-fi” or “witch-haus” anyone else is making. observation 4: i took classical piano and music theory lessons from age five to age twelve and i’ve been taking jazz theory lessons for the past two years so i understand musical “principals” i just choose not to follow them in my compositions because my personal philosophy is that the flawed philosophical grounds behind the creation of rules justifies breaking them. observation 3: you need to chill out, just in general
March 24th, 2011 at 1:07 am
Observation 1: you are obviously a digital native. But what contributions have you made to the advancement of musical theory? other than amateur production.
Observation 2: when was the last time you composed a symphony?
Observation 3: remixing Rebecca Black doesn’t support any of your claims about the legitimacy of said composition
Observation 4: the quality of art is a matter of personal opinion; one person’s treasure can be another person’s garbage.
Observation 5: Creating music is only the first step. There’s no real correlation between noise production and possessing “musical prowess”.
Observation 6: just because mommy pays for piano lessons dosen’t mean you have a PHD in musical theory or cognition.
Observation 7: we live in an era where spectatorial culture is giving way to participatory culture. how do you define yourself?
Observation 8: independent or not… do you consider yourself innovative by not following the basic guidelines for musical production?
Observation 9: if you were talented, I wouldn’t have said anything
March 24th, 2011 at 3:06 pm
Dude seriously why are you fighting with him and being such a dick? Just go to a playground and pick a fight while you’re at it at this point.
March 24th, 2011 at 4:25 pm
MVB needs his own guest column on here so badly.
March 24th, 2011 at 4:58 pm
No.
March 25th, 2011 at 4:23 am
Mikhail… you know I’m just messing around.
I love you dude, but quit being such a communist.
my shenanigans are cheeky and fun.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NfaAwt_-Q7o
remember that scene in Clerks 2? just think of me as Randal.
March 27th, 2011 at 2:17 pm
ok matt, i’ll get on that symphony for you. hopefully one day i can fit your massively exaggerated definition of “legitimate”