The Glitch Mob Brings Thoughtful Artistry to EDM (Review/Photos)

The Glitch Mob, an Electronic trio from L.A. transformed the Wilma stage into a intergalactic robot of curated dance music for an all out, gripping kinetic experience on May 16th.

The show drew a variety of Montanans and out of staters to fill the venue, warming their souls to the sweet piano grooves and beats of opening performer Anomalie from Montreal.

Electronic pop artist Elohim then performed a mysterious, playful set including her catchy tunes “Sleepy Eyes” and “Hallucinating.” Complete with colorful projections, her ethereal performance infused the audience with loving energy that shimmered into anticipation for The Glitch Mob.

Elohim lighting up the stage before Glitch Mob at The Wilma May 16, 2018

Energy rumbled in the theater with droning sound until The Glitch Mob, consisting of edIT (Edward Ma), Boreta (Justin Boreta) and Ooah (Josh Mayer), arrived to customize an epic journey through explosive bass drops and serpentine transitions including old and new tracks.

Organically tying raw human performance with the agility of a machine, they have revolutionized artistry in EDM with their invention of “The Blade,” a massive digital instrument and set piece the group has used to hone their sound.

Created alongside EDM production pioneer Martin Phillips, “The Blade” allows them to control the lighting and invigorate performance with movement. Connecting kinetically, they added delicate detail to the rhythms, qualities and shifts in their sound, forming artistic depth with handcrafted specificity.

The Glitch Mob’s “Blade 2.0” at The Wilma May 16, 2018

Putting their sweat into the grinding gears of “The Blade,” they threw their bodies into the built-in drums and danced inside their computerized castle. Their hands darted and dashed across their soundboards dancing while drumming, multitasking like an amplified game of “Bop it.” They communicated with technology, expression and gesture, finding bold individuality in solo moments while feeding off each other through improvisation.

Elohim joined them for their sweet, electric new hit “I Could be Anything,” bursting out with cool-angsty dance moves as lime green light poured out over the audience.  

Elohim performs “I Could Be Anything” with The Glitch Mob at The Wilma May 16, 2018

In their animated remix of The White Stripes “Seven Nation Army” the center player, Josh Mayer, turned his back to the audience when the beat dropped, releasing all his energy and range of motion into aggressive, ecstatic drumming.

The entire stage was a surging electronic beast throughout the night, elevating the audience with fiendish dancing as they bumped and grooved. Mayer looked out and gave his gratitude to the beaming faces,“We believe in the power of music to bring people together, that is why we are here tonight.”

– Noelle Huser

Full Gallery: The Glitch Mob at The Wilma May 16, 2018