As one of the club scene’s most recognized and respected acts, The Glitch Mob has exploded from local performances in Los Angeles and San Francisco to international renown for their distinctive sound and compelling live show. Founded in 2006, the group today is composed of accomplished solo producers Ed Ma (edIT), Justin Boreta (Boreta) and Josh Mayer (Ooah). Their 2010 debut album “Drink the Sea” hit #1 on the iTunes Electronic Chart, and peaked on the CMJ Top 200 for college radio at #57.

The Glitch Mob’s ever-increasing exposure has opened new avenues for promoting positive change outside of the realm of music, and its members have embraced these opportunities wholeheartedly, donating all proceeds from their two-volume remix album to relief organizations in Haiti, raffling off back-stage passes to their Chicago show in exchange for donations in service of Japanese residents displaced by the recent earthquake and tsunami, and volunteering at the APCH after school program teaching music in South Central LA.

We caught up with the trio via email during their ongoing US tour to find out more about their efforts to use music to improve the world around them- read on to find out what they’ve been up to, and to cull a few tips on how artists at all levels can do the same.
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Brendan Angelides, better known by stage names Eskmo and Welder, is an innovative producer at the top of his game. With releases on the venerable Warp and Planet Mu imprints (among others), a collaborative project with Amon Tobin as Eskamon, and a new full-length album on Ninja Tune, Brendan has received international renown for his unique, bass-heavy sound and inventive approach to live performance.

Now touring the United States in support of his eponymous album, Brendan stopped through his (and BenevolentBeats) home-base of San Francisco early this month with a unique announcement: most of the proceeds from ticket sales to his show would be donated to the local charity Precita Eyes, an organization dedicated to supporting and maintaining mural arts in the City by the Bay. Given that many consider ticket sales for live performances one of the last bastions of real income for musicians in the age of the “free” MP3, we were struck by this wonderful and selfless gesture, and got in touch with Brendan to learn more about his decision to make charitable giving a part of the experience of his art. He was gracious enough to share a few of his thoughts with us, and we’re extremely pleased to share them with you.
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Amazon’s MP3 promotion has officially come to a close, and with it our campaign to raise funds for Project Open Hand. Now the waiting game begins- Amazon has sixty days from the end of this month to report earnings to our participating artists, and if history serves it’s likely that they’ll take a majority of that time. Sit tight, and rest assured we’ll report back on the final donation amount the moment we find out ourselves.

I’d like to extend my heartfelt thanks to everyone that took a few minutes out of their day to help us with this first project. In this day and age it’s almost impossible to avoid being deluged with a seemingly endless barrage of offers and requests, and it means the world to all of us working on this campaign that you were willing to give us a chance. Extra-special turbo thanks to those of you that helped us spread the word online- you’re the best.

We’ve got plenty more in store for you in the days and weeks to come, so stay tuned! An Amazon promotion might have been the first you heard of us, but it certainly won’t be the last.