Glitch

Glitch (also known as Clicks and Cuts from a representative compilation series by the German record label Mille Plateaux) (See

Glitch (also known as Clicks and Cuts from a representative compilation series by the German record label Mille Plateaux) (See Clicks & Cuts Series) is a genre of electronic music that became popular in the late 1990s with the increasing use of digital signal processing, particularly on computers. Often considered a sub-genre of intelligent dance music, Glitch eschews traditional instrumentation, preferring instead the use of mechanized and non-natural sounds. Though rhythm is a central focal point of Glitch, the style's various sub-genres range from the ambient to the dance-oriented.

Glitch is often produced on computers using modern digital production software to splice together small "cuts" (samples) of music from previously recorded works. These cuts are then integrated with the signature of Glitch music: beats comprised of glitches, clicks, scratches, and otherwise "erroneously" produced or sounding noise. These glitches are often very short, and are typically used in place of traditional percussion or instrumentation. Skipping CDs, scratched vinyl records, circuit bending, and other noise-like distortions figure prominently into the creation of rhythm and feeling in Glitch; it is from the use of these digital artifacts that the genre derives its name. However, not all artists of the genre are working with erroneously produced sounds or are even using digital sounds.