Runner by Glimpse

One of the most eagerly anticipated and prolific producers of the moment, Glimpse, releases his debut album on Crosstown Rebels.

Glimpse's album 'Runner' is a truly inspiring, superb album that weaves elements of jazz and soul with house and techno to create something wholly innovative and mesmerising. Already hotly tipped by DJ Mag and Mixmag, Glimpse's album 'Runner' is an amazing body of work that is sure to become one of the albums of the year.

Glimpse is a DJ and producer's favourite, a true innovator who is able to explore and master various genres in his own inimitable style. Blurring the distinctions of traditional genres, he appeals to even the most obstinate listeners through his tireless dedication to continual reinvention. His debut studio album is a beguiling, heady mix of house music drawing on the true essence of its rudimentary influences to produce an album of true magic.

'Runner' is the conclusion of a decade of production for Glimpse. Touching on the experimental improvisation of jazz, with the endless spiraling loops and fluid instrumental solos of 'Feel OK' and 'I Know I Show It', while flirting with the purity of world music in the ethnic outcries of 'Alone Again', and the marimba driven opener 'Walk Tall'.

A new album version of the single release, 'If I Was Your Girl', comes decked with opulent vocal harmonies and compliments the subsequent energy-charged 'Things To Do In Denver', both scored with a rough and urban edge. Still rooted in the underground, 'Runner' concludes with the dubby electronica cuts, 'Enjoyable Employable', and the crackling sparks of 'Thank You', before the mystical terrain of 'Train In Austria' proclaims the final curtain.

"I have always been drawn to the smokey lo-fi aesthetic of old recordings. This was something I wanted to capture on the album, warm and rhythmical but never abrasive or intrusive and hopefully something that you will want to come back to," explained Glimpse on retrospection of the project, "As an artist it's very important to me to be as honest as possible when I produce and I wanted to show people my influences and portray exactly the way I feel about music on the album, aiming to narrow the gulf between thought and expression." Burning with fire in its soul, 'Runner' intends to restructure the essence of house music.

Christopher Spero (AKA Glimpse) has been bubbling gently amidst the waves of the underground dance scene for the past few years, with records released on Carl Craig's Planet E, Cadenza, Kindisch and Buzzin Fly last year alone. Preferring more traditional production techniques, he uses only analogue equipment and records most of his tracks live, editing only afterwards, thus giving his music a more improvised quality. "The process in which I work in the studio has always been paramount to the end product. When I started the album I was experimenting with sampling again and I decided to sample in a more traditional sense, leaving the tails and imperfections in."

His sound is hugely influenced by his early obsessions with blues and jazz music, represented by the classic soulful spirit captured in his music. Concocted during his move from London to Berlin and back again, Glimpse's debut studio album, 'Runner', also bookended the start of his own family. "Many of the background sounds on the album are field recordings made while on tour or from Berlin or Ladbroke Grove where I now live. It became very important to stamp my environment and current situation on tracks. With 'Runner' I want people listening to feel in some way the music or situation that inspired me, whether that be a train journey, lo-fi electronica, jazz, pop, dub, techno or a Single Malt whiskey."

Christopher studied sculpture at Central Saint Martin's art college until 2000, but with music in his heart, he made it his focus and has spent subsequent years fine-tuning his skills, experimenting under different aliases (Attic, Olek, and Spero), and creating his own Glimpse Recordings, with a policy to release solely his own output. He gained a loyal following in Japan early on, where they picked up on his intricate abilities, and Europe and America have begun to follow suit over the past few years. 'Runner' marks the point where the world will, quite rightly, direct Glimpse some major attention.

Crosstown Rebels deliver a unique underground music experience. Firmly dedicated to the support and development of the best cutting edge electronic dance music, Crosstown Rebels, run by artist and dj Damian Lazarus, loves quality alternative sounds, adores a great party and thrives on creative, young people armed with something new to say.

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