The Glitch Mob, Drink the Sea
Glass Air Records

Since the middle of the 2000s, The Glitch Mob have taken bass music to the extreme, banging out synthesized jams that bounce like a hip-hop version of Giorgio Moroder. Drink the Sea, however, may be an attempt to evolve past talented followers like Pretty Lights. Instead of jacking up the beats, they’ve composed an electronic symphony. On tracks like “A Dream within a Dream” and “Animus Vox,” they stretch and expand a motif for five minutes or so, occasionally ratcheting up tension with screaming melodic notes and “keytar” solos. Drink the Sea sounds delirious — it effectively transports instrumental hip-hop to a rave context — but that’s part of The Glitch Mob’s appeal.

Glitch Mob, like so many DJ collectives, is primarily a touring outfit, so we’re used to seeing the West Coast group’s name on sundry festival bills. But the upcoming “More Voltage” tour has a few surprises. First, audiences will get a chance to assess Glitch Mob’s performance without founding member Kraddy, who recently departed due to ever-popular “creative differences.” All of the dates will feature Daddy Kev, the promoter/Alpha Pup label owner/L.A. alt-rap mentor; and some of the shows will include Nosaj Thing, who is blowing up off his excellent debut Drift.

• 7/23: Spin, San Diego, CA (1) (2)
• 7/24: The Roxy, Los Angeles, CA (1) (2)
• 7/25: Mezzanine, San Francisco, CA (1)
• 7/27: Rotture, Portland, OR (1) (2)
• 7/28: Neumo’s, Seattle, WA (1) (2)
• 7/30: Tommy Africa’s, Whistler, BC (1)
• 7/31: Rickshaw Theatre, Vancouver, BC (1)

(1) w/Daddy Kev
(2) w/Nosaj Thing