Internationally-famed Australian rapper glu is shaking the contemporary hip hop scene with his unconventional and rebellious soundscape. He has recently gained vast recognition and popularity with his latest masterpiece, ‘VHS’ featuring GIOVANNI FROM KEPLER-22 & 2B. The track presents his rhyming dexterity as well as storytelling ability that is its backbone. He has successfully transformed his raw thoughts and emotions into an eloquent and relatable lyrical ballad masterfully.’ He has recently sat with us for an interview and we are thankful to him for answering our questions with patience.
DMR: What influenced you to write?
Ans: Definitely the lockdown. It was at towards the end of the major one last year, and that cooped up feeling trying to escape drove a lot of it.
DMR: What do you want people to feel when they listen?
Ans: Turnt.
DMR: Which artists inspire your writing style?
Ans: It changes a lot depending on what I’m listening to at the time. I’ve been compared to Yung Lean at times for some of my slower tracks which I definitely see. I’m a big fan of his style.
DMR: Who inspired the creative direction for this track?
Ans: The video edit was definitely inspired by some of the AWGE DVD’s. If you haven’t seen them check it out, they’re some of the craziest edits you’ll see.
DMR: How has being a performing musician affected the way you write music?
Ans: With this album I was for sure thinking about how it would sound live. That chaotic energy is something I’m always trying to bring.
DMR: What are your plans after the release?
Ans: Record more music and do a shitload of live shows now that we can!
DMR: Which part of the track (lyric or composition) stands out the most to you and why:
Ans: I really love Gio’s part, it just adds a completely different flavour to the track that breaks it up really nicely for me. I was expecting him to do some track up rapping but what he delivered was so much more than that. I was a massive fan of his before I reached out to him and he’s honestly the dopest guy to work with.
DMR: Describe your writing process
Ans: It changes, but for this record it was hella spur of the moment. I was just trying to capture the energy I was feeling at the time.
DMR: Who would you most like to collaborate with?
Ans: At the moment it’s Too Birds. Their new album Melbourne 2 is fucking insane, I have no idea what we’d do together but it’d be dope.
DMR: What has been your favourite show you’ve played to date?
Ans: N/A
DMR: Who is your favourite artist to watch live?
Ans: Playboi Carti, I was meant to go to the Too Birds show last night, but lockdown postponed it. I think their shows are gonna go off though.
DMR: Top 3 favourite tracks right now and have they inspired your music, if so, how?
Ans: Monstera Heaven by Too Birds, No Type by Gab3, and Liveinla 1998 by Moodymann. I’m really inspired by artists who do something really unique, and I think all these guys are incredible at creating aesthetics that are wholly their own. They don’t sound like anyone else really, and I guess they inspire me to create the same thing with my own sound.
Draft presser:
Melbourne’s alt hip hop breakthrough glu ups the ante with VHS the lead single of his debut album Ultraglu both set for public release on the 18th of June.
Big on energy, chaos and all things lit, glu comes correct, and with pace on VHS, a collaborative posse track featuring some of the most promising rising artists within his genre. Glu, GIOVANNI from KEPLER-22 & 2B bring authority and presence taming the futuristic mashed electronic production.
The track hitting like LSD in a dystopian future, there are moments of pure bravado broken by a flowing tuned hook with the production rising and falling to compliment the pace and tone of each artist. Collaboratively glu and voidhood turned what would be a mash of sounds into a holistic, hard, and vibrant track allowing each artist to explore their individual influences and strengths.
“I really love Gio’s part, it just adds a completely different flavour to the track that breaks it up really nicely for me. I was expecting him to do some track-up rapping but what he delivered was so much more than that. I was a massive fan of his before I reached out to him and he’s honestly the dopest guy to work with.” – glu
Throughout the album glu displays his range in it’s entirety from vulnerable, aching tracks such as Tokyo and Live in a Dream, to the pure hype of The Party and VHS. The album mirror’s glu’s time in lockdown in Melbourne, capturing the chaos, the emptiness, and angsty with themes documenting the then-current energy while other tracks explore the artist’s imagination of what it would be like once the restrictions were lifted and, in his words, everyone can get lit as fuck again.
Following the release of Ultraglu, glu will continue working on his solo projects, look at booking shows as well as creating music with Big Ass Fish.
DMR: What artist name would you like the promotion to be continued in?
Ans: glu
DMR: Any upcoming plans for the future?
Ans: More music
DMR: When did you start making music professionally?
Ans; 2021
