Glume & Phossa venture ‘Between Surface’ on debut album

The release of a debut album is a landmark moment for any producer, but when it also marks the first LP to appear on a label that’s been running for well over a decade? Well, you know you’re onto something really special.

That’s exactly the case with ‘Between Surface’ by British production duo Glume & Phossa, which dropped on White Peach on July 28 in both digital and vinyl formats.

Strongly associated with dubstep and 140, Glume & Phossa have put out a string of releases in recent years, notably on the scene-defining Deep Medi Musik in 2021 with their ‘Banshee’ EP.

Having matured across these multiple collaborations, ‘Between Surface’ sees the duo, real names Oskar Allen (Glume) and Luke Barnett (Phossa), deliver their sophomore release on White Peach, another heavyweight imprint in the 140 realm.

The album’s title alludes to “all the different places it was written in and influenced by,” Oskar shares with Mixmag Asia via email. “As we were writing in various locations, some urban and some rural, this started to influence the music itself, meshing together synthetic and more natural sounds.”

Repetitive arps, pentatonic scales, and tuned percussive timbres are some of the Glume & Phossa signatures that appear on the album. When asked about the origins of these aesthetics in their work, Luke points to their different musical backgrounds; “I was in indie bands and started producing non-clubby electronic music, whereas Oskar was into metal growing up and then started producing UK club music. So, when we started producing stuff together, it was a mix of Oskar’s dubstep production and my melodic approach.”

Oskar, meanwhile, hones in on another defining element, influenced by Burial and MssingNo: “Chopped vocals is a theme throughout. As we really pushed the melodic side of our production, we found that vocal chops just really complimented our arps and plucks. I’ve always been a fan of manipulating vocals to the point where the meaning changes or there are no discernible words left.”

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The weight with which White Peach is treating the album is reflected in the departure from the label’s signature artwork template, which has remained unchanged across 66 EPs over 13 years, and the birth of a new catalogue number code for the LP (WPRLP001).

Listening to the melodic tapestry that ‘Between Surface’ weaves across multiple BPMs and rhythmic profiles, you might be forgiven for not realising that Glume & Phossa boast some serious rave credentials, as well. For a taste of their club energy, peep their 2019 Keep Hush set, which unleashes deep and dark dubstep.

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With the album, however, it’s clear there were different intentions. “We’d done quite a few EPs in a short amount of time, so we liked the idea of slowing things down a little and concentrating on one project, Luke says, “We also felt it would be a good opportunity to showcase a bit of change in direction, using different BPMs and trying to create something that sits between club and home listening music.”

Listen or purchase ‘Between Surface” here.

Mengzy is Mixmag Asia’s Music Culture Columnist, follow her on Instagram.