The stars have aligned once again to bring back a pairing we last saw together in 2009. Yes that’s right folks, GLATZE return to support the one and only MELT BANANA this May 27th at the Rainbow Warehouse, in what can only be described as sweet, sweet déjà vu. Back then this was the first time Sam Underwood (the musical man/loon behind Glatze) had performed at a Capsule event. Since then Sam’s been involved with numerous other Capsule events through his other projects which include Ore, MortonUnderwood &

also If Wet which will be brought along to Supersonic Festival this May.

We caught up with Sam to talk about his upcoming performance with Glatze. See our mini Q & A below. Tickets for this event can be purchased here.

5 years on, what’s it like knowing you’ll be back sharing the stage at a Capsule gig with Melt Banana all over again?

It means a lot to me. I have warm memories of my first encounter as an artist with Capsule and I have been a Melt Banana fan for many moons. Capsule have continued to support me since that day and I can’t wait to dust Glatze off for another outing alongside Melt Banana; for old times’ sake.

Sam, you’re a busy man…you build instruments (MortonUnderwood), play in Ore and also run your own monthly event, If Wet, which will be transported to Supersonic Festival later this May. How do you balance all of these different projects and where does Glatze fit in?

Off the back of my sabbatical I had all these amazing strands I could pursue. For a while I did just that; I just kept throwing them against the wall to see what stuck. That’s hard work though, as I was essentially saying YES to everything. Now I have a clearer idea of what aspects really appeal to me I have started saying NO to some stuff, in order to concentrate my efforts. This makes my life easier and my output more focussed. Glatze is quite distinct in all this, he just lurks on the side-lines waiting for fun opportunities to

play. He’s my light relief.

Image courtesy of Pete Ashton: Taken in 2009 during Glatze’s last performance alongside Melt Banana.

Who are some of your musical (or otherwise) influences?

Glatze is all about attention grabbing, energetic live performances so draws influences from the likes of Henry Rollins, Afrirampo, rave DJs such as Sy and Slipmatt, and of course Melt Banana!

How do you go about writing a song? Do you jam and figure stuff out that way or is the writing process much more structured?

As Glatze, my music always has half an eye on what the live aspects of it will be. It mainly starts with studio production, although tunes range from fully improvised pieces that are constructed entirely live to heavily produced dancefloor vibes with me just twatting about over the top!

What can people expect from Glatze live?

Glatze is older and wiser now so expect more madcap inventions and theatricalities than ever before, and the usual fun-at-all-costs mentality!

For tickets to see MELT BANANA plus GLATZE and THRILLING HEADGEAR go here.

Huge thanks to MortonUnderwood and everyone who got involved with The Sound Trolley residency last week. Causing a right old racket in the Pavilion at the entrance to the Library of Birmingham, sounds were triggered as the trolley was pushed around on floor patterns made from vinyl – these designs determined what sound the trolley made. Images are by Katja Ogrin.

David Morton and Sam Underwood

As the trolley moved along the vinyl, different patterns triggered different sounds

Image by Gush Sohal

This week sees the return of Studio Myerscough’s typography workshops, come along to the Pavilion to join in designing a new typeface.

Juneau Projects’ returned at the weekend to deliver another Vegetable Quest workshop where families made vegetable people from plasticine.

And this Wednesday 2nd October at 8pm is Rise of Birmingham. Free School, Victories at Sea, Victor and Youth Man are four brilliant bands from the region, check em out for only a £5. Tickets are available from www.birmingham-box.co.uk

All this week MortonUnderwood are in residence with their Sound Trolley. It is controlled through an accessible interface and features an optical sequencer at its core; triggering sound as the trolley is pushed around on floor patterns made from vinyl. These designs will determine what sound the trolley emits when it is maneuvered over them. It’s a playful vehicle of sonic delights, waiting to be driven by you.

If you enjoyed the 2arttoyguys’ Vintage Sci Fi residency last week, there’s a ‘Robots and Technology’ lunchtime talk by Nick Hoares of University of Birmingham 12.30-1.30pm.

If you missed the amazing Vegetable Quest workshop in the opening week, you can join Juneau Projects this Saturday at 2p to make your own veggie characters.

Read more about the Discovery season here

The Discovery Pavilion is housing an amazing series of residences, with each creative setting up home in the bespoke space for only a week, so catch each residency while you can!

2arttoyguys spent last week making beautiful vintage sci fi models, and decorated the space all things retro science fiction, including a full size recreation of HG Wells’ Time Machine! Lot’s of people joined in, creating their own models from recycled materials.

This week you can explore The Sound Trolley, a collaborative effort between David Morton and Sam Underwood, it is a whimsical audio creature that contains an array of electronic and acoustic sounds. It is controlled through an accessible interface and features an optical sequencer at its core; triggering sound as the trolley is pushed around on floor patterns made from vinyl. These designs will determine what sound the trolley emits when it is manoeuvred over them. It’s a playful vehicle of sonic delights, waiting to be driven by you.

The best way to experience The Sound Trolley is by having a go. Drop in and try it out, or sign up for a workshop to explore its full potential. Be treated to an extremely fun installation from a wildly unorthodox pair of artists. In the words of Sam Underwood “It’s what humans do with it that really brings it alive.”