TERRITORIES: NORTH & SOUTH AMERICA
From his beginnings as part of the electro house zeitgeist through to his current status as one of the most innovative producers in the wider realms of trance and progressive house, Scottish producer Grum has always been a captivating force. A major part of the scene-leading Anjunabeats label, he’s equally impressive whether producing one of his trademark bold, colorful spine tinglers or one of his deeper, more atmospheric tracks. Pushing a darker, edgier sound than many of his scene contemporaries, he sets himself apart from the pack.
Grum has always worn his heart on his sleeve in terms of his influences, with the sounds of Depeche Mode, New Order, Tears For Fears and Delphic all making their mark on his music. From his 2009 feelgood debut single monster ‘Heartbeats’ with its vibrant, euphoric electro house sound and tinges of pop soon saw him landing major remix commissions. His debut album — also called ‘Heartbeats’ — was a hugely impressive and is now often referred to as a synth-wave cult classic. Released on his label of the same name, it was followed by five years of anthem after anthem on his own imprint. His sound increasingly moved towards a big room aesthetic, with his trademark bold, joyous synth sounds expanding into a bigger soundscape.
The man who’s music Dancing Astronaut called “intoxicating” signed to Anjunabeats in 2015, marking a new chapter that would prove hugely fruitful. A slew of highly acclaimed releases including Beatport Progressive House Chart #1s ‘Shout’ and ‘Under Your Skin’, plus ‘U’ and Fehrplay collaboration ‘Spirit’ would mark him out as one of the label’s key acts. Support from everyone from Deadmau5 to Above & Beyond, Armin Van Buuren, Christoph and Camelphat cemented his reputation as one of the hottest names in the game, with eight Beatport Top 10 tracks now to his name.
His mesmeric DJ sets are the stuff of legends, taking him from Tomorrowland to Audio San Francisco and from Creamfields to Hangar London and many of the world’s other greatest festivals and clubs. He relishes the chance to play extended sets, building things slowly over the course of anywhere up to four hours. His skill as a selector led to him being invited to mix Anjunabeats’ ‘Worldwide 07’ compilation, which hit the top 10 on the Billboard Dance / Electronic Album Sales Chart. After some untimely delays,
his long-awaited second album ‘Deep State’ will finally be released by Anjunabeats in late 2019 and it looks set to catapult him to higher reaches still. His live show has been gaining plaudits in recent times and will develop further with the release of this new album, seeing him become a major fixture on the live circuit in the process. With remixes also forthcoming for Mark Knight & D. Ramirez, Cosmic Gate and Above & Beyond, there’s plenty to look forward to from this stellar talent.