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Youth (musician)
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Key Information

Martin Glover (born 27 December 1960), better known by his stage name Youth, is a British musician and record producer. He is a founding member and bassist of the rock band Killing Joke, and a member of the Fireman, along with Paul McCartney.

Early career

[edit]

Martin Glover was born on 27 December 1960 in Slough, at that point part of Buckinghamshire, England. He attended private boarding school Kingham Hill School in Oxfordshire, where he met Alex Paterson,[1] who would become a roadie for Glover's band Killing Joke, and later founder of the Orb. Naming himself Youth after the roots reggae chanter Big Youth, in 1977 he joined punk rock band the Rage, who toured with the Adverts.[2][3] Later he joined "4 Be 2", a band formed by John Lydon's brother Jimmy Lydon, and recorded the "One of the Lads" single with them.[3]

Youth was the original bass player in Killing Joke but left the band in 1982 and soon after founded his own band Brilliant with future the KLF member Jimmy Cauty. The act recorded one album with producers Stock Aitken Waterman (SAW) in 1985 before disbanding.

Youth also played bass on the Bollock Brothers' disco-mix 12-inch, "The Slow Removal of Vincent van Gogh's Left Ear" (1982).

In 1989, Youth and Alex Paterson started the WAU! Mr. Modo label.[4]

Youth was asked by Adrian Sherwood to remix some of Bim Sherman's tracks for a reworking of the Miracle album. He also appeared on a Ted Parsons/NIC dub album, contributing a remix which opens with a sample from Glen Brown's "Version '78", a track originally released on the South East label.

In the early nineties, Youth formed techno and house music duo Blue Pearl together with American singer Durga McBroom. They scored a handful of hit singles including their blue vinyl debut "Naked in the Rain", which reached No. 4 in the UK singles chart and was also a No. 5 dance hit in the U.S. in 1990. It was followed by "Little Brother" and "(Can You) Feel the Passion". An album, Naked, was also released.

In 1994, Youth rejoined Killing Joke and their album Pandemonium was released on his Butterfly Recordings label, as was the 1996 follow-up, Democracy.

He is credited with founding the first psychedelic trance record label, Dragonfly Records, as well as the Liquid Sound Design and Kamaflage Records labels. He is well known in the psychedelic trance scene, collaborating with Simon Posford and Saul Davies as Celtic Cross, with Greg Hunter and Simon Posford as Dub Trees, and on the project Zodiac Youth. He has performed both full-on trance as well as chill-out DJ sets at several Return to the Source parties, and released the Ambient Meditations 3 mix album on their label in 2000. His Butterfly Studios were also home of the Return to the Source offices circa 1999–2002.

Later career

[edit]
Youth (left) with Geordie Walker

Youth's Butterfly Records label has produced artists such as Take That, Wet Wet Wet, Tom Jones, the Orb, System 7, Maria McKee and Heather Nova. Youth was the co-producer of the Verve's Urban Hymns and Dolores O'Riordan's Are You Listening?.[5] He has also worked, produced and remixed for artists including Kate Bush, Guns N' Roses, Primal Scream, Embrace, Siouxsie and the Banshees, Gaudi, Art of Noise, Crowded House, Zoe, P.M. Dawn, Pop Will Eat Itself, Yazoo, Erasure, U2, Bananarama, INXS, James and Suns of Arqa.

Youth had also made plans to work with Duran Duran in the later stages of their lost album Reportage,[6] before it was shelved later in 2006.

In 2008, Youth produced the Delays album Everything's the Rush, the Futureheads' This Is Not The World and worked on the debut album of American band The Daylights. In 2013, Glover produced the debut album Collective by the DIY indie rock band Echotape,[7] followed by Meteorites by Echo and the Bunnymen and Lion by Peter Murphy. The following year, Glover produced Culture Club's Tribes album.

Youth is a member of the band Transmission, together with Simon Tong of the Verve, Paul Ferguson of Killing Joke and Tim Bran of Dreadzone. He also played guitar on several tracks on the 2007 Client album Heartland.

In mid-2010, he teamed up with Alex Paterson (of the Orb) to compile a retrospective compilation album of tracks from the WAU! Mr Modo label. The album titled Impossible Oddities was released on CD and double vinyl on 25 October 2010 via Year Zero Records.

In 2011, he recorded Generation Indigo, a fusion of punk, dub, ambient and techno with Poly Styrene of early punk rock band X-Ray Spex.

On 27 October 2012, during the International Festival of Music Producers and Sound Designers SOUNDEDIT, Youth was awarded The Man with the Golden Ear Award.[8][9]

In 2016, he received the PPL Music Producers Guild Lifetime Achievement award and released the album Create Christ, Sailor Boy with David Tibet as Hypnopazūzu.[10]

In 2017, he teamed with Gaudi for two collaborative releases as 'YOUTH & GAUDI': the vinyl 10in '2063: A Dub Odyssey' (printed on a limited edition green vinyl) and their debut album 'Astronaut Alchemists', both on Liquid Sound Design. Subsequently, the duo released the double album 'Astronaut Alchemists – Remixes' featuring Banco de Gaia, The Orb, Kaya Project, Bombay Dub Orchestra, Kuba, Gabriel Le Mar, Pitch Black, BUS/Gus Till, Vlastur, Deep Fried Dub, The Egg, Jef Stott/Aslan Dub, Onium, Living Light, Sadhu Sensi, DM-Theory and Uncle Fester On Acid.

In 2018, he recorded a collaborative album with Nik Turner. Pharaohs from Outer Space was released by Painted Word on 17 August 2018.

In 2019 he teamed with Italian musician Emilio Sorridente and created The Dream Symposium. They recorded the space rock album Green Electric Muse, produced by Youth and released in 2020 by Youthsounds Records. In the same year, he worked with Public Image Ltd's Keith Levene and Richard Dudanski on a single about the Brexit revolt with Mark Stewart of the Pop Group on vocals.

In 2021, he received the Grammy Award in the category Best Reggae Album as a producer of Got to Be Tough by Toots and the Maytals.[11]

Production discography

[edit]
See also: Category:Albums produced by Youth (musician)

Taken from Martin Glover's Youth site.[12]

Artist Title Record company Credit Year
Alien Sex Fiend Who's Been Sleeping in My Brain Anagram Records Production 1983
Art of Noise "The Ambient Collection" China/Polydor Additional Production/Remix 1990
Art of Noise Art of Love China Production/Remix
Bananarama Pop Life London Production 1991
Blue Pearl Naked Big Life Production
Blue Pearl Naked in the Rain Big Life Production
The Charlatans Who We Touch Frinck Recordings Production 2010
Edwyn Collins A Girl Like You Remix
Crowded House Together Alone EMI Production
The Cult She Sells Sanctuary Beggars Banquet Records Additional production/mix
Howie Day Stop All the World Now Sony (US) Production
Dido Don't Think of Me BMG Production
Drum Club Drums are Dangerous Instinct Production
Dubstar One Northern Writes Production
Embrace All You Good Good People Production
Embrace Come Back to What You Know Hut Records Production
Embrace The Good Will Out Independiente Production/Mixed
Embrace Higher Sights Hut Production
Erasure "Chorus" (single) Mute Records Production/Mixed
Faith No More A Small Victory Slash Records 12" remix
FAKE? Switching on X MusicTaste Production
The Fireman Strawberries Oceans Ships Forest Parlophone Writer/Co-producer 1993
The Fireman Rushes Hydra Writer/Co-producer 1998
The Fireman Electric Arguments One Little Indian Writer/Co-producer 2008
The Futureheads This Is Not the World Nul Records Production
Guns N' Roses Chinese Democracy Geffen initial arrangement suggestions, Additional Demo Pre-production on "Madagascar" 2008
James Seven Mercury Records Production
Vanessa-Mae Art of War EMI Production/Mix 2002
Marilyn Manson Mobscene Interscope Records Additional production/remix
The Music Come What May Virgin Production
Heather Nova Oyster Big Life Production
Heather Nova Siren Sony Production
Heather Nova Pearl Saltwater Production
The Orb The Orb's Adventures Beyond the Ultraworld Island Records Co-producer/Co-writer
Beth Orton Best Bit Heavenly Recordings Production
P.M. Dawn Set Adrift on Memory Bliss Island Additional production/mix 1991
The Prostitutes Deaf to the Call X Production Production
Sam Roberts Band Lo-Fantasy Secret Brain Production 2014
Shack H.M.S. Fable London Production
Shed Seven Instant Pleasures BMG Production 2017
Siouxsie and the Banshees "Kiss Them for Me" Wonderland 12" remix 1991
Sonido Vegetal Las Bases del Razonamiento Maldito Digital Production
Sonido Vegetal Verbena Calavera Octubre (Sony Music)[13] Production
The Sugarcubes Vitamin One Little Indian Records 12" remix
Symposium Bury You Infectious Records Production
Symposium Paint The Stars Infectious Records Production
Tribazik Data Warfare Skyride Mixing and additional production
U2 Night and Day Island 12" remix 1998
Vega 4 Love Is The Music Taste Media Production
The Verve Bitter Sweet Symphony Hut Records Production
The Verve Lucky Man Hut Records Production
The Verve Sonnet Hut Records Production
The Verve Urban Hymns Hut Records Co-producer 1997
Naturists Naked In the Rain Interactive Records Co-producer
Naturists Naturist composition inst Interactive Records Co-producer
Naturists Naked Interactive Records Co-producer
Nik Tuner (Hawkwind) Interstellar Energy Cadiz Music Producer 2020
Youth Meets Jah Wobble Acid Punk Dub Apocalypse Cadiz Music Producer 2020
Lee Scratch Perry Spaceship To Mars Creation Youth Producer 2024
3HEAD You Are Beautiful Creation Youth Producer 2025

References

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Youth (musician)

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Martin Glover, known professionally as Youth (born 27 December 1960), is a British , , songwriter, and label founder, best recognized as the original bassist for the band and for his pioneering work in electronic music production, particularly in dub, , and psychedelic genres.
After departing in 1982 following the band's early albums, Youth established Butterfly Studios in , which became a hub for innovative recording techniques and collaborations.
He founded influential labels including Butterfly Recordings and Dragonfly Records—the latter credited with launching the movement in the 1990s—and has produced or remixed for artists such as (in the duo The Fireman), , , and , emphasizing experimental sound design and genre-blending.
Youth rejoined in 1994 and continues to perform with the band, while maintaining an active solo career as a and dub artist; in 2016, he was awarded the Music Producers Guild's Lifetime Achievement Award for his contributions to UK music.

Early life

Childhood and influences

Martin Glover was born on 27 December 1960. He spent his first two years in Solihull, Birmingham, living with his grandmother in a Victorian terraced house, before the family moved south to Slough around age two or three, and later to areas near Gerrards Cross. His parents divorced when he was nine, resulting in subsequent relocations between London and Reading. At age seven, Glover's father introduced him to Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band by The Beatles, providing an early encounter with innovative recording and psychedelic rock. As a teenager around 14 or 15, he identified as a "soul boy," gaining entry to London clubs like Crackers and Global Village despite age restrictions, where he absorbed disco and funk rhythms. By 16, punk rock and Jamaican dub reggae became key influences, with the bass-driven productions of King Tubby and Lee "Scratch" Perry resonating through club experiences and self-directed listening; Glover noted often being the only white attendee at dub-focused events. Glover left school at 15 to tour with the punk band Rage and immersed himself in London's countercultural squats in , encountering punk figures such as . Lacking formal music training, he began playing guitar at 13, experimenting with , and writing songs, fostering a self-taught affinity for rhythm and bass elements drawn from dub's atmospheric depth and punk's raw energy. These formative exposures to 1970s genres and scenes shaped his instrumental inclinations without structured guidance.

Initial musical involvement

Martin Glover, known professionally as , entered the music scene during the UK's punk explosion of the late 1970s, transitioning from fan to performer through self-taught bass playing and brief band affiliations. In 1977, at age 16 after leaving school and returning from a summer job in , he immersed himself in London's punk gigs at venues like The Marquee and Camden Music Machine, attending shows with future collaborators such as while fueled by substances like speed and snakebite. Responding to a classified ad in the music paper , Glover auditioned for and joined the punk band The Rage despite lacking any prior bass experience; he learned the instrument on the spot using a borrowed Rickenbacker copy, mimicking the guitarist's finger positions. The group toured the extensively, completing 32 dates supporting acts including and The Saints, before disbanding when the guitarist departed to form White Cats. Following this, Glover had short stints with the all-female band Stilletto's and then The Four Be Twos, the latter led by John Lydon's brother and connected to early production sessions overseen by Lydon himself for their single "One of the Lads," released on and peaking just outside the Top 40. These experiences marked Glover's empirical entry into performance and rudimentary production, relying on trial-and-error with basic gear amid the DIY ethos of punk, which democratized music-making for working-class amid Britain's and industrial decline in the late . His self-taught approach, devoid of formal training, emphasized hands-on adaptation in live and studio settings, laying groundwork for later technical proficiency without reliance on institutional pathways.

Career beginnings

Formation of Killing Joke

Killing Joke originated in , , in 1979, with vocalist and keyboardist and drummer initiating the project after collaborating since August 1978. Guitarist Kevin "Geordie" Walker joined shortly thereafter, followed by bassist Martin "Youth" Glover in spring 1979, who responded to a classified advertisement in a music weekly. Glover's audition consisted of a rudimentary one-note with Walker that evolved into the band's first composition, securing his position despite initial reservations from Coleman and Ferguson regarding his technical proficiency; his emotional intensity in delivery proved decisive. The quartet's formation reflected a commitment to sonic innovation within the landscape, prioritizing rhythmic propulsion and textural experimentation over conventional punk aggression. Youth's bass contributions introduced dub-derived grooves and heavy, repetitive lines that underpinned the band's industrial edge, drawing from contemporaneous influences like The Clash's emerging dub explorations. This approach manifested in their self-financed debut EP Turn to Red (1979), which fused with dub and elements, establishing a mechanized, bass-forward template through tracks like "Are You Receiving." Youth played a pivotal role in the band's early recordings, including the debut single "Wardance," recorded in 1979 and released in February 1980, where his driving bass lines amplified the track's tribal, martial rhythm amid distorted guitars and urgent percussion. The self-titled debut album, released on , 1980, via Malicious Damage, further showcased this foundation with singles "Wardance" and "," yielding a raw sound born of studio and unconventional , such as Walker's effects-laden guitar tones. Youth's prior studio familiarity aided in production decisions, enhancing the album's dense, rhythmic architecture without reliance on overdubs.

Role in early post-punk scene

Youth joined in spring 1979 as bassist, helping shape the band's emergence from London's scene alongside vocalist , guitarist , and drummer . The group's debut EP, Turn to Red, appeared in August 1979 on their co-founded label Malicious Damage, featuring Youth's raw, feeling-driven bass lines that prioritized groove over virtuosity, as heard in the one-note jam evolving into "Are You Receiving." Key early singles like "Wardance" and "Pssyche," released in 1980 via Malicious Damage, exemplified Youth's bass-driven intensity, with "Wardance" employing heavy, three-dimensional low-end tones processed through space echo for dub-like effects, blending post-punk aggression with proto-industrial hypnosis. Youth's contributions extended to the self-produced debut album Killing Joke, recorded in August 1980 at Marquee Studios and released on October 5, 1980, by EG Records (distributed via Polydor), where tracks such as "Wardance" and "Psyche" showcased interlocking bass and mechanized guitar riffs that fused funk, dub, and metal influences into a relentless, groove-oriented assault. The follow-up What's THIS For...! in 1981 earned a perfect 5/5 rating in Sounds for its innovative edge, highlighting Youth's studio aptitude in layering bass with Ferguson's dance rhythms to create proto-industrial tension. In live settings, Youth's technical prowess underpinned the band's rigorous execution, supporting extensive tours including support slots with and headlining London's , where the quartet's hard-edged aggression—rooted in stylistic choices like venomous mixing and hypnotic repetition—drew acclaim for pioneering industrial without descending into mere chaos. Critics noted the sound's influence on heavier genres, attributing its impact to Youth's foundational bass work that balanced raw power with precise, academic tightness, though some viewed the intensity as overly confrontational—a deliberate artistic stance rather than excess.

Independent production era

Departure from Killing Joke

In 1982, at the age of 22, Martin Glover, known professionally as Youth, departed from Killing Joke following the release of their third album, Revelations. The exit stemmed from creative differences, particularly Youth's dissatisfaction with the album's experimental direction, which he later described as the band's weakest effort due to its avoidance of conventional structures like choruses and an overall shift that diverged from his vision. This period of instability was exacerbated by frontman Jaz Coleman's abrupt relocation to Iceland with guitarist Geordie Walker, prompted by Coleman's apocalyptic predictions and interest in occult practices, leaving Youth in the UK amid the band's fracturing dynamics. Youth's final performance with the group occurred that year at Jenkinsons in Brighton, marking the end of his role as the original bassist who had shaped their dub-influenced post-punk sound since 1979. Youth's departure facilitated an immediate pivot to independent production and sonic exploration, free from band constraints. He formed the short-lived group Brilliant alongside (later of ), blending dub, , punk, and electronic elements in a manner that prioritized deconstructive experimentation over mainstream accessibility. This work reflected Youth's emerging production ethos, rooted in dub pioneers like and Lee "Scratch" Perry, emphasizing rhythmic disassembly, spatial depth, and non-conformist textures as a reaction against commercial rigidity. Having gained studio confidence through self-producing Killing Joke's initial albums, Youth viewed production as a natural extension of his technical aptitude, allowing causal focus on material properties of sound rather than performative group tensions.

Founding of labels and early productions

In 1991, Martin Glover, known as , co-founded Butterfly Recordings and established Records, pioneering labels dedicated to ambient, chill-out, and early music. These independent ventures emerged amid the UK's post-rave electronic scene, where Youth identified commercial potential in dub-influenced and atmospheric genres, blending artistic experimentation with market-driven adaptations to niche audiences seeking extended, immersive tracks over mainstream pop structures. Dragonfly, in particular, is credited as the world's first label specializing in psychedelic trance, releasing compilations and artist works that capitalized on growing demand for Goa-influenced sounds, though such startups carried financial risks in an era dominated by major labels. Youth's early productions through these labels and related efforts emphasized dub and chill-out innovations, including ambient projects that extended roots into electronic realms. He co-founded WAU! Mr. Modo Records in the late , which issued dub-heavy releases reflecting his interest in rhythmic and spatial effects as viable alternatives to conventional rock production. Initial credits included remixes like ' "Vitamin (Youth's Babylon's Burning Mix)" in 1992, where he infused Icelandic with echoing dub delays and atmospheric layering, demonstrating entrepreneurial flexibility in adapting to diverse artists while building label rosters. These outputs, often self-financed and distributed via independent networks, underscored Youth's strategy of leveraging underground credibility for sustainability, predating broader commercialization.

Major collaborations and reunions

Work with high-profile artists

Youth co-produced The Verve's third studio album Urban Hymns, released on September 29, 1997, which integrated rock structures with psychedelic and orchestral elements recorded initially at in . The album topped the for multiple weeks and sold over ten million copies worldwide, marking a commercial peak for the band amid Britpop's decline. At the 1998 BRIT Awards, Urban Hymns received the Best British Album accolade, while Youth shared the Best British Producer award with band members and engineer Chris Potter, recognizing the production's role in its sonic depth and hit singles like "Bitter Sweet Symphony." In the , collaborated with as the production partner in the experimental duo The Fireman, yielding three albums that prioritized unpolished creativity over mainstream appeal. Their 2008 release was recorded in 13 days, with McCartney handling vocals and instruments under Youth's production guidance, resulting in a raw rock-oriented sound distinct from McCartney's solo catalog. This partnership, spanning electronica-infused works like 1993's and 1998's Rushes, demonstrated Youth's ability to facilitate anonymous, merit-based output from a high-profile artist, emphasizing improvisational recording techniques. Youth extended his production credits to Pink Floyd's , released on November 7, 2014, where he co-produced alongside , , and Andy Jackson, focusing on remixing archival sessions from the era into a predominantly . The project involved Youth in final mixing stages at multiple studios, refining atmospheric and ambient textures to honor the band's legacy without new compositions from all original members. Debuting at number one in multiple countries and selling over a million copies in its first week, the album underscored Youth's precision in handling legacy material for established acts.

Return to Killing Joke

Youth rejoined in 1994 as , marking the band's after an extended hiatus, and took on production duties for their album Pandemonium, released that year. The album featured Youth's bass work alongside vocalist and guitarist , with on drums, incorporating industrial and dub influences reflective of Youth's production style. This reunion emphasized rhythmic drive and apocalyptic themes, aligning with the band's foundational sound while integrating Youth's evolving technical approaches. In the 2000s and 2010s, Youth's involvement became more consistent following bassist Paul Raven's death in 2007, solidifying his role in subsequent lineups. He contributed to the album MMXII, recorded by the core quartet of Coleman, Walker, , and drummer , which explored themes tied to Mayan calendar prophecies and maintained the band's intense, riff-heavy aggression. balanced his membership with production input, helping evolve the sound through modern recording techniques without diluting the original tribal rhythms and tension. Albums like MMXII demonstrated continuity in core elements—such as Walker's angular guitar tones and Coleman's shamanic vocals—while innovating with denser sonic layers, contributing to releases that avoided mere retrospection. Killing Joke's endurance stems from this adaptive evolution rather than reliance on , evidenced by consistent new material and touring. Post-2010 reunions supported albums like MMXII alongside extensive live performances, including European dates in 2012 and a 40th anniversary world tour in 2018, sustaining audience engagement through fresh interpretations of their roots. The band's output—spanning over a dozen studio albums by the —reflects causal factors like lineup stability under Youth's dual influence and refusal to stagnate, prioritizing sonic reinvention over archival appeals, which has preserved their relevance amid shifting musical landscapes.

Recent developments

Grammy win and ongoing projects

In 2021, Youth co-produced the album Got to Be Tough by , which posthumously won the Grammy Award for Best Album at the held on March 14. The album, released in August 2020, featured 10 tracks blending roots with modern production elements, marking Toots Hibbert's final recordings before his death in September 2020. Following the death of guitarist from a on November 26, 2023, at age 64, the band has remained inactive as a performing unit, with issuing a public tribute describing Walker as "one of the very best and most influential guitarists ever" who "defined a generation or three with his genius." has since shifted emphasis to independent production and solo electronic work, including a 2024 remix of "Disco Lights" that incorporates dub and ambient textures. In recent years, Youth has explored ambient and psychedelic soundscapes through collaborations, such as sessions with producer Matt Black () focused on "beautiful ambient textures" for projects like Chant Ambient. He maintains activity via DJ sets, including a May 2024 performance at Vox Club in Nonantola, , and appearances at festivals like Beautiful Days in August 2025, where he noted the crowd's energetic response to his sets. These efforts underscore his ongoing commitment to experimental electronic and dub forms outside band structures.

Current musical explorations

In 2025, Youth collaborated with dub pioneer on the single In the Name of Dub, extending his explorations into remixing and echo-laden electronic sound design rooted in traditions. This release highlights his adaptation of analog-inspired techniques to contemporary digital workflows, allowing for precise layering of and spatial effects in studio environments. Youth has engaged in ambient projects, including work with Matt Black on textures for the Ambient series, emphasizing ethereal, improvisational electronic compositions that prioritize atmospheric immersion over conventional structures. In a 2024 interview, he referenced rebooting elements of —the 2016 ambient collaboration with and —suggesting ongoing refinements to expansive, guitar-infused soundscapes using updated processing tools for greater sonic depth. His production with experimental acts underscores future-oriented experimentation; in December 2024, he facilitated the completion of 14 tracks for Fire In Her Eyes during an intensive two-week studio session, yielding releases such as 'Too Late To Change' that blend folk-inflected with dynamic builds. Similarly, in 2025, Youth co-wrote and produced for Mark Stewart, drawing on decades of association to craft radical, noise-infused electronic hybrids that challenge genre boundaries. These endeavors reflect Youth's integration of into his musical process, as his self-taught mixed-media practice—involving , , and —informs the construction of multi-layered auditory environments akin to abstract compositions.

Production style and innovations

Technical approaches

Youth's recording techniques prioritize capturing live, in-room performances to retain an unpolished organic quality, often employing an to document the session comprehensively for potential overdubs while minimizing separation that could dilute the initial energy. During collaborations with at Hog Hill Studios, he adopted a jam-oriented method using vintage analog consoles like the Neve desk and period instruments such as Mellotrons, facilitating rapid, improvisational takes with limited overdubs to foster spontaneity over premeditated structure. In blending analog and digital elements, Youth integrates hardware like old compressors, the Eventide 3000 effects unit, and analog synth filters from the MS-20 to impart warmth and texture, particularly in bass-focused designs, while routing through software such as Apple Logic for arrangement and editing rather than . This approach persists in digital-dominant eras, favoring analogue keyboards and outboard processing to counteract perceived digital sterility, as evidenced by his explicit aversion to FM synthesis in favor of tactile, responsive gear. Mixing emphasizes restraint to avoid , drawing on dub reggae practices of selective muting, echo application, and structural deconstruction—inspired by engineers like —for dynamic, space-conscious results rather than layered density. For bass elements, he incorporates subtle additional lines post-recording to reinforce low-end presence without overt disruption, treating the as an extension of guitar techniques like slapping, which enables percussive layering rooted in punk and dub traditions for rhythmic propulsion.

Philosophical underpinnings

Youth's approach to music creation is rooted in a philosophy of sonic , wherein sound is treated as a transformative medium stripped to its elemental essence, prioritizing authenticity and originality over conventional structures. He advocates for a aesthetic that embraces imperfection and , such as incorporating mistakes and employing random selection processes—like drawing from a stack of records for sampling—to foster genuine innovation rather than polished predictability. This method reflects a commitment to empirical , viewing production as a "heroic and fearless cavalry charge into the unknown," where adaptability trumps rigid techniques and studio conflict is deliberately induced to generate the intensity necessary for profound work. Central to his worldview are psychedelics and as catalysts for expanded and , drawing from influences like Syd Barrett's naivete and the inner cosmic journeys evoked in albums such as Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. Youth founded Dragonfly Records, the first label dedicated to , aiming to produce mind-altering music that defies genre boundaries and taps into 24/7 inspirational flows guided by nature and unbridled exploration. He cites thinkers like as a "North Star" for navigating "freak ," critiquing overly formulaic mainstream practices by favoring spontaneous, anarchistic processes that maintain a childlike openness to the surreal and abstract. In balancing commercial viability with artistic depth, Youth rejects narratives of compromise, insisting that true producers prioritize the "art of the piece" while drawing efficiency from diverse influences, including pop production models, without succumbing to niche specialization or . His broad-gauge engagement across underground scenes and high-profile collaborations underscores a pursuit of timeless authenticity, where commercial success emerges organically from unfiltered essence rather than trend-chasing dilution.

Discography highlights

Key productions

  • The Verve – Urban Hymns (1997): Youth handled initial production, shaping the album's layered, before Chris Potter refined mixes amid band revisions; it secured number one status upon release on September 29, 1997, overtaking Oasis and amassing over 10 million worldwide sales, with singles like driving its chart dominance and critical acclaim for emotional depth.
  • The Fireman (with ) – Electric Arguments (2008): Co-produced in intensive sessions producing multiple tracks daily, Youth enabled McCartney's full instrumentation and vocals for this guitar-driven outing, diverging from prior ambient Fireman releases like Rushes (1998); the album's spontaneous rock edge received positive reviews for revitalizing McCartney's creativity, though it eschewed heavy marketing for artistic autonomy.
  • Pink Floyd – The Endless River (2014): As co-producer with Gilmour, Manzanera, and Jackson, Youth contributed bass and guitar to enhance unused -era instrumentals, yielding a predominantly ambient released November 7, 2014, as Wright's memorial; it topped the UK chart on debut, affirming Youth's skill in archival curation, despite debates over its minimal new content versus atmospheric polish.

Solo and collaborative releases

Youth's collaborative efforts extend to electronic and dub projects distinct from his production work for established artists. In partnership with producer Gaudi, he released Astronaut Alchemists on November 16, 2018, an comprising nine tracks emphasizing heavy basslines, psychedelic effects, and dub remixes, including "Bass Weapon" and "". This was followed by Stratosphere on September 7, 2022, featuring similar experimental dub fusions across tracks like "" and "Beautiful People". Youth also co-produced and recorded Spaceship to Mars, the final studio album by reggae pioneer Lee "Scratch" Perry, released posthumously after Perry's death in 2021, with Youth handling the bulk of the production at his studio. Earlier, his involvement in The Orb's foundational period contributed to the ambient dub style on their 1992 album , where he co-developed sampling and atmospheric techniques with and . In addition to these, Youth appeared on The Orb's 2018 album No Sounds Are Out of Bounds, providing contributions amid collaborations with artists like and , further showcasing his ambient electronic sensibilities. Such releases underscore his focus on innovative in niche dub and ambient realms, often prioritizing experimental depth over mainstream accessibility.

Recognition and impact

Awards received

Youth co-produced The Verve's (1997), which earned him the 1998 BRIT Award for Best British Producer, shared with the band and Chris Potter, following three years of nominations and reflecting the album's commercial success topping the charts for ten weeks. In 2016, the Music Producers Guild presented Youth with its Outstanding Contribution to Music Award at a ceremony in , honoring his four-decade career spanning production, remixing, and performance across genres from to ambient. Youth served as co-producer on Toots and the Maytals' Got to Be Tough (2020), which won the Grammy Award for Best Reggae Album at the 63rd Annual Grammy Awards on March 14, 2021, marking a posthumous recognition for Toots Hibbert amid the band's enduring influence in reggae.

Influence on music genres

Youth pioneered the integration of dub techniques into post-punk and rock music through his foundational role in Killing Joke, where he applied reggae-inspired mixing methods like muting, echoing, and spatial effects to create hypnotic, rhythmic depth. His early contribution to the band's 1979 track "Turn to Red" exemplified this approach, blending dark post-punk aggression with dub's subtractive production, drawing from all-night sessions studying Jamaican dub pioneers such as King Tubby. This fusion distinguished Killing Joke from contemporaries, influencing subsequent industrial and alternative acts by demonstrating how dub's causal emphasis on groove and reverb could amplify rock's intensity without diluting its edge. In electronic and ambient genres, Youth extended dub principles into chill-out and ambient dub via his production work and labels like Butterfly Records and , which released compilations emphasizing layered atmospheres and . Projects such as the Eternity Project One in the early 1990s incorporated warehouse-ready grooves with stabs, contributing to the chill-out scene's evolution by hybridizing dub's delay effects with electronic textures. However, these innovations built directly on reggae's foundational techniques, with Youth's adaptations representing iterative rather than wholly original causal shifts, as evidenced by his explicit citations of Jamaican in mixing . Critics have noted that Youth's dub-rock synthesis, while innovative in Western contexts, often derives structural elements from reggae's established delay and bass-heavy paradigms, potentially overstating novelty in narratives favoring European over Jamaican origins. Empirical analysis of Killing Joke's output, including Youth's "In Dub" , reveals consistent reliance on these borrowed methods, balanced by original applications like ritualistic bass patterns that causally enhanced post-punk's tribal urgency. This measured influence underscores targeted advancements in genre hybridization rather than broad paradigmatic overhaul.

Personal life and views

Private background

Martin Glover was born on 27 December 1960 in Birmingham, , experiencing an itinerant childhood that included time in the city's postwar slums before relocating to a suburban house outside . Public information on his family remains sparse, reflecting a deliberate emphasis on amid his professional prominence; he has described himself as a married father of two children, including a son named Jake who has assisted in his music production work. Glover maintains residences connected to his career infrastructure, including a project studio at his home in and his primary recording facility, Space Mountain Studios, situated in rural , , where he has operated since establishing it around 2000.

Perspectives on music and society

Youth has expressed toward the music industry's of artists through rigid classifications, which he sees as stifling creative freedom by associating performers solely with past outputs, such as linking him exclusively to . In response, he has prioritized independent control, utilizing pseudonyms early in his career to produce across , and ambient styles without major label oversight or contractual constraints. Regarding psychedelics, Youth describes them as causal enhancers of perception, enabling access to expanded dimensions of awareness, communication, and creativity that transcend ordinary time and space constraints. He attributes major musical breakthroughs directly to substances like DMT, positioning them as tools for genuine perceptual expansion rather than overhyped recreational escapes devoid of substantive outcomes. On music's broader societal function, Youth observes that developments like eroded insular "musical tribes," fostering pragmatic shifts toward eclectic tastes and diminishing fan loyalty to single acts in favor of wider cultural integration. This evolution, he argues, reflects music's adaptive role in broadening societal awareness without reliance on idealized countercultural , emphasizing instead empirical changes in consumption patterns driven by technological and experiential innovations.

References

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