Glint
Encyclopedia
Glint is an American electronic
rock
band composed of chief songwriter Jase Blankfort (vocals, guitar, programming), Mateus Tebaldi (drums, percussion), and Philip Kuperberg (samples, programming, synthesizers). The original-founding members, Blankfort and Tebaldi, met by chance in New York City
in early 2003, and later moved to Boston, Massachusetts to play as a duo with a rotating fleet of musicians in various basement venues, and fraternity houses from 2003–2006. The duo relocated back to New York in early 2008 after wrapping production on their first major studio effort, Sound in Silence. In 2009, former Glint collaborator Philip Kuperberg joined the band as keyboardist and sampler.
; he began as a theatre actor in his early teens and appeared in several Broadway and off-Broadway productions in New York City (including works by Pam Gems
, Anton Chekhov
, Ricky Ian Gordon
, Tina Landau
, and Janusz Glowaki). After a departure from the stage and screen, Blankfort dropped out of high school, relocated to Los Angeles
and began writing music. Various acoustic performances in Los Angeles, New York, and Boston
showed a promising future for Blankfort and sparked the interest of an enthusiastic Boston University student, Adam Jordan, who was eager to collaborate with Blankfort. Blankfort and Jordan founded Rely Records, an independent record label to serve as a platform for Blankfort’s budding songwriting career. During a short visit home that ultimately resulted in a permanent move back east, Blankfort met percussive innovator Mateus Tebaldi, a native of Brazil who had recently arrived in the United States from Milan
, Italy
. Together they formed "Glint: a little bright spot in a world of darkness", and signed with Rely Records in 2006.
Tebaldi and Blankfort, as Glint, gained press and notoriety as a new band emerging in the New York City
underground music scene.
Glint caught the attention of producer-engineer Nic Hard (The Bravery
, Aberdeen City, The Kin) on the night Glint was crowned winners of the 2007 Independent Music World Series, chosen by Billboard Magazine, and he went on to produce Sound in Silence in 2007. Sonically orientated as a quartet yet created as a duo, Tebaldi and Blankfort needed to fill in the blank spaces in order to do the record justice in live performances. A search to find like-minded individuals resulted in a touring lineup of Tebaldi, Blankfort, Kuperberg and special guests Alon Leventon (keys) and Dave Johnsen (Bass).
Glint toured Europe in 2009. The 2009 Sound in Sight tour brought them to 10 countries in 40 days, performing 30 shows across England
, Scotland
, Ireland
, Germany
, Czech Republic
, Austria
, and the Netherlands
. Notable main stage festival appearances included Dockville
in Hamburg
, Germany
, Noorderzon
in Groningen, Netherlands
, and Castlepalooza
in Tullamore
, Ireland
. Half of the tour included support dates with The Airborne Toxic Event
and the Crystal Antlers
. The success of this tour put Glint on the radar of NME
, Artrocker
, and the UK Metro
.
Jase Blankfort and Alon Leventon self-produced GLINT - EP, released July 2009 in the UK and February 2010 in the US, recorded in various New York studios, and mixed by Michael Brauer
at Electric Lady Studios
.
Matt Pinfield
is a fan of the band and had them on his show, Matt Pinfield in the Mornings on 101.9 WRXP for an unplugged performance and interview on November 17, 2008. Glint had two live performances on Fearless Music
which was aired on FOX TV in 2009.
and Eno
-esque atmosphere, while their recent release has digressed and branched out in its own unique direction.
In July 2009, the UK Metro
stated “Muse's
Matt Bellamy is a clear influence on Glint singer Jase Blankfort, but the New York outfit are arguably even more epic than the British band, full of glistening synths, massive hooks and orchestral swatches [...] This may be your only chance to catch them in relatively intimate surrounds before the inevitable arenas.”
NME
Magazine said “Catch them now before they go stellar.”
"In the musical solar system of Glint's open and glimmering sound, vocals pull elements from Muse
and a little bit of Bowie
here and there" states The Deli Magazine, in a review of Sound in Silence.
Billboard
called Glint's live show “air tight” and said that Jase Blankfort was “irresistible.”
The Chicago Tribune
described Glint's single "Freak" as "simultaneously danceable and thought-provoking."
produced the band's first studio effort, Mode to Joy, recorded in an abandoned 1800s firehouse throughout 2005. “I almost look at 'Mode to Joy' as a memory…a lot of the songs on the first album I wrote when I was really young, in my early teens. Mode To Joy [serves as] a photo album of the past, once we were given the resources to basically…do anything sonically, we just naturally and organically progressed…” said Jase Blankfort. Contemporary artist Paul Kostabi
created the album art.
created the album art. Following the release of Sound in Silence, Kostabi invited Glint to play unplugged on two episodes for his NYC television show, Title This.
.
Electronic music
Electronic music is music that employs electronic musical instruments and electronic music technology in its production. In general a distinction can be made between sound produced using electromechanical means and that produced using electronic technology. Examples of electromechanical sound...
rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
band composed of chief songwriter Jase Blankfort (vocals, guitar, programming), Mateus Tebaldi (drums, percussion), and Philip Kuperberg (samples, programming, synthesizers). The original-founding members, Blankfort and Tebaldi, met by chance in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
in early 2003, and later moved to Boston, Massachusetts to play as a duo with a rotating fleet of musicians in various basement venues, and fraternity houses from 2003–2006. The duo relocated back to New York in early 2008 after wrapping production on their first major studio effort, Sound in Silence. In 2009, former Glint collaborator Philip Kuperberg joined the band as keyboardist and sampler.
History
Jase Blankfort was born and raised in the outskirts of New York CityNew York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
; he began as a theatre actor in his early teens and appeared in several Broadway and off-Broadway productions in New York City (including works by Pam Gems
Pam Gems
Pam Gems was a British playwright. The author of numerous original plays, as well as of adaptations of works by major European playwrights of the past, Gems is best known for the 1978 musical play Piaf.-Personal life:...
, Anton Chekhov
Anton Chekhov
Anton Pavlovich Chekhov was a Russian physician, dramatist and author who is considered to be among the greatest writers of short stories in history. His career as a dramatist produced four classics and his best short stories are held in high esteem by writers and critics...
, Ricky Ian Gordon
Ricky Ian Gordon
Ricky Ian Gordon is an American composer of songs, stage musicals and opera. The death of his lover from AIDS inspired Dream True and Orpheus and Euridice...
, Tina Landau
Tina Landau
Tina Landau is an American playwright and theatre director.Born in New York City to film and television producers Edie and Ely Landau, Landau moved with her family to Beverly Hills, California, where she graduated from Beverly Hills High School before attending Yale University, where she directed...
, and Janusz Glowaki). After a departure from the stage and screen, Blankfort dropped out of high school, relocated to Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
and began writing music. Various acoustic performances in Los Angeles, New York, and Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
showed a promising future for Blankfort and sparked the interest of an enthusiastic Boston University student, Adam Jordan, who was eager to collaborate with Blankfort. Blankfort and Jordan founded Rely Records, an independent record label to serve as a platform for Blankfort’s budding songwriting career. During a short visit home that ultimately resulted in a permanent move back east, Blankfort met percussive innovator Mateus Tebaldi, a native of Brazil who had recently arrived in the United States from Milan
Milan
Milan is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital city of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area, roughly coinciding with its administrative province and the bordering Province of Monza and Brianza ,...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
. Together they formed "Glint: a little bright spot in a world of darkness", and signed with Rely Records in 2006.
Tebaldi and Blankfort, as Glint, gained press and notoriety as a new band emerging in the New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
underground music scene.
Glint caught the attention of producer-engineer Nic Hard (The Bravery
The Bravery
The Bravery is an American rock band from New York City that consists of Sam Endicott , Michael Zakarin , John Conway , Mike Hindert , and Anthony Burulcich...
, Aberdeen City, The Kin) on the night Glint was crowned winners of the 2007 Independent Music World Series, chosen by Billboard Magazine, and he went on to produce Sound in Silence in 2007. Sonically orientated as a quartet yet created as a duo, Tebaldi and Blankfort needed to fill in the blank spaces in order to do the record justice in live performances. A search to find like-minded individuals resulted in a touring lineup of Tebaldi, Blankfort, Kuperberg and special guests Alon Leventon (keys) and Dave Johnsen (Bass).
Glint toured Europe in 2009. The 2009 Sound in Sight tour brought them to 10 countries in 40 days, performing 30 shows across England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
, Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, Czech Republic
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....
, Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
, and the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
. Notable main stage festival appearances included Dockville
Dockville
Dockville is a music and art festival on Europe's biggest river island, Hamburg's district Wilhelmsburg. It is sponsored by the German Internationalen Bauausstellung and for the first time it took place in 2007. Many parts of the festival area are located directly in front of the river Elbe, in a...
in Hamburg
Hamburg
-History:The first historic name for the city was, according to Claudius Ptolemy's reports, Treva.But the city takes its modern name, Hamburg, from the first permanent building on the site, a castle whose construction was ordered by the Emperor Charlemagne in AD 808...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, Noorderzon
Noorderzon
The Noorderzon Festival is an annual festival in the Dutch city of Groningen taking place in the urban public park the Noorderplantsoen, usually for a period of ten days beginning in the third week of August...
in Groningen, Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
, and Castlepalooza
Castlepalooza
Castle Palooza is an annual Irish independent music festival, held at Charleville Castle in Tullamore, County Offaly over the August Bank Holiday weekend.The festival is one of the "Little Two" music festivals in Ireland, the other being Indiependence which is usually...
in Tullamore
Tullamore
Tullamore is a town in County Offaly, in the midlands of Ireland. It is Offaly's county town and the centre of the district.Tullamore is an important commercial and industrial centre in the region. Major international employers in the town include 'Tyco Healthcare' and 'Boston Scientific'. In...
, Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
. Half of the tour included support dates with The Airborne Toxic Event
The Airborne Toxic Event
The Airborne Toxic Event is an American indie rock band from Los Feliz, Los Angeles, California. It consists of Mikel Jollett , Steven Chen , Noah Harmon , Daren Taylor and Anna Bulbrook...
and the Crystal Antlers
Crystal Antlers
-History:Early HistoryThe band started as a 3 piece, Kevin Stuart , Errol Davis and Jonny Bell in late 2006 in Long Beach, California. Stuart, Davis, and Bell met while attending a music class in High School...
. The success of this tour put Glint on the radar of NME
NME
The New Musical Express is a popular music publication in the United Kingdom, published weekly since March 1952. It started as a music newspaper, and gradually moved toward a magazine format during the 1980s, changing from newsprint in 1998. It was the first British paper to include a singles...
, Artrocker
Artrocker magazine
Artrocker magazine is an independent monthly publication, concentrating on music and modern culture, that is available across the United Kingdom. Though stocked in larger branches of newsagents, its main availability is in music stores. The magazine started life as a weekly email newsletter before...
, and the UK Metro
Metro (Associated Metro Limited)
Metro is a free daily newspaper in the United Kingdom published by Associated Newspapers Ltd . It is available from Monday to Friday each week on many public transport services across the United Kingdom.-History:The paper was launched in London in 1999, and can now be found in 14 UK urban centres...
.
Jase Blankfort and Alon Leventon self-produced GLINT - EP, released July 2009 in the UK and February 2010 in the US, recorded in various New York studios, and mixed by Michael Brauer
Michael Brauer
Michael Brauer is a New York-based mix engineer whose credits encompass a wide range of genres, and include The Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan, Paul McCartney, Coldplay, John Mayer, Ash, My Morning Jacket, Ben Folds, Dream Theater, The New Radicals, Change, Fountains of Wayne, David Poe, Wilco, Alpha...
at Electric Lady Studios
Electric Lady Studios
Electric Lady Studios, at 52 West 8th Street, in New York City's Greenwich Village, is a recording studio originally built by Jimi Hendrix and designed by John Storyk in 1970...
.
Matt Pinfield
Matt Pinfield
Matt Pinfield is a music personality and TV host, best known for being a video deejay on MTV and VH1. He currently lives in Harrison, New Jersey having previously resided in East Brunswick Township...
is a fan of the band and had them on his show, Matt Pinfield in the Mornings on 101.9 WRXP for an unplugged performance and interview on November 17, 2008. Glint had two live performances on Fearless Music
Fearless Music
Fearless Music is a musical showcase filmed in New York City, NY featuring bands that are on the cusp of the mainstream and indie rock circuits. The word "fearless" refers to the show taking a chance on musicians that other mainstream media would be afraid to promote.The show started and currently...
which was aired on FOX TV in 2009.
Style
Glint has steadily built a dedicated fan base in the underground and independent music scene. Their music has been described as emulative of early David BowieDavid Bowie
David Bowie is an English musician, actor, record producer and arranger. A major figure for over four decades in the world of popular music, Bowie is widely regarded as an innovator, particularly for his work in the 1970s...
and Eno
Brian Eno
Brian Peter George St. John le Baptiste de la Salle Eno , commonly known as Brian Eno or simply as Eno , is an English musician, composer, record producer, singer and visual artist, known as one of the principal innovators of ambient music.Eno studied at Colchester Institute art school in Essex,...
-esque atmosphere, while their recent release has digressed and branched out in its own unique direction.
In July 2009, the UK Metro
Metro (Associated Metro Limited)
Metro is a free daily newspaper in the United Kingdom published by Associated Newspapers Ltd . It is available from Monday to Friday each week on many public transport services across the United Kingdom.-History:The paper was launched in London in 1999, and can now be found in 14 UK urban centres...
stated “Muse's
Muse (band)
Muse are an English alternative rock band from Teignmouth, Devon, formed in 1994. The band consists of school friends Matthew Bellamy , Christopher Wolstenholme and Dominic Howard...
Matt Bellamy is a clear influence on Glint singer Jase Blankfort, but the New York outfit are arguably even more epic than the British band, full of glistening synths, massive hooks and orchestral swatches [...] This may be your only chance to catch them in relatively intimate surrounds before the inevitable arenas.”
NME
NME
The New Musical Express is a popular music publication in the United Kingdom, published weekly since March 1952. It started as a music newspaper, and gradually moved toward a magazine format during the 1980s, changing from newsprint in 1998. It was the first British paper to include a singles...
Magazine said “Catch them now before they go stellar.”
"In the musical solar system of Glint's open and glimmering sound, vocals pull elements from Muse
Muse (band)
Muse are an English alternative rock band from Teignmouth, Devon, formed in 1994. The band consists of school friends Matthew Bellamy , Christopher Wolstenholme and Dominic Howard...
and a little bit of Bowie
David Bowie
David Bowie is an English musician, actor, record producer and arranger. A major figure for over four decades in the world of popular music, Bowie is widely regarded as an innovator, particularly for his work in the 1970s...
here and there" states The Deli Magazine, in a review of Sound in Silence.
Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
called Glint's live show “air tight” and said that Jase Blankfort was “irresistible.”
The Chicago Tribune
Chicago Tribune
The Chicago Tribune is a major daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, and the flagship publication of the Tribune Company. Formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" , it remains the most read daily newspaper of the Chicago metropolitan area and the Great Lakes region and is...
described Glint's single "Freak" as "simultaneously danceable and thought-provoking."
Mode to Joy
Jordan Lehning, son of noted producer Kyle LehningKyle Lehning
Kyle Lehning is an American record producer whose work is mainly in the field of country music. He has produced virtually every album released by Randy Travis, who describes their partnership "an interesting relationship." The only exceptions are Travis' 1993 album Wind in the Wire, which was...
produced the band's first studio effort, Mode to Joy, recorded in an abandoned 1800s firehouse throughout 2005. “I almost look at 'Mode to Joy' as a memory…a lot of the songs on the first album I wrote when I was really young, in my early teens. Mode To Joy [serves as] a photo album of the past, once we were given the resources to basically…do anything sonically, we just naturally and organically progressed…” said Jase Blankfort. Contemporary artist Paul Kostabi
Paul Kostabi
Paul Indrek Kostabi is an American artist, musician, music producer and audio engineer. He is the brother of artist Mark Kostabi....
created the album art.
Sound in Silence
The band's first major studio effort, Sound in Silence, was recorded on over 1000 acres (4 km²) of rural land at the King Estate Vineyard in Eugene, Oregon on November 1–17, 2007 at Blackberry Hill Studios with producer/engineer Nic Hard. Contemporary renowned artist Mark KostabiMark Kostabi
Kalev Mark Kostabi is an American artist and composer.-Early life:Mark Kostabi was born in Los Angeles on November 27, 1960 to Estonian immigrants Kaljo and Rita Kostabi. He was raised in Whittier, California and studied drawing and painting at California State University, Fullerton...
created the album art. Following the release of Sound in Silence, Kostabi invited Glint to play unplugged on two episodes for his NYC television show, Title This.
2009–present
With albums primarily known for their signature blend of lush melodies and climactic drumming, Glint released a self-titled 5-song EP in July 2009 (UK) and February 2010 (US), self-produced and mixed by Michael BrauerMichael Brauer
Michael Brauer is a New York-based mix engineer whose credits encompass a wide range of genres, and include The Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan, Paul McCartney, Coldplay, John Mayer, Ash, My Morning Jacket, Ben Folds, Dream Theater, The New Radicals, Change, Fountains of Wayne, David Poe, Wilco, Alpha...
.
Albums
- 2006: Mode to Joy
- 2008: Sound in Silence
- 2009: Glint – EP
- 2011: T.B.A.