Glitch hop is just one of the many names for a pretty wide variety of tunes that share a preference for highly tweaked edits - "glitchy" sounds and often heavy bass.

Commonly, it's 80 to 115 bpm, but a lot of tunes are made at 140 as well.

Producer An-ten-nae has dubbed the sound "acid crunk" and certain subsets are called "wonky" (very loose, "off the grid" beats) and "psyphy" (the more crunk, futuristic hip-hop).

The most neutral name for it all is midtempo, but personally I think "midtempo forum" sounds like a nap in the park, so we went with Glitch Hop Forum.

The music itself reflects strong influences of hip-hop, breakbeats, IDM, drum and bass, and dubstep.

If you've ever listened to Aphex Twin, Funkstorung, Prefuse 73, Bill Bless, Telefon Tel Aviv, they were some of the innovators who led to this style.

Some current heavy hitters for your glitch-hop novice not to miss:

Vibesquad (Colorado) - http://www.myspace.com/vibesquad
eDit (California) edIT - http://www.myspace.com/edit
EPROM (California)- http://www.eprom.com
Heyoka (California)- http://www.myspace.com/andreism
ill gates (Canada) - http://thephatconductor.com
Mimosa (California) - http://www.myspace.com/tigranmimosa
Mochipet (California) - http://www.myspace.com/mochipet
Ooah (California) - http://www.myspace.com/ooahmusik
Pretty Lights (Colorado) - http://www.prettylightsmusic.com
Spoonbill (Australia) - http://www.spoonbill.net.au/
Lazer Sword (New York) http://www.myspace.com/lazersword

Favourite Web sites that promote glitch hop:
http://www.glitchhopforum.com - But of course! The interweb's only discussion forum for glitch hop.
http://www.woofercookers.com - Glitch hop tunes and merch
http://www.bwompbeats.com/
http://chromekids.blogspot.com/
http://dancefever5000.wordpress.com/
http://doktorkrank.blogspot.com/

Record labels:
Muti Music - http://www.mutimusic.com
1320 Records - http://www.1320records.com

Radio Stations:
Glitch FM - http://www.glitch.fm or in Itunes radio
Psyphy Machine - Available in Itunes Radio

ill-esha's Top 10 favourite producers right now in glitch hop, dubstep and D'nB

Ben Samples (Colorado) (Glitch Hop) - http://www.bensamples.com - "I only play strip club music, even in old folks homes" says this hilarious, intelligent and very talented producer. His hot, sizzling sawtooth basslines complement the most crunk of hip hop samples and he just keeps firing 'em out. Most recently, his contribution to the Acid Crunk 2 EP (which I'm also proud to be on) absolutely killed it on the Beatport charts. You can get some of his tunes by donation at samples.bandcamp.com!

Glitchy and Scratchy (Canada) (Glitch Hop and Dubstep) - http://www.myspace.com/glitchyscratchy - This quirky duo singlehandedly started the West Coast glitch hop scene and continues to dazzle the world with their hot mixes and savage tunes. Working independently as The Mongoose and Bevvy Swift, big tings a gwan for these two.

Opiuo (Australia) (Glitch Hop and Breakbeat) http://www.myspace.com/opiuo - This kid's tunes are 100% dancefloor guaranteed. Funky, squelchy, and full of trippy edits, I can always revive a dying crowd with a shot of Opiuo. You can find his tunes on Addictech, Beatport or at opiuo.bandcamp.com.

Dan Marshall (Wales) (D'nB and Dubstep) - http://www.myspace.com/danmmarshall - I have been following this teenage prodigy for a couple of years now. Every tune he's sent me has had the perfect balance of melodics and heavy bass, and the BBC thought so too - last year their Performing Arts Fund awarded him a a £10,000 music bursary. More recently he's been dabbling in dubstep - can't wait to see what 2010 will bring.

Jay Wikid (Canada) (Glitch Hop) http://www.myspace.com/jaywikid - A protege of Bassnectar, Jay has been the West Coast's best kept secret. Sitting on a goldmine of tunes, we will hopefully see a bunch come out in the coming year. We will be releasing an ep on WooferCookers.com very shortly!

JmeJ (Canada) (Glitch Hop) http://www.myspace.com/jmejdj - Just getting better and better, Jayme's productions prove that living up in the oilfields doesn't mean dropping your creativity - in fact this guy makes more fresh tunes than most people I know. Up until now, the Integrated Grime Unit exclusively had access to his tunes - but fear no more people, this guy's been signed to three labels for next year.

Antiserum (California) (Dubstep) http://www.myspace.com/antiserumsf - A hardworking soldier of the Bay Area scene, his solo work is as tight as his many collaborative projects. Crisp beats, full bass, and clever samples ensure that Antiserum continues to pile up releases both vinyl and digital. We are working together on a new project, keep your eyes out for it next year!

B-Complex (Slovakia) (Drum 'n Bass) http://www.myspace.com/bcomplexdnb - Some of the most haunting, beautiful and exquisitely constructed compositions I've ever heard. Not merely tracks, his work is as.. well, complex ... as you'd expect, with the perilous emotional rollercoaster of a full length symphony. A recent member of the Hospital family, he shows no signs of slowing down.

Hexadecibel (Canada) (Dubstep) http://www.myspace.com/hxdb - On the more 2-steppy, garage side of dubstep, HxdB's cinematic soundscapes and tumbling rhythms cascade over your ears like a perfect waterfall. And there's more for the hungry - this guy is a veritable machine, with hours of delicious beats.

Benny Page (UK) (Drum 'n Bass/Dubstep) - http://www.myspace.com/bennypage1 - I don't really need to give this guy an introduction, as he is blowing up the world right now, but I will say that if you know him for drum 'n bass, you really have to check out his dubstep. Hard hitting, double time, often infused with sexy Latin percussion, absolutely unrelenting, it's a thrill ride.