As a teenager in Cleveland, Erstwhile got the itch to start scratching … records. After years of competing in turntablist competitions, juggling breaks for b-boys, and backing local MCs, he perfected a style that seamlessly blends ignorant gangsta rap vocals over glitchy techno beats (long before mashup was a word in most people’s vocabulary). He went onto tour with the live electronics thrash band, Ken Rei sharing the stage with Dino Felipe, Pre, The Death Set, Venetian Snares, and Otto Von Schirach, and collaborating with a number of artists including videoartist, Kasumi.

Today, when he’s not creating experimental noisy beats with Ken Rei, he’s mixing glitch hop, IDM, and juke with a classic hip hop influence. You can download his latest mixtape here: http://soundcloud.com/erstwhile/so-many-shades-mix