Mini Mix by Loops Haunt: A Glitchy, Bass-Heavy Time Capsule from 2009
Let me just say this upfront—Mini Mix by Loops Haunt isn’t your typical album. It’s messy in all the right ways, like someone took a box of broken toys and turned it into something kinda beautiful. Released back in 2009 under Rhythm Incursions (shoutout to the UK for always pushing boundaries), this little gem blends hip hop, electronic beats, bass music, and experimental glitch vibes like no other. And yeah, it’s a DJ mix, so don’t expect clean transitions or polished perfection—it’s raw, scrappy, and full of personality.
I gotta talk about two tracks that stuck with me because they’re just… unforgettable. First up is "Tunneling Through Rotten Harps." Honestly, what even is that title? But man, the moment those warped harp sounds kick in, you feel like you’ve been sucked into some alternate dimension where everything’s slightly off but still oddly inviting. The way Loops Haunt chops and screws the melody makes it sound like the harps are crying, laughing, and throwing a rave all at once. I remember listening to this track on repeat during a rainy afternoon, staring out the window like, "Is life supposed to make sense?" Spoiler alert: probably not.
Then there’s "Rubber Sun Grenade," which hits differently. This one starts slow, almost teasing you, before exploding into these glitchy bursts of energy that hit you right in the chest. There’s this weird tension between chaos and rhythm—you think it’s gonna fall apart, but somehow it holds together. Every time I hear it, I picture an old-school video game boss fight, except instead of fighting, you're dancing awkwardly in your living room. Like, how does he do that? How does he make chaos sound so damn fun?
The rest of the album keeps the vibe going strong too. Tracks like "Mad Bob" and "Proton Pack" bring the bass-heavy bangers, while others like "Untitled Track Demo" lean more introspective and lo-fi. Even the random inclusion of Edmundo Ross on "The Latin World Of Edmundo Ross" feels less like filler and more like Loops Haunt saying, “Hey, why not?” And honestly, props to him for pulling it off.
What gets me most about Mini Mix is how unapologetically itself it is. It doesn’t care if you get it or not. Some parts are jarring, sure, but that’s kind of the point. It’s like flipping through channels late at night and finding fragments of shows that shouldn’t work together but somehow do.
Here’s the thing though—listening to this album made me realize something weird. We spend so much time trying to fix things, smooth them out, make them perfect. But maybe perfection isn’t the goal. Maybe it’s okay to let stuff be messy, unpredictable, a little broken even. Because sometimes, that’s where the magic happens. Or maybe I’m just overthinking it. Either way, Mini Mix will stay stuck in my head for a long time.
