Glass Swords

Since his 2007 debut, this young Glaswegian producer’s peak-time club spin on mainstream R&B and rap has, in an intrepid fashion, grown increasingly hyperactive, thrill-oriented, and indulgent. On Glass Swords, Rustie continues to integrate the currently hip and terminally unhip — garish probes of ‘80s synth rock, beaten-to-a-pulp dance-pop, ‘90s rave, and bass music, to name four of several drawing points — all for the sake of a rush. Integrate is a light way of putting it, though; the method is more like slathering, layer after layer, with no concern for restraint or tastefulness, though each track is shaped into a songlike structure. Any questions as to whether Rustie would use the album format as a way to refine his sound are answered within a minute of “Flash Back,” the first full-blown track, when a synthetic thumb-style bassline enters to anchor swarms of wistful synthesizers and ricocheting drums. The whole thing is designed for instant pleasure (or immediate repulsion), even when the titles evoke treacherous levels of a fantasy video game. Yes, this all sounds like the work of someone who once titled a production “Inside Pikachu’s C**t.”