First Spins: Crystal Castles
May 12th, 2010
Crystal Castles is back with the follow up to 2008’s career defining self-titled album. The Canadian duo, made up of Ethan Kath and Alice Glass, have cultivated a following of devout fans comprised of both music lovers and industry professionals alike. Their highly distinctive electronic sound has been compared to everything from Moby to Mario Bros.
With the release of their sophomore album, Crystal Castles II, the duo is showing that they plan on defending their title as one of electronica’s most ground breaking groups.
Glass and Kath will be touring their home country of Canada for the first time this summer as headliners of the 2010 Hard Festival. In 2008, their slot at the Glastonbury Festival was cut short after Glass climbed the stage rigging to repeatedly crowd surf into the thousands of concert-goers. In additional to Glastonbury, Coachella and Bonnaroo, Crystal Castles has opened for Nine Inch Nails and Blur on tour.
The new album is a 14 track compilation of sounds from past and present eras. Crystal Castles’ signature 1980s video game sound effects are contrasted sharply with Glass’s frantic signing on Baptism. What sounds like a VHS tape being rewound over the tranquilly of electronic beats and operatic string instruments makes I Am Made of Chalk sound like the poetic death of the digital era. The track Celestial has the tranquil repetition and slow rise in tempo that will make listeners feel as if their heartbeat is being reset by the band.
Crystal Castles’ album Crystal Castles II is released on May 24 but you can listen to the album in its entirety now by clicking here.
Favourite Tracks: Suffocation, Pap Smear, Not In Love, Doe Deer
Tags: Alice Glass, blur, Crystal Castles, Ethan Kath, first spins, Moby, Nine Inch Nails
Posted on Wednesday, May 12th, 2010 at 2:34 pm by Allison and is filed under Reviews.
