Creating the sounds of the strange, Alice Glass and Ethan Kath join forces to create an unforgettable duo. Sounding like something straight out of an early 1980’s video game; the music of Crystal Castles is here to twist your world. I was introduced to Crystal Castles while working as a DJ at a Colorado radio station (KCSU) and instantly I became fascinated with this unconventional twosome and their devious musical antics. Founded in 2003, Ethan explains that he discovered Alice, fifteen years old and homeless, performing in the underground music scene of Toronto. After combining Alice’s exotic voice and Ethan’s talent producing tracks, they started on their unconventional path to musical stardom. Using a name taken from an animated television show called “She-Ra: Princess of Power”, a spin off of He-Man, Alice and Ethan called themselves Crystal Castles after She-Ra’s all powerful fortress. This name sparked from a line in the show that stated “The fate of the world is safe in Crystal Castles”.
Their first single, Alice Practice shot into popularity after an anonymous sound engineer from Merok Records recorded their microphone sound check. After gaining the bands permission to release the recording, Merok Records received rave reviews about the up and coming band. Within days the limited edition single sold out and Crystal Castles was contacted by and eventually signed to Last Gang Records. Under Last Gang Records, Crystal Castles recorded their self-titled album, “Crystal Castles”. Commonly described as a mix of ‘electronic noise and experimental indie folk rock’, the distorted female lyrics and soft rave techno that this unique pair of musicians creates is some of today's hottest noises.
Four years from their start, Crystal Castles stole my heart and tainted it with synthesized chaos and highly distorted vocals. Although they have only produced one studio record in the past five years, you can count on Alice and Ethan to rule the underground and independent music industries for quite some time. Singles off the album include Untrust Us, Alice Practice, Crimewave, and Courtship Dating. Each track off their album will spark an intense urge to bust out your glow sticks and send you spiraling into musical bliss. Not only will Crystal Castles change your world through their jagged and oddly pristine albums, but they will also become music royalty the second they step onstage.
Known for having a nauseating light show and a dance worthy live performance, I was psyched when I got the opportunity to see them in July of 2009. The duo did not disappoint and reined supreme at Melkweg, a concert hall located near my home in Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Melkweg, also known as The Milky Way for tourists, is known by performing artists as being one of the best venues in the world. To see such a unique performance, in such a mind-blowing concert hall was an unforgettable experience. As Alice Glass, Ethan Kath, and a live performance only drummer named Christopher Robin, walked on stage, the audience prepared themselves for two hours of absolute chaos and unpredictable madness. For the first five minutes, the dizzy flashing of strobe lights blinded the crowd while Alice appeared and disappeared on stage. Once the magic of the show set in, energy rose from the fans and engulfed Alice, allowing her to drench the crowd in her energized stage presence. While Ethan rarely wandered out from behind the safety of his keyboard, Alice pranced off the stage, danced through the audience and threw herself over the amplifiers.
Through the combination of Alice’s crazy antics and Ethan’s incredible synthesizer skills, Crystal Castles creates music that will be never be forgotten. Performing an upcoming show for $35 on October 30th in Chicago at the Congress Theatre, Crystal Castles is not a live performance you want to miss. So, if you are looking for a night of chaos, neon, and raveable madness, Crystal Castles is your perfect electronic fix.
As seen in The Prospectus http://www.prospectusnews.com
Published October 15th.
Image found on http://2fm.rte.ie/blogs/dan_hegarty/Crystal%20Castles.jpg
