Crystal Castles/ Crystal Castles

Crystal Castles
Crystal Castles
(Universal Music Group)

Pop quiz: How many bands have released two or more albums of the same name? Answer: 2; Peter Gabriel and Crystal Castles. Why Peter Gabriel chose to release four albums called ‘Peter Gabriel’ I know not, but I suspect Crystal Castles did it to fuck with your iPod’s mind – that’s just the kind of people they are. ‘Crystal Castles’ is the second album from Toronto’s experimental electronica duo Crystal Castles, aka Ethan Kath and Alice Glass. Not content with sending your iPod’s mind into meltdown they’re going after yours too. Be Afraid, be very afraid.
Things kick off with the truly terrifying ‘Fainting Spell’ full of relentless bass line and distressed sounding vocals, then ease off a bit with pedestrian chill-out of ‘Celestica’ . By track three ‘Doe Deer’ the scary stuff is back however, this time summoned up by Alice’s noise-punk vocals.
These first three tracks very much set the pace for the rest of the album – an uncomfortable, yet utterly compelling, mix of techno, house, punk, chill out and full on electronic terrorism.
Generally speaking I'm not a huge fan of electronica, and sure ‘Crystal Castles’ is an occasionally uncomfortable ride - but there's so much going on here that it holds your attention right to the very last bleep. Most striking though is its originality – this is not a band who wear their influences on their sleeve.
I’m not sure how any of these tracks would fare in my local Ritzy (it would quite possibly send the secretaries scrambling over their circle of handbags in abject terror) but I can't wait to see these guys live.

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Physical Out 24 May