Light Hope and the Princess of Power

Crystal Castles got its start by remixing better known bands, such as Bloc Party and Death From Above 1979. Earlier this year, they released their first full-length album. But first, what’s up with that name? Due to an uncommon reliance on video game samples, you might think the band got its name from the popular Atari game with the same name. That’s actually not the case. Crystal Castles is named after the secret refuge of She-ra, from the popular 80s cartoon, and the following is my personal interpretation of the connection:

Vocalist Alice Glass plays the role of Adora in this two-piece electronic music outfit from Toronto. Her voice, usually heard in distorted fashion, is her Sword of Protection, transforming her into She-ra, Princess of Power, and preparing her for battle. What does that make Ethan Kath, the multi-instrumentalist wizard behind the deafening bass and Atari samples? No, he’s not He-man, She-ra’s twin brother. Instead, he assumes the role of Light Hope, a magical entity composed entirely of light. He is the protector of the Crystal Castle and serves as mentor to She-ra.

Ethan Kath is a light of hope, indeed, especially in an electronic music scene where the putting the word “fuck” in your band’s name seems like the best way to get noticed these days (see Holy Fuck and Fuck Buttons). Mr. Kath needs no such gimmick, as he has created 50-minutes of pure magic in his self-titled debut album. Within the album’s 16 tracks, there is a song that speaks to every emotion. Whether you’re enraged (“Alice Practice”), blissful (“Good Times”), frustrated (“Xxzxcuzx Me”), or reminiscent (“1991″), the palette of sentiments is full. Mr. Kath’s beats are oddly original but aren’t composed of original sounds, especially with his heavy use of sampling. The band’s producer has confirmed that Kath uses a modified keyboard that was found broken in the garbage with an Atari 5200 sound chip. The result is a twisted soundscape, supplemented by heavy, repetitive bass, and backed by the distorted pleadings and screams of Glass.

There’s not a moment on the album that feels slow or tedious, or a song that can be classified as filler. No wonder why Trent Reznor (Nine Inch Nails) asked them to open up for a leg of his North American tour. From the original backbeat of the band’s first single, Crimewave, to the extremely chill electronic tinkerings of Magic Spells, a completely instrumental track, I was unable to find an ounce of fat. I can’t say the same for recent albums by others in the genre, including both electronic “fuck” bands, or even LCD Soundsystem’s instant classic, Sound of Silver. There are no songs here as impressive as “All My Friends” or “Someone Great,” but it just might be a better album. I haven’t decided yet. – Mark

RECORD REVIEW
Artist: Crystal Castles
Album: Crystal Castles
Release Date: March 18, 2008
Record Label: Last Gang Records