952 Crystal Castles - Crystal Castles (2008)

 952 Crystal Castles - Crystal Castles (2008)

Compilation album - Electronic



About the Act:

Crystal Castles are a Canadian electronic band, who have been active since 2006. They are Ethan Kath (music) and Alice Glass (Lyrics and singing) later replaced by Edith Frances. They also have a drummer, actually have had several different drummers. They are a kind of noise/dance outfit, with some of the sounds being created by an Atari 5200 console which has been "circuit bended" - having non-standard connections made.  Wikipedia describes them as "Electropunk, electroclash, synth-pop, witch house, Nintendocore".


About the Album:

This first album by Crystal Castles is a collection of singles they released, with three original recordings added. At this point they were just Ethan Kath and Alice Glass.


My History with this Album:

None


Review:

Well it's a bit of a relief to get out of Country country, To me, this sounds like "chiptune" music inspired by the 8-bit music of early games consoles. Apparently that was not the intent of the band, but it has an undeniable retro feel to it, using 80s/90s electronic sounds, with occasional distorted or otherwise highly processed vocals.  I'm not sure if any of the "songs" are about anything. Sound-wise it is slightly unusual. Music-wise it's nothing new or interesting. Alice Glass's vocals at time sound like punk vocal stylings. If you really like electronic music of a dancy type you might go for this. I found it OK, but a bit underwhelming.


6/10


Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/album/3LnVvIeiLCngvwEnbdxwCT

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLJ7cPtBXj9OsexIEVKRjXAQU77CPMPOWF

Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crystal_Castles_(album)


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

944 Manu Chao - Próxima Estación Esperanza (2001)

Image
 944 Manu Chao - Próxima Estación Esperanza (2001) Studio Album - World Music About the Act: Manu Chao is a French-Spanish musician of Spanish descent who grew up on the outskirts of Paris. In the mid-80s he was in a Spanish/English rockabilly group called Hot Pants. In 1987, with his brother and cousin he founded the band Mano Negra, combining punk and world music influences and playing on the Paris Metro. This band took off and had 4 studio albums. In 1995 Manu "went solo", forming the band Radio Bemba Sound System to be his backing band. The punk elements were less prominent, but he started to make music that "replicates the sound of street music and bar scenes from a variety of cultures". He has been really popular in parts of Europe.  About the Album: This album was Manu Chao's second studio album as a "solo" artist. In Spanish, the name means "Next Station: Hope", after a real station on the Madrid Metro. The album reached top 10 slots ...
Read more

840 Various Artists - The Best of Girl Groups Volumes 1 and 2 (1990)

Image
 840 Various Artists - The Best of Girl Groups Volumes 1 and 2 (1990) Compilation (double) - Girl Group (Soul/Bobby Soxer/Do-Wop) About the Album: This is a highly acclaimed compilation in 2CDs by Rhino Records. It's the sort of thing that in this country you might expect to see at 3.99 in a Garden Centre. My History with this Album: None Review: There are not many multi-artist compilations in this series for reviewing. There is not information about it on Wikipedia, but the reception seems to have been positive. It is choc-full of hits with a smattering of lesser-known songs, and it's hard not to imagine Grease or similar situations - girls with cardigans and white socks, listening to the juke box while sipping milkshakes in the drug store. On one level it's a fun collection of songs that you could use to feel nostalgic, or as the music for a themed party. On another level it's kind of like a cultural artefact. I feel honour-bound to describe it, even though if I drop ...
Read more

843 Chambers Brothers - The Time has Come (1967)

Image
 843 Chambers Brothers - The Time has Come (1967) Studio Album - Psychedelic Soul About the Act: The Chambers Brothers are an American Psychedelic Soul band from LA, who were formed in 1954 and are still going. They were at heart four brothers, but I think they have now all left the band.  About the Album: This was their debut album (12 years on from forming as a band), and it spawned their most successful single Time Has Come Today. My History with this Album: None. I had never heard of the Chambers Brothers before this list. Review: I am not an American, nor a Social Historian, but I think I can accurately claim that in 1960s America there was a certain separation between the Black community and other communities. As a result of this, and for marketing reasons, the idea of music that was created with a Black audience in mind was an actual thing. I'm not sure if today we would be quite so sure about what constitutes "Black Music", but then, I think, they were generally q...
Read more