57th Street

Of interest to the electronica/noise-lover and retro video game fanatic:

Suburban parents everywhere fear that their precious pipsqueaks’ corruption by video games will lead them to discover the bullets aisle at the local Wal-Mart. Crystal Castles, whose members are known only as Ethin and Alice, is the 8-bit sound track to their love affair with violence and technology. In songs with titles such as “Crimewave”, this duo matches innocently bloopy electronic loops with eerie, often nonsensical lyrics.

In “Alice Practice,” so named because it was recorded accidentally while lead singer Alice was practicing, their professed influences such as murder and knives are a bit more evident. Rough ripples and harsh, not-quite-screaming vocals add a layer of distress.

The track “xxzxczx me” (pronounced “Excuse Me”), while not my favorite track, is in my opinion their best. Its pace is faster than their usual dreamy adventures, reminiscent of a slightly coked-up version of the last level on your old favorite game, or the time the strobe lights and booze lowered your seizure threshold a little too far during that rave at the anime convention.

The sound flips to the other end of the spectrum on “Magic Spells”, an empty lullaby. Lack of direction or content makes this lazy near-melody one repetitive, though not otherwise offensive, never-ending loop. Magic Spells is certainly a weak point for Crystal Castles, showcasing one of their biggest flaws: their lack of structure and movement. They create wonderful, hypnotizing beats and add adorably bizarre flourishes to a foundation of dark yet gentle noise, but their foundation isn’t very firm. They need content. Drive. Their songs need a thesis, a raison d’etre. The tradition of hiding their faces in official photos mirrors the facelessness of their music. It’s a delightful distraction that’s at it’s best in their skillful remixes, in which their 8-bit tweaks transform the originals into entirely new characters. Perhaps Crystal Castles can be best thought of as skillful future producers. That would certainly be an interesting role for them. But for the time being, they are an interesting sound that’s different enough to justify its existence, even if it is still in its amateur stages.

Downloads (from Pitchfork Media):
Goodbooks – Leni (Crystal Castles Remix)
Crystal Castles – Air War
Crystal Castles vs. The Little Ones – Lovers Who Uncover
Crystal Castles – xxzxczx me
DJ Howlemonkey: “Crystal Castles Omnibus Mix”

MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/crystalcastles