Crystal Castles – Amnesty (I)
If you thought the absence of former vocalist Alice Glass would have a profound effect on Crystal Castles, think again. While positioned as the face of the band (if you’ve seen her live you’ll understand why), producer Ethan Kath has always been the mastermind behind Crystal Castles. With Glass now gone and replaced by Edith Frances, this new version of the electronic outfit continues to push the boundaries of hard-hitting electronic soundscapes on fourth album Amnesty (I).
Across the 12 tracks on Amnesty, Kath continues to incorporate creepy industrial themed electronica with dark, experimental synth-pop, crafting an interesting and at times harsh take on electronic music. Enth is a blistering bass pounding fantasy, Teach Her How To Hunt a torrent of static and washed out vocals, and Concrete a nightmarish rave of screeching vocals and in-your-face electronica. Of course it’s not always an assault on your senses. Kath has always been great at balancing his fevered dark productions with pop influenced singles on previous albums, and Amnesty is no different.
First single Frail has all the hall marks of an underground club hit, with house production intertwined with brooding synths and new vocalist Frances’ hypnotic delivery. Sounding similar to Glass, albeit with a more innocent tone, Frances gives tracks like Kept and the trippy Ornament a familiar feel while injecting her own personality into the music.
Amnesty builds on the legacy of what Kath and Glass started, and if Frances’ is just as animated when on stage as Glass was, then there’s no reason why Crystal Castles can’t keep on being a great act.
Verdict: Quality release.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GfB4BQQcoKM]
Master P – The G Mixtape
For the young ones out there, Master P might not be a familiar name, but throughout the late 90s and into the early 00s, the rapping entrepreneur and his No Limit Records label ruled the American hip-hop airwaves. While he’s been off rap’s radar for a number of years, that’s all about to change. The Southern rap legend has been working on a No Limit Records biopic (a la Straight Outta Compton) and looking to recapture his glory years with the release of The G Mixtape.
If you’re a P fan then this mixtape will satisfy all your needs. The always engaging performer enlists an eclectic lineup of producers and guest rappers for 25 tracks of Southern hip-hop beats infused with P’s signature storytelling and catchy hooks. Of the big names present, Rick Ross keeps things gangster on Like I’m 23, Lil Wayne gives a decent account of himself on Money & Power, E-40 continues his recent run of great guest features on No Stoppin’ and The Game makes an appearance on the funky 70s Heaven For A G and street tale Real. P’s No Limit Boys – comprising Moe Roy, Ace B, J. Slugg and Blaq n Mild – a collection of young up-and-coming rappers P is hoping will help rebuild his No Limit empire with, feature on numerous tracks, the best being Made It Out. Of all the features, it’s hard to go past the remix of Usher‘s No Limit. While Young Thug’s verse is unfortunately dropped, to make up for that we get new rhymes from Gucci Mane, 2 Chainz, A$AP Ferg, Travi$ Scott and P, making it a contender for the most unusual collection of rappers on a remix you’ll hear all year.
P only contributes five solo tracks to the tape, although they’re all classic P, with the Ice Cream Man dropping rhymes about things such as his career (Too Legit), fake friends and haters (Business) and his status in the game (Can’t Count Us Out) over typical tap beats. Listening to The G Mixtape you’d think P was still one of the most popular rappers around particular the chemistry he has with many of today’s new stars. If anything, this tape proves his credentials and is a great way to introduce himself to a new legion of rap fans.
Verdict: Uhh… Master P is back!
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gWlEpbRYH5s]
Kur & Dave East – Born Broke, Die Rich
Philly rapper Kur and Harlem’s very own Dave East have teamed up for surprise EP Born Broke, Die Rich. The five track project finds both young MCs on point as they rap about the streets and life on the grind over a variety of beats provided by Buda And Grandz, Dougie, Infamous Rell and Maaly Raw.
Opener Got It finds the two exchanging bars about how real both MCs are over a catchy beat and is followed by the sparse production of Raw’s No Trust, with the hook, “I don’t trust not one of ya’ll,” rapped like mantra the two abide by. Themes of struggling and making it out of poverty and the ghetto are present throughout Born Broke, Die Rich, with Kur and East rapping about escaping the streets on soulful Fallen and brooding Came Up. The final track of the EP is the aggressive Flexing, another track about the hood, with Kur claiming, “Love my hood and I still be in the hood.”
Not having heard much of Kur before listening to this tape, I have to say I’m impressed with his lyricism, and it’s nice to hear someone come out of Philly who isn’t named Meek Mill. As for East, he continues to prove why he’s part of the future of New York hip-hop.
Verdict: Great introduction too two awesome talents.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MSmluu4PTT0]
Image: Hypebae
Crystal Castles may have lost a member, but the band is still going strong.
They have not only released another single Char, but they have also confirmed that the follow-up to 2012’s III is on its way. Their fourth album Amnesty (I) includes past singles Frail and Concrete, as well as previewed track Femen. Their new single Char is also included as one of the 12-tracks on their upcoming release.
Char shows off the new sound provided by new lead singer Edith Frances, who has replaced Alice Glass as frontwoman. The song lights up in an electronic haze as Frances sings over the top of it in her soft mellow voice. She glides seemingly effortlessly through the song while the percussion and synth mix together to create the sweet dance beat that swirls around inside your headphones, inserting a new song into your head.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=188&v=CnqzIYZR1GA
Frances joined Crystal Castles after Alice Glass left the group in 2014. While both Glass and remaining member Ethan Kath shared some harsh words about each other earlier last year, they seem to be moving on with their respective projects.
Here’s the tracklist:
01. Femen
02. Fleece
03. Char
04. Enth
05. Sadist
06. Teach Her How to Hunt
07. Chloroform
08. Frail
09. Concrete
10. Ornament
11. Kept
12. Their Kindness Is Charade
Amnesty (I) will be released on August 19.
Image: Pitchfork
A lot has happened to Crystal Castles over the past few years. They toured the world in support of their last album, (III), back in 2012; a time in which they were one of the biggest acts in the country. But, after the tour, they disappeared. Many thought it was because they were making new music, until last year when one half of the duo, Alice Glass took to social media to announce her resignation from the act.
There was a bit of back and forth from this statement. The other half, Ethan Kath, was quick to say that most of the songs were his anyway, and implied Glass didn’t have much to do with the creative process at all, saying she “didn’t appear on Crystal Castles’ best-known songs”. Glass rebutted that by slamming him, saying, “For the record, I wrote almost all of the lyrics in my former band and the vast majority of the vocal melodies. I was a founding member of Crystal Castles and shaped the sound and aesthetic from the very beginning. Manipulative statements about my contributions to the band only reinforce the decision I made to move on to other things.”
Then things got even weirder. Whilst all of this was happening, Kath announced Glass’ replacement, a mystery girl by the name of Edith, and it is this new reincarnation that was added to Tumblr‘s 79 Cents showcase at SXSW this year.
Big mistake.
Playing alongside Empress Of, Jhené Aiko, Little Simz and Tacocat, the people of the internet couldn’t help but see that one of these things is not like the other. Not because Ethan is a man, but because of how he treated Alice Glass, and the fall out from their parting of ways. Since the announcement of the show last week, Glass spoke to The Verge about Crystal Castles’ inclusion, saying, “As someone who knew Ethan Kath on a personal and professional level, it is my opinion that he is not an appropriate artist to be performing at a feminism-centric event.”
Support for Glass and disdain for the new duo’s inclusion poured out after this across the internet, with many people criticising Tumblr, a platform that preaches an inclusive environment, for the poor choice – and it seems they finally listened.
Releasing their own statement, the blogging platform confirmed they have removed Crystal Castles from the bill. They also said, “We don’t know the facts around comments made about a member of the band, and we’re not going to engage in an investigation around it. We’re hosting this event to highlight gender disparity issues, something that Tumblr and our community cares deeply about, and we don’t want the band’s presence to distract from this important mission.”
So, whilst the decision to remove Crystal Castles was a good thing, that last bit kind of ruins it. “We don’t know the facts around comments made about a member of the band” is a bit of a cop out, especially when it is regarding a very clear statement pointing to the contrary. Even if you didn’t want to look at what Alice Glass has said, the since removed statement Kath made when Glass resigned show a pretty crappy way to handle that situation, and to dismiss her creative input knowing that women struggle enough with getting recognition other than being a “vocalist” shows someone who does not deserve to perform at a feminist showcase.
Crystal Castles are still slated to perform at other events throughout the festival, as well as a bunch of others across the US. A new album is also said to be on the way. Meanwhile, Alice Glass released her first track, Stillbirth last year, with all proceeds going to RAINN (the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network).
Image: Dazed
Crystal Castles have announced their first new album since parting ways with singer Alice Glass in late 2014. Continued by founding member Ethan Kath, and the newly recruited Edith Frances, the new duo released their first post-Glass tracks, Frail, and Deicide, in mid-2015.
Glass’ uncouth, messy departure, saw the pair (mostly Kath) share some pretty nasty words on social media, including debate about songwriting credits and creative direction. In the wake of the controversy, Glass also announced that she would be recording a solo album, and released her first solo music too.
So far no further details have been announced, apart from the album’s release coming in the US Spring.
The pair have also announced a string of international tour dates. There’s a convenient little gap at the end of July there, so who knows – maybe we’ll see them touch down in Australia for Splendour in the Grass! one can dream, right?!
Crystal Castles Tour Dates 2016
3-11 New Orleans, LA – Buku Music + Arts Project
03-12 Phoenix, AZ – VIVA PHX
03-13 Santa Ana, CA – Burgerama – The Observatory OC
03-16 Austin, TX – Scoot Inn (SXSW)
03-17 Austin, TX – Stubb’s (SXSW)
03-19 Miami, FL – Ultra Music Festival
04-02 Athens, GA – Slingshot Festival, Georgia Theatre
06-12 Chicago, IL – Spring Awakening
07-22 Seattle, WA – Capitol Hill Block Party
08-05 Castellon, Spain – Arenal Sound Festival
08-26 Reading, England – Reading & Leeds Festival
08-27 Leeds, England – Reading & Leeds Festival
Experimental electronic/noise act Crystal Castles have not only performed their first live show since splitting with founding member and singer Alice Glass last year, but have officially announced her replacement: Edith Frances.
Crystal Castles shocked us all late last year with the announcement that Glass was leaving the duo, ultimately bringing it down to a solo project of Ethan Kath. The pair clearly had some beef between them, which was revealed via Soundcloud and Facebook comments in the months since their split.
As Crystal Castles, Kath has released two new tracks since the split, and former member Glass recently released her first solo single too.
They performed at SoundsWild Fest in Johannesburg, South Africa with Frances, along with came the official announcement. The above image was posted to Crystal Castles’ Facebook, with the caption “Edith Frances 1st show 1st time on stage, let’s show her luv xoxo.” They also shared the news that a new track would be on its way soon – hooray!
This isn’t the first we’ve heard of Edith Frances: Frail, the first track that Kath released after Glass’ departure, featured her. So while the announcement itself is unsurprising, it brings hope that we’ll be receiving a lengthier release and lots more new music throughout 2016 and beyond.
Alice Glass, recently solo since her departure from Crystal Castles, has released her first single called Stillbirth.
The very intense single details Glass’ very own struggle with an abusive partner. All proceeds from the digital sales of the single going to organisations like RAINN that help survivors of domestic abuse, sexual violence and incest.
Written by Glass and HEALTH’s Jupiter Keyes in their basement, and co-produced and mixed by Lars Stalfors, (The Mars Volta, Matt & Kim, and Cold War Kids), the song is a cacophony of screaming synths and earsplitting vocals.
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In a lengthy statement posted on Facebook alongside the single, Glass states:
Years ago I began the process of trying to remove myself from an abusive relationship that started when I was a teenager. Over the course of that relationship I was systematically cut off from anyone and everyone that I could truly be close to. I was talked down to, yelled at, locked into rooms and criticized daily about my abilities, my weight, my looks, my intelligence and almost every move I made. When I couldn’t take it anymore and I wanted to end the relationship I was threatened, then I was told I was loved, and the cycle would begin again.
I want young women and young men to understand that this kind of treatment of others can happen where it might be least expected. Even in environments that thrive on creativity and open-mindedness, that advocate artistic and counter-culture ideals. Sometimes people will use these things to camouflage themselves so that their abuse might go unnoticed. So that you wouldn’t think to consider it could be happening right in front of you.
The clarity I’ve gained since getting out of that situation has opened up my life in a way that I didn’t imagine was possible. Although some of the pain and anger still lingers, my life finally feels as though it has value and meaning. I speak out now hoping that I can encourage other young women and young men to affirm their value within their relationships or get out. Abuse isn’t always obvious and it doesn’t have to involve black eyes, blood and broken bones. Emotional and psychological abuse can be just as damaging, and it is extremely difficult to remove yourself from.
Those that have known me throughout my career might be surprised that someone who publicly gave the impression of being fearless and seemed as though they didn’t take shit from anyone could find themselves being severely mistreated and manipulated by someone they were close to. This person nearly stripped me of myself. And for years I felt as though they were waiting for my life to end.
Stillbirth was written by myself and Jupiter Keyes in our basement. There is no label involved. It will be available through iTunes, Spotify, etc. beginning July 18. All proceeds for digital purchases of this song will benefit organizations (like the nonprofit RAINN) that help survivors of domestic abuse, sexual violence and incest. You can donate directly to them at https://donate.rainn.org or via the link on my website at http://www.alice-glass.com/
There is a sister song to Stillbirth that I hope to release soon, she is a lullaby and she can’t wait to meet you
If the last line is anything to go by, Glass will put out some more material hopefully sometime soon. It’s the Toronto native’s first release since Crystal Castles’ third LP (III) in 2012.
Having left Crystal Castles last October, Glass released the following explanation on twitter about her decision to leave: “I am leaving Crystal Castles. My art and my self-expression in any form has always been an attempt towards sincerity, honesty, and empathy for others. For a multitude of reasons both professional and personal I no longer feel that this is possible within [Crystal Castles]. Although this is the end of the band, I hope my fans will embrace me as a solo artist in the same way they have embraced Crystal Castles.”
Her decision to leave meant that her and fellow ex-bandmate Ethan Kath did not exactly part on the best terms. After releasing his first song Frail without Glass under the moniker Crystal Castles, Kath went on to not too subtly deride his former bandmate: “I wish my former vocalist the best of luck in her future endeavours… It should be rewarding for her considering she didn’t appear on Crystal Castles’ best known songs.”
The message was deleted, but not before Glass retaliated with a diatribe of her own: “For the record, I wrote almost all of the lyrics in my former band and the vast majority of the vocal melodies… manipulative statements about my contributions to the band only reinforce the decision I made to move on to other things.”
Ouch.
Meanwhile, have a listen to Crystal Castles latest offering without the mysterious Glass and see if it’s still up to their trademark brand of dark, disenchanted electronica.
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Crystal Castles, which you’ll probably recognise as the goth synthpunk unison of singer Alice Glass (a vision of smeared lipstick and eye-engulfing black eyeliner) and songwriter/producer Ethan Kath, has been quiet since their 2012 release III. Famous for their ethereal, haphazardly lo-fi electronica and haunting, immersive stage shows (not to mention infamous for their overtly misanthropic lyrics and enigmatic media personalities,) Crystal Castles were endlessly intriguing when they hit the scene.
In late 2014, fans were gutted to hear Alice Glass’ unexpected announcement that she would be leaving the band and launching a solo career. The cryptic message accompanying the announcement, which cited Glass’ inability to fully realise her self-expression as part of the band, signaled some unrest between the former bandmates and paved the way for what has been a very strange set of exchanges between Kath and Glass, played out on social media over the past few weeks.
On April 17, Kath released a new song, Frail, on SoundCloud accompanied by a not-too subtle jab at his former bandmate: “I wish my former vocalist the best of luck in her future endeavours… It should be rewarding for her considering she didn’t appear on Crystal Castles’ best known songs.” Ouch. The message was since deleted, but not before Glass retorted with a retaliation of her own: “For the record, I wrote almost all of the lyrics in my former band and the vast majority of the vocal melodies… manipulative statements about my contributions to the band only reinforce the decision I made to move on to other things.” Part of the mystery of what-the-fuck-happened-there was solved with Kath’s response to a Pitchfork interview, where he (somewhat) backtracked on the snarky comments and added new comments about Glass’ departure. Kath relayed Glass’ reasoning for leaving CC because, “she was ready to ‘own her own darkness’” (an answer so perfectly representative of Glass that it makes my stomach hurt) and described how she broke things off: “After her year off, she tweeted that she was leaving. There was no discussion about it.” You have to feel a little bad for Kath if that’s really how it went down.
Cryptic code words and embedded hidden meanings aside, (which let’s face it, kind of add to the whole mystique that CC always embodied) three things are for sure:
- There’s more Crystal Castles on the way: Fuck. Yes. In the Pitchfork interview Kath acknowledged that he was making new material: “Frail was recorded recently and released as a message that we are in studio writing and recording a new album.” Kath also confirmed the mystery female vocalist: “A girl named Edith.” (Yep, Edith No-Name – we don’t know more than that.)
- If the new album as good as this teaser tune, it’ll be freaking awesome. Frail (listen on SoundCloud) will give you a vein-ripping shot of classic Crystal Castles, with thrashing, headache-inducing synth and chaotic pitched vocals that – yes – sound eerily like Glass.
- Glass will also release new material soon, evidently embracing the aforementioned “darkness” as part of her own solo act. Though there’s no word as to when exactly it’s coming out, unsurprisingly, it’s going to be impossibly dark, with Glass describing it as being “Like a kitten eating their hoarding owners after they die.” Lovely.
Die-hard Crystal Castles fans the world over will be waiting with bated-breath to see what darkness is unleashed from the ruins of the former Crystal Castles pair.
Listen to Frail below:
[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/201041378″]
Last year, it was announced that Alice Glass would be leaving Crystal Castles, however it was hinted that this did not – as many thought – signify the end for the project. The other, and sadly often overlooked half of Crystal Castles, Ethan Kath remains alive and well, and has finally released new material for CC with Frail.
Before you get ahead of yourself, no that is not Alice. It is another, unnamed female vocalist. Kath included this message with the track on their SoundCloud that has strangely since been removed:
“I wish my former vocalist the best of luck in her future endeavors. I think it can be empowering for her to be in charge of her own project. It should be rewarding for her considering she didn’t appear on Crystal Castles’ best known songs, (she’s not on ‘Untrust Us’. ‘Not In Love’, ‘Vanished’, ‘Crimewave’, ‘Vietnam’, ‘Magic Spells’, ‘Knights’, ‘Air War’, ‘Leni’, ‘Lovers Who Uncover’, ‘Violent Youth’, ‘Reckless’, ‘Year of Silence’, ‘Intimate’, ‘1991’, ‘Good Time’, ‘Violent Dreams’ etc.). People often gave her credit for my lyrics and that was fine, I didn’t care.”
The statement has now been edited to read: “I wish my former vocalist the best of luck in her future endeavors. I think it can be empowering for her to be in charge of her own project. It should be rewarding for her.”
Alice Glass is making preparations for a solo album, and there is no word of what is still to come from Crystal Castles.
2014 has provided a number of musical collaborations that we didn’t realise we craved until they happened: Flying Lotus and Kendrick Lamar, Röyksopp and Robyn, Sbtrkt and Ezra Koenig…
But sometimes collaborations are as surprising as the continued success of Lil Wayne. This results in either a lot of exasperated groans (see Jay-Z x Linkin Park) or, occasionally, unanticipated collaborative harmony. Here’s a sample of the latter from the recent past.
1. Daft Punk & Paul Williams
If anyone knows their way around a collaborative track, it’s French dance legends Daft Punk. The duo’s 2013 album Random Access Memories is testament to this, featuring artists as diverse as EDM pioneer Giorgio Moroder, The Strokes’ Julian Casablancas and Animal Collective’s Panda Bear. The most peculiar appearance, however, came from then-72-year-old Paul Williams (the man behind The Muppet Movie soundtrack, of all things). Touch is an introspective, jazz-infused eight minutes that wanders blissfully between genres and is widely regarded as the cornerstone of the album. Williams contributes several heartfelt verses that border on spoken word. It must be noted, of course, that he is an internationally acclaimed singer-songwriter beyond Rainbow Connection, having penned hits for the likes of David Bowie and Barbra Streisand. It’s just funnier to think of him as Kermit the Frog’s lyricist.
2. Arctic Monkeys & Dizzee Rascal
You can decide for yourself whether this one was actually a success, but when Arctic Monkeys teamed up with London rapper Dizzee Rascal in 2007, it certainly raised some eyebrows. The indulgently titled Temptation Greets You Like Your Naughty Friend was recorded during the sessions for Arctic Monkeys’ second album, Favourite Worst Nightmare, and eventually appeared on the Brianstorm EP. Apparently Dizzee enjoyed the experience and was keen to work with Alex Turner again. The verse he contributed wasn’t all that abrasive, but perhaps it was for the best that further collaborative work never eventuated.
3. alt-J & Miley Cyrus
Admittedly this wasn’t a collaboration, as such, but questions have been asked about alt-J’s decision to borrow a verse from Miley’s 4×4 in their single Hunger of the Pine. Public opinion is divided; many believe the sample (‘I’m a female rebel’) seems to have been rather awkwardly shoehorned into the track, while others – myself included – can see its artistic merit and the element of unpredictability it provides. The inclusion of the sample came about as a result of alt-J’s drummer, Thom Green, remixing the track during the writing of the band’s second album, This Is All Yours. Apparently Miley’s on board, and has even worked a bit of Fitzpleasure into her Bangerz tour shows.
4. Tyler Touché & His Mum
Brisbane whiz kid Tyler Touché was just 16 when he released Baguette, a bouncy, nu-disco inspired track that garnered significant airplay and earned him a coveted spot at Splendour in the Grass 2013. The most amusing aspect of young Tyler’s success is that the word ‘baguette’ before the chorus was sung by his mum (presumably now known as Mrs Touché). She seems to have retired from her brief stint in the club music scene, though, as Tyler has sourced other vocalists for subsequent releases.
5. Crystal Castles & Robert Smith
When Crystal Castles re-recorded their cover of Platinum Blonde’s 1983 hit Not in Love with The Cure’s Robert Smith on lead vocals, it was a rare moment of cohesion. The recently disbanded Canadian duo were renowned for their glitchy, chaotic and cacophonous music, so releasing something that was effectively a pop song was, in itself, an odd turn of events. The fact that legendary frontman Robert Smith was supplying the vocals (and that it worked so well) made the situation even more surprising.