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MOONBEATS ASIA PRESENTS

CRYSTAL CASTLES LIVE IN SINGAPORE

Fusing low-res electronic noise and pop hooks so effortlessly that it can seem accidental, Crystal Castles began as producer/multi-instrumentalist Ethan Kath's solo project in late 2003. Kath got the moniker from the name of She-Ra's dwelling in the He-Man and Masters of the Universe cartoon series; it's also the name of a 1983 Atari video game, which is oddly appropriate, considering that one component of the band's distinctive sound comes from a keyboard modified with an Atari 5200 sound chip.

When Kath collaborated with singer Alice Glass on some songs in spring 2005, Crystal Castles' lineup was complete. One of the songs the pair recorded, "Alice Practice," was something of an accident: it was intended to be a demo of Glass testing out a microphone, but its presence on MySpace piqued record labels' interest. "Alice Practice" was released as a limited-edition 7" in summer 2006 on Merok Records, also home to Klaxons; its 500-copy run sold out in three days. Kath and Glass worked on their own songs and also honed their remixing skills, tweaking songs for Klaxons as well as GoodBooks, Uffie, Health, and Bloc Party. Tours with the Presets and Metric in 2007 set the stage for the release of Crystal Castles' self-titled debut album, which Last Gang released early in 2008.

The duo returned in 2010 with another self-titled album; when it leaked onto the Internet in late April of that year, the band released it digitally soon after, with a physical release following that May. For 2012's more streamlined III, the duo decamped to Warsaw, where they recorded direct to tape, eschewing any computer-assisted recording. Glass left the project in October 2014 to pursue a solo career.

Known for their energetic live shows and visceral, melancholic homemade productions, Crystal Castles released a trilogy of critically acclaimed albums between 2008-2013. Their last album III was the Tumblr and Hype Machine album of the year for 2013, and NME’s #4 album of the year. In 2015 they released the standalone tracks ‘Frail’ and ‘Deicide’, with new member Edith Frances.

Across its 12 tracks, their fourth and latest studio album Amnesty (I) explores the sonic and atmospheric range that we have learned to expect from a Crystal Castles record. From gothic electronic paeans to distorted digital raves, from cinematic synth and noise crescendos to hip hop and trap infused synth pop, it is uniformly compelling, uncompromising and anchored in feeling.  

 


“Crystal Castles became infamous for their anarchic, and raucous, live shows” – The Music

“one of the most vital and original acts of the early millennium” – CLASH Magazine

“how many acts have found ways of smuggling goth, rave, synthesized pop, electro and a festival-ready live act into rock crowds?” – Pitchfork

 

Official Website

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Tuesday 23 May 2017

*SCAPE The Ground Theatre

2 Orchard Link

Admission

Limited Early Bird $70

Standard $80

Doors $90

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