Crystal Castles

Crystal Castles are an electronic group from Toronto, Canada. The act is active from 2006 to 2017 and includes Alice Glass, Ethan Kath and Edith Frances. Its sound sits across alternative dance, bitpop, dance, EDM, electroclash, electronic, 8-bit, new rave, electro and electronica.

Formation and name

The project begins as a solo idea from Ethan Kath in December 2003. Kath later hears Alice Glass singing in a noise-punk band and sees her as the missing element for the music. In 2004 he gives her 60 instrumental tracks, and in April 2005 she records vocals over five of them. The name comes from lyrics in the theme song for She-Ra's fortress, including the lines “The fate of the world is safe in Crystal Castles” and “Crystal Castles, the source of all power”.

Early releases

The first single, Alice Practice, is a limited vinyl release that sells out in three days. According to one account, the recording is originally a microphone test by Glass, though she later disputes that story. The band’s debut album, Crystal Castles, arrives in 2008 and reaches number 47 on the UK Albums Chart. It also reaches number 6 on the US Top Electronic Albums chart, number 13 on the US Top Heatseekers chart and number 32 on the US Independent Albums chart. The album is also placed at number 39 in NME’s Top 50 Albums of the Decade.

Albums, singles and collaborations

Crystal Castles issue a series of singles from their first album: Alice Practice, Crimewave, Air War and Courtship Dating. They are also known for remixes for other acts, including Hunting For Witches by Bloc Party and Atlantis to Interzone by Klaxons. Their second album, Crystal Castles (II), appears in 2010 and receives mostly positive reviews. It reaches number 48 on the UK Singles Chart, number 8 on the UK Dance Albums Chart, number 24 on the US Digital Albums chart, number 6 on the US Top Electronic Albums chart and number 3 on the US Top Heatseekers chart. Singles from the album include Doe Deer, Celestica, Baptism and a new version of Not In Love, which features Robert Smith of The Cure. That version is a cover of a Platinum Blonde song and becomes the group’s biggest hit, charting in several countries and appearing on alternative music charts.

Live work and festivals

The group is known for its melancholic lo-fi sound and explosive live shows. In 2010 it tours in the US and abroad and plays Reading and Leeds Festivals, Glastonbury Festival and Big Day Out. It also appears on the NME Awards Tour in February 2011.

Later line-up and final releases

The third album, (III), is released in 2012 and includes the singles Plague, Wrath of God and Sad Eyes. Alice Glass leaves the group in 2014. Ethan Kath later works with Edith Frances, who becomes the new vocalist. Frail appears in 2015 with Edith on vocals, followed by Deicide, later retitled Their Kindness is Charade on album. Edith Frances plays her first show with the group in South Africa in late 2015. In 2016 the band releases Concrete, previews Femen, and announces Amnesty (I), which includes Char, Fleece, Sadist and the bonus track Kept on vinyl and CD editions. The group says the proceeds from Amnesty (I) are donated to Amnesty International.

Other notes

The band is associated with several disputes over artwork permissions and sampling in its early unreleased material, including use of Trevor Brown’s artwork and samples from Lo-bat and Covox recordings. Alice Glass later states that Ethan Kath abused her during her time in the group, and she wins a court case relating to the dispute.