Album Review- Crystal Castles

So the super cool Crystal Castles have released their second album, presumably just to make all the thousands of drooling NME readers to wipe their mouths and pull out their wallets. The second self titled album is a follow up to their debut release 2 years ago.

I think the charm in the last album, and i use the word charm lightly, was that it was so simple. There was a certain enjoyment gained from the fact that it sounded as if it had been knocked out on your brothers smashed up game boy and a dodgy midi-keyboard. It probably was. It took me an incredibly long time to like, with my initial reaction being "what the fuck is this noise", or something simular (and unfortunately the only time i decided to go and see them live at Reading festival was during this period of confusion and annoyance).

However, I eventually warmed to a number of stand out tracks, and it is with this (extremely shakey basis) that I write this review. It's needless to say that I wasn't expecting much. Unlike many people, I don't think Alice Practice is a genius and that sound, whilst fun, is just that.....a bit of fun.

However, there is a marked change in sounds in this album. Producer Ethan Kath has changed and refined the once raw and jagged loops and made something different. It's much easier to relate it to dance and conventional electro, on the whole. The standout tracks for me are 'Vietnam' and 'Empathy', for this very reason. They're both rounded and well produced tracks, with the same over-sampled singing from Alice that fans grew to love after the first album.

There are still a few relatively unlistenable tracks, and parts of tracks of what sounds like Gabba but with Alice shrieking over the top, and as a result i don't see it as a complete album... whilst it might have stand out tracks those short screamed interludes are boring and unecessary. Frankly, anybody who claims that it's pushing boundries of electronic music can fuck off because it's not. It's noise with too much feedback and it completely ruins the feel of the album when it's surrounded by comparatively well produced electro-dance tracks.

However, the album does have some incredibly sucessful moments, including when on 'Year of Silence', Alice produces some fantastic vocals. I just don't, unfortunately, see this sort of music as the future....and this certainly isn't the album to carry electronic music forward.

6/10

If, from this poorly written piece of crap you think "hey, that sounds amazing! Dave is probably just lying again because he's wrong about music and I'm right", then you can pre-order the album here. And if you're still not satisfied, then why not check out their suprisingly cool selection of t-shirts here

New Mix- 19.

I've gone and done another mix... This time because I'm now officially 19. I think that calls for a new one anyway, shut up. Anyways, this is what I've been listening to recently.
Tracklisting:

1)Slin & DiamonD EyE- Windy Sundays
2)DJ Maxximus- Neo (Shackleton's Neo Bln Rmx)
3)Appleblim & Peverelist- Circling
4)Shackleton- Death Is Not Final (T + + Remix)
5)Moderat- No. 22
6)Modeselektor- Edgar

19. by Radio Aktivität

Das Deutschlandlied

Sausages, Lederhosen, Nazi's, Lager and Protestantism (just me?), that's right, I'm totally dedicating an entire blog post to go on about fucking awesome German music is. More specifically, German electronic music. So here's a countdown of my 3 favourite German electro artists at the moment, and i'll give you some links- so you can all over-indulge your ears.

3) Moderat

I found out about Moderat because one of the founding members is Apparat, who I wrote about in my last post, and Modeselektor, who I am about to write about...! They've only released a few EP's and one self titled album, but their sound is nothing but infectious. It's a catchy electro sound, with varying beats and deep bass sounds. Check out their myspace here. Personally 'A New Error' is my favourite track, and sounds as if it'd be perfect for almost any atmosphere.

2) Siriusmo

Siriusumo continues where Moderat left off and displays yet more fantastically catchy jump-up electro. I defy anyone not to move at least at little bit..... basically because it sounds as if Kraftwerk had a child with modern house. And fucking hell, does that combination work incredibly well. Head over to his myspace here, where I seriously recommend you all listen to 'the uninvited guest snippet'. Other than that, check out 'High Together', and the twistingly fantastic 'Let Me In'.

1) Modeselektor


Oh God. This blog is so long that I almost forget I was leading it all up to them....well....Modeselektor first blew my tiny mind whilst on the train last week, and a train isn't a very nice place to have your mind blown.. But they play some of the best most catchy electro i've ever heard. They tick all the boxes: amazing catchy bass hooks, tight beats, and endorsements from Radiohead. How the fuck can you go wrong. RUN! To their myspace here. And check out their amazing songs (and very cool videos), in the form of Art&Cash, My Mosque Is My Cathedral (with Pfadfinderei) aaaaand also Rusty Nails.

Deutschland über alles.

Ellen Allien & Apparat

Despite their most popular and influential album being released in 2006, this is the first time that these two talented musicians have ever come across my radar. Together they've produced two albums, but seperately they're sucsessful musicians in their own right.

Both artists hail from Germany, playing a major part in the famous Berlin Electro scene. Ellen Allien is a singer, who sings in both German and English and has made a name for herself in the Berlin scene, taking inspiration from the very city in which she works. Apparat is an Electro DJ, who has a progressive interest in "designing sounds (rather) than beats".


Together, they produce one of the most complete and best electronic albums that I've ever heard, in the form of 'Orchestra of Bubbles' . It moves from catchy pop-vocals to wonderfully minimal electronic beats. It's certainly something that I'd recommend, and you can download it here.

I'd seriously recommend that you give it a listen.

Dubstep is Dead

I thought i'd title this article 'Dubstep is Dead' purely to get your attention...but I'm starting to question that sinking feeling everytime another 'Wup Wup Wup' dirrrrty (extra r's intended) tune comes out, or the latest dull remix of the latest pop track hits every club and receives the same reaction of sweaty idiots on Mephadrone shouting "Yeah man this is sick/harsh/raw/big, it sounds just like Borgore......". I'm starting to wonder if this sinking feeling is me falling out of love with Dubstep...whether this is the end of my beautiful relationship with the genre, a relationship which gave me something new to dance to and not shut up about.



I don't think this is quite the end for me, or the genre. But i do think that something has to change. As dubstep gets bigger and more global, as it rightfully should, I think there's a need for evolution.

This evolution is already here, in the form of Appleblim records, Joy Orbison, Mount Kimbie, and all of the other producers and labels who are pushing forward musically and are already gaining recognition, most notably from Mary-Anne Hobbes. This new sound combines the 2-step and bass sounds of dubstep but twists and turns into something completely unrecognisable and different, and to be around when it's being produced is extremely exciting. For me anyway...

This sort of music has been around for a while, but I hope it's around for a while longer, even if what they're pushing forth into musically is fucking difficult for anybody to put into a genre.

If you want more from your dubstep and/or want me to shut up, you can check out this blog in the future, or simply cut out the middle man and look at these links

Geiom , Pearson Sound , Mount Kimbie , Joy Orbison , 2562 , Flying Lotus , Kode9
Enough Links.

Hopefully soon this sort of music is what all dubstep producers will see as the future and all the fake dirty gangsters can shut the fuck up. But as it's such a new genre, I think it'll be a while.

New Mix- A Guide To Being Well Behaved

Back once again from a long hiatus due to getting glandular fever, I return with...that's right, shameful self promotion! Hooray! Anyway, I've done another mix, sort of in the same vein as the last except slightly less house and more electro. Here it is:
Tracklisting:

1) Sigha- Seeing God
2) Al Tourettes- Sunken
3) Burial- Ghost Hardware
4) FaltyDL- Party
5) Joy Orbison- The Shrew Would Have Cushioned The Blow
6) Scuba- Klinik
7) Untold- Through the Walls (LV Remix)

A Guide to Being Well Behaved by Dave_Wood

Enjoy!