They are named after the lyrics "The fate of the world is safe in Crystal Castles" and "Crystal Castles, the source of all power" both from the theme song for She-Ra's fortress. They are known for their melancholic lo-fi sound and their explosive live shows. Their debut album was included in NME's "Top 50 Albums of the Decade".
Initially the band was intended to be a solo project started by Ethan Kath in December 2003. Ethan later discovered Alice Glass singing in a noise-punk band, and thought he had found the "missing ingredient" to his music.
In 2004 Kath gave Alice 60 instrumental tracks and in April 2005 she recorded vocals over five instrumentals. The limited vinyl release of the band's first single Alice Practice sold out in only three days.
The track was a microphone test by Glass and she was not aware that the recording existed until London UK's Merok Records asked to release the track on vinyl, according to now ex-bandmate Kath. However, Glass declared over a decade later that this story was not true.
On the 18th March 2008 they released their debut album entitled Crystal Castles. This album reached #47 on UK Albums Chart, #6 on US Top Electronic Albums, #13 on US Top Heatseekers, and #32 on US Independent Albums. Crystal Castles received great reviews and ranked #39 on NME Magazine "Top 50 Albums of the Decade". They issued four singles: Alice Practice (1 June 2006), Crimewave (Crystal Castles vs HEALTH) (13 August 2007), Air War (17 December 2007), and Courtship Dating (31 March 2008).
Crystal Castles are known not only for their own efforts as a band, but also for commissioned remixes for number of groups, including Hunting For Witches by Bloc Party, and Atlantis to Interzone by friends and label mates, Klaxons.
In mid-2008, Crystal Castles were involved in two controversies related to artwork permissions and samples in their earliest unreleased songs. Crystal Castles used Trevor Brown's artwork (depicting singer Madonna with a black eye) without permission.
Furthermore, in one of Kath's earliest, unreleased demos, he incorporated a sample without permission. The track, "Insectica (CC vs Lo-Bat Version)", uses clips chopped out of a song by Lo-bat called "My Little Droid Needs a Hand", released under a Creative Commons license. Another track called "Love and Caring", samples the kick and snare from Covox's "Sunday".
In 23 April 2010 the duo released their second album Crystal Castles (II). This album reached #48 on UK Singles Chart, #8 on UK Dance Albums Chart, #24 on US Digital Albums, #6 on US Top Electronic Albums, and #3 on US Top Heatseekers. Crystal Castles (II) has been met with mostly positive reviews from critics. To date, four singles were issued: Doe Deer, Celestica and Baptism, and a new version of the track Not In Love which featured Robert Smith of The Cure on vocals.
This became their biggest hit to date, charting in a great amount of countries including a #3 in Belgium (Flanders), a #31 in Denmark and various notable placements on official alternative music charts. "Not In Love", which is a cover of a Platinum Blonde song of the same name, was also featured in various television shows (including "Degrassi") and the popular football simulation videogame FIFA 12.
The band toured throughout 2010 in the US and abroad and played the Reading and Leeds Festivals and Glastonbury Festival in the UK and Big Day Out in Australia. In February 2011, the band will perform on the NME Awards Tour
The band's third album, (III) was released on November 21, 2012. The album contains the singles "Plague", "Wrath of God", and "Sad Eyes".
On October 8th 2014 it was announced on then lead singer Alice Glass' Twitter that she was leaving the band, and that the group would end. However, Crystal Castles' manager immediately reported that the band would continue, and on April 15th, 2015, Ethan Kath shared a new track titled Frail on SoundCloud, writing 'this is Edith on vocals', implying that fellow musician Edith Frances was Crystal Castles' new lead vocalist, which was in fact the case.
On 2 July 2015, another new song, Deicide, was released as a single. A new version of Deicide was later released on the album under the title Their Kindness is Charade.
In late November 2015, Edith Frances played her first show as the other half of Crystal Castles in South Africa.
In the last week of June 2016, the track Concrete was leaked on Korean website MNet. The track was later released as a single on July 6 with an accompanying video Video on the same day on YouTube.
On June 29, the band previewed a new track Femen with a teaser of the music Video showing birds caught and struggling in mist nets via Vimeo.
On July 11, the band announced the new record, Amnesty (I) along with its cover art and track list and also premiering Char as Annie Mac's Hottest Record on BBC Radio 1.
The single and pre-order for the album were made available a day later on July 12.
The fourth, and last pre-order single Fleece was made available on August 16 at the band's iTunes page.
Another single titled Sadist was released on August 18, followed by the official release of the album on August 19, 2016. Track Sadist was followed by Edith's message announced on CC official Facebook page.
On their official website CC announced that all band's proceeds from Amnesty (I) album will be donated to Amnesty International. New album Vinyl and CD includes bonus track Kept.
http://www.crystalcastles.com
Various sources have reported that, as of 2018, Crystal Castles remains in a hiatus with no signs of new material coming in the near future.
7. Courtship Dating
Crystal Castles Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You smell of great disease
'Cause we're young
Fell in from the stars
When your skin is dead
On a pile of your head
Now then, I look so smart
Stove burn on my hands
Show them to my friends
Make you participate, okay
Eyes roll back around
When skulls hit the ground
Visions to procreate
Heaven should interfere
I'm coming from your tears
When they wander into their cage
So their arms and thighs
And their holy covered eyes
Just yet, will never age
Stove burn on my hands
Show them to my friends
Make you participate, okay
Eyes roll back around
When skulls hit the ground
Visions to procreate
Stove burn on my hands
Show them to my friends
Make you participate, okay
Eyes roll back around
When skulls hit the ground
Visions to procreate
Stove burn on my hands
Show them to my friends
Make you participate, okay
Eyes roll back around
When skulls hit the ground
Visions to procreate
Stove burn on my hands
Show them to my friends
Make you participate, okay
Make you participate, okay
The lyrics of Crystal Castles's song Courtship Dating are enigmatic and cryptic. It revolves around the themes of youthful rebellion and distorted love, explored through surreal and abstract imagery.
The opening line, "How do I feel for thee?" signifies the obsession and confusion in the singer's mind. The next line, "You smell of great disease," showcases a sense of disgust and loathing towards the person he is attracted to. The third line, "Cause we're young," suggests the naivety and rebelliousness of youth, looking for excitement and thrills.
The lines, "When your skin is dead, on a pile of your head, now then, I look so smart," portray a macabre picture of death and decay, representing the idea of the inevitable end to life. The disjointed lines, "Stove burn on my hands, show them to my friends, make you participate, okay," are disturbing and mysterious, reflecting the violent and destructive impulses of the singer.
The chorus, "Eyes roll back around when skulls hit the ground, visions to procreate," is provocative and surreal, hinting at the singer's bizarre and twisted sexual fantasies. The following lines, "Heaven should interfere, I'm coming from your tears, when they wander into their cage, so their arms and thighs, and their holy covered eyes, just yet, will never age," are haunting and poetic, signifying the singer's fixation on immortality and eternal youth.
Overall, the song Courtship Dating is a complex and enigmatic piece of art, showcasing the dark and distorted aspects of love and youth.
Line by Line Meaning
How do I feel for thee?
The singer is questioning their own feelings for their subject.
You smell of great disease
The subject has a strong, overwhelming scent that the singer associates with illness.
'Cause we're young
The singer attributes their actions and emotions to their youth and inexperience.
Fell in from the stars
The singer and their subject have a cosmic, fated connection that brought them together.
When your skin is dead
The singer has a fascination with death and decaying flesh.
On a pile of your head
The singer envisions their subject's severed head lying in a pile.
Now then, I look so smart
The singer reflects on their own intelligence or wit in this situation.
Stove burn on my hands
The singer has a physical injury that they want to show off to their friends.
Show them to my friends
The singer seeks validation or attention from their peer group.
Make you participate, okay
The singer wants to involve their subject in their actions or plans.
Eyes roll back around
The singer describes a physical reaction to intense pleasure or excitement.
When skulls hit the ground
The singer has violent, destructive tendencies or fantasies.
Visions to procreate
The singer has a desire to create new life, whether literal or metaphorical.
Heaven should interfere
The singer hopes for divine intervention or guidance in their situation.
I'm coming from your tears
The singer finds inspiration or sustenance in their subject's sadness or pain.
When they wander into their cage
The singer feels trapped or confined by their emotions or circumstances.
So their arms and thighs
The singer fixates on their subject's body, particularly their limbs and torso.
And their holy covered eyes
The singer sees their subject's eyes as pure or sacred, but also hidden or mysterious.
Just yet, will never age
The singer idealizes their subject's youth and beauty, wanting them to remain unchanged.
Make you participate, okay
Again, the singer wants to involve their subject in their actions or plans.
Make you participate, okay
Reiterating their desire for participation.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: ALICE GLASS, ETHAN KATH
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Aard
How do I feel for thee
Your smile brings disease
Cuz we're young, fell in from the stars
When your skin is shed
Find a pile of your head
Now then i'll look so smart
Stove burns on my hand
Show them to my friends
Make you participate
Eyes roll back around
Limbs fall to the ground
Seasoned to procreate
The first to interfere
Are culled before the deer
When they wander into the cage
Stuff their arms and thighs
Then they roll their cardboard eyes
Their skin will never age
Stove burns on my hand
Show them to my friends
Make you participate
Eyes roll back around
Limbs fall to the ground
Seasoned to procreate
The dragon mother
How do I feel for thee?
You smell of great disease
'Cause we're young
Fell in from the stars
When your skin is dead
On a pile of your head
Now then, I look so smart
Stove burn on my hands
Show them to my friends
Make you participate, okay
Eyes roll back around
When skulls hit the ground
Visions to procreate
Heaven should interfere
I'm coming from your tears
When they wander into their cage
So their arms and thighs
And their holy covered eyes
Just yet, will never age
Stove burn on my hands
Show them to my friends
Make you participate, okay
Eyes roll back around
When skulls hit the ground
Visions to procreate
Stove burn on my hands
Show them to my friends
Make you participate, okay
Eyes roll back around
When skulls hit the ground
Visions to procreate
Stove burn on my hands
Show them to my friends
Make you participate, okay
Eyes roll back around
When skulls hit the ground
Visions to procreate
Stove burn on my hands
Show them to my friends
Make you participate, okay
Make you participate, okay
Haunted Harmonics
close lol.
How do I feel for thee?
Your smile brings disease
Cause we're young, willing from the start
When your skin is shed
Find a pile of your head
Now then, I'll look so smart
Stove burn on my hands
Show them to my friends
Make you participate
Eyes roll back around
Limbs fall to the ground
Seasoned to procreate
The first to interfere
Are culled before the deer
When they wander into the cage
Stuff their arms and thighs
Then they roll their cardboard eyes
Their skin will never age
Harry Valiente
Let us Pray🙏
Heavenly Father, today we kneel in prayer, asking for the recovery of all patients with Covid 19 and asking our Father Almighty for protection for those who are well. Please shield us, Oh Lord, for YOU alone can heal the inflicted and give protection to those who are well and to all front liners.... in Jesus mighty name we pray.
Amen.🙏📿💒
I request my friends to put this message in your status, Let's do a prayer brigade.
God bless us all.🕊❤️
#FightingTCPS
#TheToughest
#WeHealAsOne 🙏🙏🙏
Haunted Harmonics
this shit was so ahead of its time, i think it’ll still feel fresh in 2050. these songs will never get old, i swear
Jairo
It’s 2022 and it’s still sounds fresh
Ric Schmick
@Jairo +1
halfaaxxa
Super Fresh
Luciano Ciuti
Bruh do you know yazoo o something about electronic music???
JA.Rave170Sounds
@Luciano Ciuti AKA Yaz. Early Electronica: Synth-Pop, Techno-Pop, New Wave Styled Music Band. Freaking Awesome & Ahead Of Their Time; Indeed!!😎👍
OHMS
my dad made me play this album on my xbox 360 while he was in the room in 2009, today I thanked him...
Belen :3
Oobib
iSuckAtGamesGG
my father made me play this untill he comes back from getting the milk, and im still listening...
Mihqi ᗪᑕ
Lucky you