365 ELECTRONIC MUSIC ALBUMS IN 365 DAYS

Day 33: Crystal Castles — Crystal Castles (II)

Genres: Chiptune / Witch House / Experimental

Year: 2010

Country: Canada

(This is a personal opinion; I have no formal knowledge of music theory, but I love electronic music. Please keep that in mind while reading.)

Electronic music in the early 2010s introduced countless sounds that still live in our collective memory. Among them stands the dark, chaotic and deeply emotional universe created by Ethan Kath and Alice Glass under the name Crystal Castles.

Their self-titled debut had already established them as one of the most exciting acts in alternative electronic music, even appearing in shows like Skins and helping define an entire generation's aesthetic.

But for me, Crystal Castles (II) is where everything came together.

The album runs for just over fifty minutes and immediately showcases a much more polished production than its predecessor.

Ethan Kath's sound design became richer, cleaner and more ambitious.

Yet no matter how impressive the production is, the true center of this album is Alice Glass.

I still remember hearing her voice for the first time.

I was around fourteen years old.

And I was completely captivated.

Alice moves effortlessly between vulnerability and absolute fury.

She sounds delicate and almost ghostly on tracks like Celestica, Empathy and Suffocation, only to explode into raw emotional intensity on songs such as Baptism and Doe Deer.

She never simply sings.

She survives each performance.

Meanwhile, Ethan continues refining the harsh electronic textures that would later become closely associated with Witch House: distorted synthesizers, abrasive textures, saturated drum programming and melodies constantly balancing beauty with discomfort.

I won't mention too many individual tracks.

Partly because I think this album deserves to surprise first-time listeners.

And partly because unpredictability is one of its greatest strengths.

Every song feels different.

Every transition catches you off guard.

That's precisely what makes the record so compelling.

Over the years, Crystal Castles (II) became one of the defining electronic albums of its generation, influencing countless artists across experimental electronic music.

Unfortunately, the story behind the duo eventually became even darker than the music itself.

PERSONAL CONCLUSIONS:

Today it's impossible to discuss Crystal Castles without acknowledging the abuse allegations publicly made by Alice Glass after leaving the band.

Knowing that context inevitably changes the listening experience.

I still believe great art can emerge from deeply painful circumstances.

But I also believe listeners deserve to know the human stories behind the music they love.

For that reason, alongside recommending this album as one of the defining electronic records of the early 2010s, I'd also encourage anyone interested to explore Alice Glass' solo work.

Hearing her reclaim her own artistic voice carries a completely different emotional weight.

Crystal Castles (II) remains an extraordinary album.

But behind its synthesizers, screams and emotional intensity stood a very real human story that shouldn't be forgotten.

Sometimes the most beautiful art emerges from the most difficult realities.

DAY 33 — CRYSTAL CASTLES (II)

And you can´t forvige them...

[ LISTEN TO THE ALBUM ]