Crystal Fighters first came to my attention a year or two ago with the weird and wonderful ‘I Love London’ – hyper-active folktronica enocorporating everything from cowbells, fizzing synths and crazy vocal calls. It’ll be receiving a re-release on Kitsune some time soon.
But Crystal Fighters have really shot to fame in the last couple of months with Xtatic Truth. Their trademark basque instruments are here with a more sweet melody to start things off before it drops into a catchy, accented chorus amidst the blistering energy of the synths and instrument clamour – this is certainly their most acessible tune yet [as this is for promotional purposes, I have reduced the bitrate considerably]:
Crystal Fighters – Xtatic Truth (Xtra Loud Mix) [pelski highly recommends]
These days, Kitsune are sometimes brushed-off as an old-hat weedy indie-electro label – better suited to 2007′s new rave influx than 2009′s stranger sounds? But Kitsune are still on the
money with their tastemaking signings – plucking out all kinds of obscure sounds.and dropping some of the biggest tunes of the year, including Beni’s ‘My Love Sees You’, some crooning La Roux productions and Phoenix’s flawless ‘Lisztomania’. They’re everywhere and there’s even a Kitsune iphone application now… (- a little too keen, perhaps?).
There are tonnes of remixes to pick from: a ticking, low-key dubstep take comes from Magistrates, while Last Japan and Kitch’n'Sync both beef things up in the house department. But, its Renaissance Man and L-VIS 1990 (quickly becoming regularls on YCCMPelski) who really stand out. Subtle clicks and clacks of congos bop along, retaining the essence of the orginal but stripping away the frantic pace to leave a sereen beauty. L-VIs 1990 takes a similar minimalist approach, but with echoing drum beats and fine touches:
Crystal Fighters – Xtatic Truth (Renaissance Mane Remix) [pelski highly recommends]
Buy the full Kitsune release here.
This remix by Crystal Fighters is a stormer, and verges much closer to electro than their other stuff – plucky spanish guitar strings and a wavering bassline weave around the glam-pop vocals of Magic Wands:
