Crystal Fighters - Gaia & Friends (2019)
Alternative dance, synth-pop, folk, folktronica, indie pop, indie rock | 00:36:06 | WEB FLAC (tracks) | 246 MB
Label: Warner Bros.
Alternative dance, synth-pop, folk, folktronica, indie pop, indie rock | 00:36:06 | WEB FLAC (tracks) | 246 MB
Label: Warner Bros.
If you’d spent the last few years of your life wrapped up in an album like Star Of Love, you’d go looking for a little respite, too. Crystal Fighters’ debut was the product of minds made manic by a deluge of fresh experience, both in the studio and on the road. It was inspired by an opera written by a man whose sanity disintegrated before he could finish it. It seemed to be influenced just as much by traditional Basque music from the 18th century as it was modern-day clubland, and contained residual traces of every genre, scene, style or party that had existed in-between.
But if album one was the sound of haywire electronic loops frantically kept spinning like plates on sticks, then album two is the story of Crystal Fighters mastering control of those rave repetitions, withdrawing from the chaos of the club to carve their music into the shape of songs.
To write the album, Crystal Fighters retreated to the Basque hills that they consider to be their spiritual home. Their music has always born traces of the local sound –traditional instruments like txalapartas and txistus vying in the mix with razor’s edge guitars and percolating techno synths – but the purpose of this mission was different. Immersed in their creative cradle, they wanted to tap into something beyond their immediate experience, to uproot themselves from temporal bounds in order to write timeless songs.
These methods proved to be spectacularly successful – Crystal Fighters wrote Cave Rave in its entirety during this two-month spell. There followed a quick detour to Los Angeles to produce the tracks, but after this it was still the songs written in the Basque country that remained most audible – only now the melodies found there had been sharpened into hooks, songs exploded into towering anthems. This revelatory process also exposed the band to a new way of thinking: a realisation that even the cultures they considered traditional are comparatively new. The album draws deeper into universal, history-permeating themes of love, death, insanity and hope; using Basque culture as a stepping stone backward to the spiritual and primal.
The musical influences have widened too. Star Of Love was a manic, genre picking rush yet Cave Rave expands the sound palette even further. The beating hearts of Hispanic and African dance and Mexican electronic music 3bal now sit alongside folk and psychedelia, each artfully interpreted and united by the band’s unconfined vision.
If Crystal Fighters have surrendered to the power of the song, they haven’t run up the white flag in terms of energy. What’s here is still an adrenal rush, and there is an awful lot here: the grandstanding of American road rock, the sweat of disco, the fervent initiative of punk, the house of Iberian twilights that anticipates everything coming very soon, all at once. What’s changed is Crystal Fighters’ ability to control those surges – and as such Cave Rave feels a considerably more thoughtful and contemplative album than its predecessor.
Nevertheless, it has at its heart the same tension that provides all great records their emotional traction. Sebastian Pringle, Gilbert Vierich, and Graham Dickson are the three core members of Crystal Fighters, around whom a larger cadre of vocalists and instrumentalists revolve. They’re the kind of people whose brains seem to be bubbling pots, all intensely preoccupied with anthropology, time travel, spirituality and their place in the universe, even as they’re attempting to create the kind of cohesive sonic pieces that really connect and move people. They seem passionate about creating music that can make people dance, but that is equally adept at finding its way beneath a listener’s skin.
With Cave Rave, they Pringle, Vierich and Dickson have managed just that. The melodies, hooks and refrains of the album are so compelling it’s almost as if Crystal Fighters had to devise them simply to navigate a way across the landscapes of their own avid genrelessness, to remain as masters of music that itself seems to be a disputed territory. Here you have a band hell-bent on locating their own musical heaven, a place beyond petty genre parameters, where all that remains, finally, is song, rhythm and sentiment, bursting in vivid colour from the dark of the silent Basque night.
Tracklist:
01. Crystal Fighters - Runnin'
02. Crystal Fighters, Allison Sleator - Remolino Icarito (feat. Allison Sleator)
03. Crystal Fighters - The Get Down
04. Crystal Fighters, Nahli - Costa Rica (feat. NAHLI)
05. Crystal Fighters, Ugarte Anaiak - Txalamantra (feat. Ugarte Anaiak)
06. Crystal Fighters - Wild Ones
07. Crystal Fighters, Soledad Vélez - All of It (feat. Soledad Vélez)
08. Crystal Fighters - One String
09. Crystal Fighters - Another Level
10. Crystal Fighters - Lift Up
11. Crystal Fighters - All My Love (Crystal Fighters x FeedMe Edit)
12. Crystal Fighters, Petite Noir, Miller Blue - Hope (feat. Petite Noir & Miller Blue)
13. Crystal Fighters, Bomba Estéreo - Goin' Harder (feat. Bomba Estéreo)
14. Crystal Fighters - Reborn
ANALYZER: auCDtect: CD records authenticity detector, version 0.8.2
Copyright © 2004 Oleg Berngardt. All rights reserved.
Copyright © 2004 Alexander Djourik. All rights reserved.
FILE: 14. Crystal Fighters - Reborn.flac
Size: 36287263 Hash: 77BDB0A211F33C33EFAE24854B6A3275 Accuracy: -m8
Conclusion: CDDA 100%
Signature: D5850C5FAC17C4E9C6CC020FC3557F27A719D6B5
FILE: 13. Crystal Fighters, Bomba Estéreo - Goin' Harder (feat. Bomba Estéreo).flac
Size: 24270333 Hash: 86282E4F535DFAB4223F3F7B2785BCD9 Accuracy: -m8
Conclusion: CDDA 100%
Signature: AD9028041C2AED4CFC521BA340B7B95C497FEAC8
FILE: 12. Crystal Fighters, Petite Noir, Miller Blue - Hope (feat. Petite Noir & Miller Blue).flac
Size: 9264408 Hash: 4BC4DEDC148518F1EA0A8DC2D7317E24 Accuracy: -m8
Conclusion: CDDA 100%
Signature: BCA20B7F9894B67A663AB2D5DE938626AC7E3B82
FILE: 11. Crystal Fighters - All My Love (Crystal Fighters x FeedMe Edit).flac
Size: 25765882 Hash: 91AC8E5A3D53F4514738F93D63BA37A5 Accuracy: -m8
Conclusion: CDDA 100%
Signature: 1B5758B3824ABDC6F0B46D8179C6FD6DAD00083C
FILE: 10. Crystal Fighters - Lift Up.flac
Size: 3423908 Hash: E48129614947D48033CEEA683F5FAFE0 Accuracy: -m8
Conclusion: CDDA 100%
Signature: 7BCFFE178DF7B56A8C69ED20F82E590ADF08914F
FILE: 09. Crystal Fighters - Another Level.flac
Size: 22902820 Hash: 9BAAAD7D67CF419FBC2FB02676FACFBD Accuracy: -m8
Conclusion: CDDA 100%
Signature: FDB7013356BFD94FC64F17058230F9345254DD58
FILE: 08. Crystal Fighters - One String.flac
Size: 5575212 Hash: 27BA57F9196C767CF4E115DC91463346 Accuracy: -m8
Conclusion: CDDA 100%
Signature: C086D418A2CDBA8B1565BE339FF1F6719776F643
FILE: 07. Crystal Fighters, Soledad Vélez - All of It (feat. Soledad Vélez).flac
Size: 20944729 Hash: AA710FA4E0DD0582D2F0EA21BB6E5D97 Accuracy: -m8
Conclusion: CDDA 100%
Signature: 760E43F126878CB5F64F836F9D5735245B6F6526
FILE: 06. Crystal Fighters - Wild Ones.flac
Size: 23241795 Hash: 0E85DD0904F19F98D91C413F1737F241 Accuracy: -m8
Conclusion: CDDA 100%
Signature: 0D10B1DC78EF632909F5839BF1919D346B104719
FILE: 05. Crystal Fighters, Ugarte Anaiak - Txalamantra (feat. Ugarte Anaiak).flac
Size: 5943917 Hash: CABBC8397143FBFCC50F01DF6CF6EAF9 Accuracy: -m8
Conclusion: CDDA 100%
Signature: 3EC94A06E441FACD02FDE6A94098914FE1B2A958
FILE: 04. Crystal Fighters, Nahli - Costa Rica (feat. NAHLI).flac
Size: 23278029 Hash: C9AD25F093336FAE78E054495BF5B56B Accuracy: -m8
Conclusion: CDDA 100%
Signature: F7EB45893C728C29B471AACDEF0472E5CB24DE24
FILE: 03. Crystal Fighters - The Get Down.flac
Size: 28580409 Hash: 459846E4F836CE048162DADD4633BC0A Accuracy: -m8
Conclusion: CDDA 99%
Signature: 1540826EF4A9F49A181BE947CCC1C6C32A31306A
FILE: 02. Crystal Fighters, Allison Sleator - Remolino Icarito (feat. Allison Sleator).flac
Size: 3875090 Hash: B2A35EE420FC4C205775B88ECD62BCE9 Accuracy: -m8
Conclusion: CDDA 100%
Signature: 7C9DC8AD0E9A1EF4CF59ED740958115ACAE99146
FILE: 01. Crystal Fighters - Runnin'.flac
Size: 24415717 Hash: AA1FB92FBDF8A9414A89E33656F2B8D2 Accuracy: -m8
Conclusion: CDDA 100%
Signature: E95A2C3EAEC7221EDA459C37DDE8F3F14CE7A89E
Copyright © 2004 Oleg Berngardt. All rights reserved.
Copyright © 2004 Alexander Djourik. All rights reserved.
FILE: 14. Crystal Fighters - Reborn.flac
Size: 36287263 Hash: 77BDB0A211F33C33EFAE24854B6A3275 Accuracy: -m8
Conclusion: CDDA 100%
Signature: D5850C5FAC17C4E9C6CC020FC3557F27A719D6B5
FILE: 13. Crystal Fighters, Bomba Estéreo - Goin' Harder (feat. Bomba Estéreo).flac
Size: 24270333 Hash: 86282E4F535DFAB4223F3F7B2785BCD9 Accuracy: -m8
Conclusion: CDDA 100%
Signature: AD9028041C2AED4CFC521BA340B7B95C497FEAC8
FILE: 12. Crystal Fighters, Petite Noir, Miller Blue - Hope (feat. Petite Noir & Miller Blue).flac
Size: 9264408 Hash: 4BC4DEDC148518F1EA0A8DC2D7317E24 Accuracy: -m8
Conclusion: CDDA 100%
Signature: BCA20B7F9894B67A663AB2D5DE938626AC7E3B82
FILE: 11. Crystal Fighters - All My Love (Crystal Fighters x FeedMe Edit).flac
Size: 25765882 Hash: 91AC8E5A3D53F4514738F93D63BA37A5 Accuracy: -m8
Conclusion: CDDA 100%
Signature: 1B5758B3824ABDC6F0B46D8179C6FD6DAD00083C
FILE: 10. Crystal Fighters - Lift Up.flac
Size: 3423908 Hash: E48129614947D48033CEEA683F5FAFE0 Accuracy: -m8
Conclusion: CDDA 100%
Signature: 7BCFFE178DF7B56A8C69ED20F82E590ADF08914F
FILE: 09. Crystal Fighters - Another Level.flac
Size: 22902820 Hash: 9BAAAD7D67CF419FBC2FB02676FACFBD Accuracy: -m8
Conclusion: CDDA 100%
Signature: FDB7013356BFD94FC64F17058230F9345254DD58
FILE: 08. Crystal Fighters - One String.flac
Size: 5575212 Hash: 27BA57F9196C767CF4E115DC91463346 Accuracy: -m8
Conclusion: CDDA 100%
Signature: C086D418A2CDBA8B1565BE339FF1F6719776F643
FILE: 07. Crystal Fighters, Soledad Vélez - All of It (feat. Soledad Vélez).flac
Size: 20944729 Hash: AA710FA4E0DD0582D2F0EA21BB6E5D97 Accuracy: -m8
Conclusion: CDDA 100%
Signature: 760E43F126878CB5F64F836F9D5735245B6F6526
FILE: 06. Crystal Fighters - Wild Ones.flac
Size: 23241795 Hash: 0E85DD0904F19F98D91C413F1737F241 Accuracy: -m8
Conclusion: CDDA 100%
Signature: 0D10B1DC78EF632909F5839BF1919D346B104719
FILE: 05. Crystal Fighters, Ugarte Anaiak - Txalamantra (feat. Ugarte Anaiak).flac
Size: 5943917 Hash: CABBC8397143FBFCC50F01DF6CF6EAF9 Accuracy: -m8
Conclusion: CDDA 100%
Signature: 3EC94A06E441FACD02FDE6A94098914FE1B2A958
FILE: 04. Crystal Fighters, Nahli - Costa Rica (feat. NAHLI).flac
Size: 23278029 Hash: C9AD25F093336FAE78E054495BF5B56B Accuracy: -m8
Conclusion: CDDA 100%
Signature: F7EB45893C728C29B471AACDEF0472E5CB24DE24
FILE: 03. Crystal Fighters - The Get Down.flac
Size: 28580409 Hash: 459846E4F836CE048162DADD4633BC0A Accuracy: -m8
Conclusion: CDDA 99%
Signature: 1540826EF4A9F49A181BE947CCC1C6C32A31306A
FILE: 02. Crystal Fighters, Allison Sleator - Remolino Icarito (feat. Allison Sleator).flac
Size: 3875090 Hash: B2A35EE420FC4C205775B88ECD62BCE9 Accuracy: -m8
Conclusion: CDDA 100%
Signature: 7C9DC8AD0E9A1EF4CF59ED740958115ACAE99146
FILE: 01. Crystal Fighters - Runnin'.flac
Size: 24415717 Hash: AA1FB92FBDF8A9414A89E33656F2B8D2 Accuracy: -m8
Conclusion: CDDA 100%
Signature: E95A2C3EAEC7221EDA459C37DDE8F3F14CE7A89E