Crystal Fighters
Encyclopedia
Crystal Fighters are a British
electronic
band with Spanish influences who formed in London
, UK in 2007. Their debut album Star of Love was released on 4 October 2010.
, percussion) and Graham Dickson (guitar/ txalaparta), with Laure Stockley and Mimi Borelli (vocals).
Pringle and Vierich were old friends, while Vierich and Dickson met through various parties. The three then began making music under various guises before being joined by Stockley and Borelli. The band now play with a live drummer, Andrea Marongiu.
The group took their name ‘Crystal Fighters’ from an unfinished opera which Stockley’s grandfather had penned during his final months of insanity. Stockley came across the manuscript while clearing out the reclusive old man’s remote home in the Basque
countryside. She quickly became obsessed by the intriguing scrawls within it and shared it with the others. Captivated by its seemingly prophetic contents, the band took on the name and formed in an attempt to expand upon the wild and deranged spirit of the old man’s writings.
instruments into their music. Many of their songs use a txalaparta
, a wooden xylophone-like percussion instrument played by two people standing face-to-face. They also use the danbolin (a rope-tuned snare drum), and the txistu
(a Basque pipe whistle).
Crystal Fighters’ style is a fusion of genres – fast progressive dance music joined by the melodies and dances of traditional Basque folk
, alongside synthesisers, bass-driven wonk-funk, with beats fuelled by early 80s Spanish
punk and experimental electronica from bands such as Aviador Dro
, Las Vulpes and Dulce Venganza. Basque music informs much of their songwriting: the riff on ‘Champion Sound’ is lifted from the Basque folk piece ‘Sagar Dantza’ and ‘In The Summer’ draws upon music heard at the Carnival of Lantz in Navarroa. Paul Lester, of The Guardian
has described their style as "what would happen if you went back 100 years, dropped a load of recording equipment into a remote Basque village and left the villagers, steeped in folk music, to their own devices."
Their unique style has caused NME
to comment that "Crystal Fighters have stood out as one of the most interesting prospects by a mile – something genuinely new sounding."
in 2009.
In 2009, the band also recorded and made a video for 'Robot Restroom' with Tom Neville and Henry Benett. Although, it was never released.
They group were also chosen as Diesel U Music’s Spanish representatives, and launched MySpace Music in the UK, one of 2009’s most anticipated media events.
. It will be released in Australia via Liberator Music.
The BBC
called it an "assured, sporadically thrilling first shot" while Artrocker
said "this lot really are a rare talent that you’d be foolish to ignore." Mojo Magazine gave the album 4 out of 5, stating "there’s a thrilling carnival atmosphere to Star of Love...unique and highly moreish". The Fly
called it "a record as high in energy and delightfully messy as their now notorious live performances"
The collection of songs explores the themes in singer Stockley's grandfather's writings. Themes include the unfathomable mystery of the universe, the turbulent journey towards being at peace with death, the triumph of love, and the omnipotence of the sun. "Star Of Love" is actually a backronym for SOL, the Spanish word for "sun". Each song tells a story, both sonically and aurally, and each story has its cryptic connections with the dark and tormented world of the original opera.
proclaiming them to have "the single most exciting show in dance music." Dazed & Confused
has said "there is nothing more alive or energetic than Crystal Fighters".
In the last two years, the band have played over 100 shows across 15 countries. 2010 saw the band play all the top festivals including Glastonbury
, Bestival
, V Festival
, Leeds Festival
, Creamfields
, Lovebox
, Secret Garden Party
and Isle of Wight Festival
, and at more intimate gigs including one in Manchester
.
Worldwide, they played SXSW, StereoSonic (Australia), Eurosonic, C/O Pop (Germany), Creamfelds Spain, Lowlands
(Holland), Hurricane Festival
& Southside Festival
(Germany), Suprette (Switzerland), Emmaboda
(Sweden), Electric Picnic
(Ireland) and Bergenfest.
The band supported Foals on their UK tour in November 2010 and headlined their own UK tour in October of that year.
In 2011, the band will embark on a UK headline tour in October and Europe in November.
in October 2010. Mimi is seen sitting on the floor during the performances but did not sing.
They will appear on Channel 4
’s ‘Abbey Road Debuts', a new music programme from the producers of ‘Live from Abbey Road
’. The series will begin in April 2011.
Two songs from the Star Of Love album have featured in hit TV series Skins. 'Xtatic Truth' featured in Episode 7, Series 4 during the party scene and 'With You' in episode 3 of series 5 when Mini sees Nick sleeping next to Liv. 'I Do This Everyday' was featured on the Skins advert in February 2011.
The Delta Heavy remix of ‘I Love London’ was featured on the soundtrack to the film 'Harry Brown', starring Michael Caine
.
They were featured on a small documentary "4Play: Crystal Fighter", Which aired on Friday, 25 Feb 2011 on Channel 4.
Their track "Plage" was used on the 2011 television commercials for both Matalan
and Target
British people
The British are citizens of the United Kingdom, of the Isle of Man, any of the Channel Islands, or of any of the British overseas territories, and their descendants...
electronic
Electronic music
Electronic music is music that employs electronic musical instruments and electronic music technology in its production. In general a distinction can be made between sound produced using electromechanical means and that produced using electronic technology. Examples of electromechanical sound...
band with Spanish influences who formed in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, UK in 2007. Their debut album Star of Love was released on 4 October 2010.
Formation and early years
‘Crystal Fighters' are Sebastian Pringle (lead vocals, guitar), Gilbert Vierich (electronics, guitars, txalapartaTxalaparta
The txalaparta is a specialized Basque music device of wood or stone, similar to Romanian toacă. In Basque, zalaparta means "racket", while in the nearby areas of Navarre "txalaparta" has been attested as meaning the trot of the horse, a sense closely related to the sound of the...
, percussion) and Graham Dickson (guitar/ txalaparta), with Laure Stockley and Mimi Borelli (vocals).
Pringle and Vierich were old friends, while Vierich and Dickson met through various parties. The three then began making music under various guises before being joined by Stockley and Borelli. The band now play with a live drummer, Andrea Marongiu.
The group took their name ‘Crystal Fighters’ from an unfinished opera which Stockley’s grandfather had penned during his final months of insanity. Stockley came across the manuscript while clearing out the reclusive old man’s remote home in the Basque
Basque people
The Basques as an ethnic group, primarily inhabit an area traditionally known as the Basque Country , a region that is located around the western end of the Pyrenees on the coast of the Bay of Biscay and straddles parts of north-central Spain and south-western France.The Basques are known in the...
countryside. She quickly became obsessed by the intriguing scrawls within it and shared it with the others. Captivated by its seemingly prophetic contents, the band took on the name and formed in an attempt to expand upon the wild and deranged spirit of the old man’s writings.
Instruments and Style
The band play both electric and acoustic guitars, synths, drums, and incorporate traditional BasqueBasque people
The Basques as an ethnic group, primarily inhabit an area traditionally known as the Basque Country , a region that is located around the western end of the Pyrenees on the coast of the Bay of Biscay and straddles parts of north-central Spain and south-western France.The Basques are known in the...
instruments into their music. Many of their songs use a txalaparta
Txalaparta
The txalaparta is a specialized Basque music device of wood or stone, similar to Romanian toacă. In Basque, zalaparta means "racket", while in the nearby areas of Navarre "txalaparta" has been attested as meaning the trot of the horse, a sense closely related to the sound of the...
, a wooden xylophone-like percussion instrument played by two people standing face-to-face. They also use the danbolin (a rope-tuned snare drum), and the txistu
Txistu
The txistu or chistu is a kind of fipple flute that became a symbol for the Basque folk revival. The name may stem from the general Basque word ziztu "to whistle" with palatalisation of the z...
(a Basque pipe whistle).
Crystal Fighters’ style is a fusion of genres – fast progressive dance music joined by the melodies and dances of traditional Basque folk
Basque music
The strict classification of Basque music remains a controversial issue, complicated in part by the growing diversification of such music, but by and large it is made in the Basque Country, it reflects traits related to that society/tradition and it is devised by people from the Basque...
, alongside synthesisers, bass-driven wonk-funk, with beats fuelled by early 80s Spanish
Spanish people
The Spanish are citizens of the Kingdom of Spain. Within Spain, there are also a number of vigorous nationalisms and regionalisms, reflecting the country's complex history....
punk and experimental electronica from bands such as Aviador Dro
Aviador Dro
Aviador Dro is an electronic band from Spain that formed in Madrid in 1979 with influences such as Gary Numan, Devo and Kraftwerk. They were part of the Movida Madrileña...
, Las Vulpes and Dulce Venganza. Basque music informs much of their songwriting: the riff on ‘Champion Sound’ is lifted from the Basque folk piece ‘Sagar Dantza’ and ‘In The Summer’ draws upon music heard at the Carnival of Lantz in Navarroa. Paul Lester, of The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
has described their style as "what would happen if you went back 100 years, dropped a load of recording equipment into a remote Basque village and left the villagers, steeped in folk music, to their own devices."
Their unique style has caused NME
NME
The New Musical Express is a popular music publication in the United Kingdom, published weekly since March 1952. It started as a music newspaper, and gradually moved toward a magazine format during the 1980s, changing from newsprint in 1998. It was the first British paper to include a singles...
to comment that "Crystal Fighters have stood out as one of the most interesting prospects by a mile – something genuinely new sounding."
Kitsuné years
In 2008, popular music-website Palms Out Sounds picked up the track ‘I Love London’ and news of the band's unique sound began to spread. This led to two single releases through record label KitsunéKitsune
is the Japanese word for fox. Foxes are a common subject of Japanese folklore; in English, kitsune refers to them in this context. Stories depict them as intelligent beings and as possessing magical abilities that increase with their age and wisdom. Foremost among these is the ability to assume...
in 2009.
In 2009, the band also recorded and made a video for 'Robot Restroom' with Tom Neville and Henry Benett. Although, it was never released.
They group were also chosen as Diesel U Music’s Spanish representatives, and launched MySpace Music in the UK, one of 2009’s most anticipated media events.
Star of Love album
Star of Love is the name of the first album by Crystal Fighters. It was released to critical acclaim in the UK on 4 October 2010 via the band’s own label Zirkulo. In Europe, the album is licensed to PIASPIAS
-Abbreviations:* PIAS Entertainment Group** Pln, Sam, an independent record label based in London and owned by the PIAS Entertainment Group** PIAS Recordings, an international recoro known as Play it Again, Sam Records...
. It will be released in Australia via Liberator Music.
The BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
called it an "assured, sporadically thrilling first shot" while Artrocker
ArtRocker
Artrocker is a UK-based collective involved in music promotion and publishing. It was started by Paul Cox and Tom Fawcett who had been co-promoters of a London night called The Sausage Factory...
said "this lot really are a rare talent that you’d be foolish to ignore." Mojo Magazine gave the album 4 out of 5, stating "there’s a thrilling carnival atmosphere to Star of Love...unique and highly moreish". The Fly
The Fly
The Fly may refer to:* The Fly , a 1957 short story by George Langelaan, the basis of The Fly films** The Fly ** Return of the Fly , first sequel to the 1958 film...
called it "a record as high in energy and delightfully messy as their now notorious live performances"
The collection of songs explores the themes in singer Stockley's grandfather's writings. Themes include the unfathomable mystery of the universe, the turbulent journey towards being at peace with death, the triumph of love, and the omnipotence of the sun. "Star Of Love" is actually a backronym for SOL, the Spanish word for "sun". Each song tells a story, both sonically and aurally, and each story has its cryptic connections with the dark and tormented world of the original opera.
Live
Initially the band's live shows took the format of a musical opera to convey the story of each song and bring about evocative reactions from their audiences through the vehicle of performance art. Now even with the live facets stripped down, their reputation as one of the UK’s most forward-thinking, carnage-inducing live acts is continuing to build and build. The band’s dramatic and artful shows have become somewhat legendary with MixmagMixmag
Mixmag is a British dance music and clubbing magazine. It styles itself as "the world's biggest selling dance music magazine", with an Audit Bureau of Circulations audited circulation of approximately 21,250...
proclaiming them to have "the single most exciting show in dance music." Dazed & Confused
Dazed & Confused (magazine)
Dazed & Confused is a British style magazine, that was set up in 1992 and published monthly. Its founding editors were Jefferson Hack and Rankin...
has said "there is nothing more alive or energetic than Crystal Fighters".
In the last two years, the band have played over 100 shows across 15 countries. 2010 saw the band play all the top festivals including Glastonbury
Glastonbury Festival
The Glastonbury Festival of Contemporary Performing Arts, commonly abbreviated to Glastonbury or even Glasto, is a performing arts festival that takes place near Pilton, Somerset, England, best known for its contemporary music, but also for dance, comedy, theatre, circus, cabaret and other arts.The...
, Bestival
Bestival
Bestival is a four-day music festival held at the Robin Hill country park on the Isle of Wight, England. It has been held annually in late summer since 2004. The event is organized by DJ and record producer Rob da Bank and is an off-shoot of his Sunday Best record label and club nights. The initial...
, V Festival
V Festival
The V Festival is an annual music festival held in England during the penultimate weekend in August. The event is held at two parks simultaneously which share the same bill; artists perform at one location on Saturday and then swap on Sunday. The sites are located at Hylands Park in Chelmsford and...
, Leeds Festival
Leeds Festival
Leeds Festival may refer to:*Reading and Leeds Festivals , a rock music festival in Leeds , West Yorkshire, England*Leeds Festival , European classical music festival in Leeds...
, Creamfields
Creamfields
Creamfelds is a large dance music festival featuring DJs and live acts. It is held annually on the August Bank Holiday weekend in Daresbury, Cheshire, England, just outside of Liverpool where it had previously been held for a number of years. It is renowned for being headlined every year by the...
, Lovebox
Lovebox Festival
Lovebox is a three-day music festival held in Victoria Park, Tower Hamlets, London. The event has been running since 2002 and was founded by DJs Groove Armada...
, Secret Garden Party
Secret Garden Party
The Secret Garden Party is an annual independent arts and music festival which takes place in Abbots Ripton near Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire. Part of the grounds of a Georgian farm house, the location has its own lake, river and landscaped gardens...
and Isle of Wight Festival
Isle of Wight Festival
The Isle of Wight Festival is a music festival which takes place every year on the Isle of Wight in England. It was originally held from 1968 to 1970. These original events were promoted and organised by the Foulk brothers under the banner of their company Fiery Creations Limited...
, and at more intimate gigs including one in Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
.
Worldwide, they played SXSW, StereoSonic (Australia), Eurosonic, C/O Pop (Germany), Creamfelds Spain, Lowlands
A Campingflight to Lowlands Paradise
A Campingflight to Lowlands Paradise, also known as simply Lowlands, is a music festival, held annually in the Netherlands in August. Lowlands has about 55,000 visitors, over 200 acts and more than ten stages every year which are named according to the NATO phonetic alphabet apart from the Grolsch...
(Holland), Hurricane Festival
Hurricane Festival
The Hurricane Festival, also just Hurricane, is a music festival that takes place in Scheeßel near Bremen, Germany, usually every June. It is promoted by German private music television channel VIVA, which belongs to Viacom, the MTV Network's parent company, as of 2004...
& Southside Festival
Southside Festival
The Southside Festival, also just Southside, is a music festival that takes place near Tuttlingen, southern Germany, usually every June. It is promoted by German private music television channel VIVA, which belongs to Viacom, the MTV Network's parent company, since the end of 2004...
(Germany), Suprette (Switzerland), Emmaboda
Emmaboda
-Geography:Emmaboda is located in the middle of the Tri-City Region Växjö, Kalmar and Karlskrona. All three places are sixty kilometers from Emmaboda.-Culture:...
(Sweden), Electric Picnic
Electric Picnic
The 2005 festival took place on Saturday 3 September and Sunday 4 September. It is best remembered for Arcade Fire's performance which came before their subsequent mainstream success...
(Ireland) and Bergenfest.
The band supported Foals on their UK tour in November 2010 and headlined their own UK tour in October of that year.
In 2011, the band will embark on a UK headline tour in October and Europe in November.
TV & Film
Crystal Fighters performed ‘Champion Sound’ and ‘Xtatic Truth’ on Later With Jools HollandLater with Jools Holland
Later... with Jools Holland is a contemporary British music television show hosted by Jools Holland. A spin-off of The Late Show, it has been running in short series since 1992 and is a part of BBC Two's late-night line-up, usually at around 11pm to 12 midnight...
in October 2010. Mimi is seen sitting on the floor during the performances but did not sing.
They will appear on Channel 4
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
’s ‘Abbey Road Debuts', a new music programme from the producers of ‘Live from Abbey Road
Live from Abbey Road
Live from Abbey Road is a 12-part, one-hour performance series/documentary that began filming its first season during 2006 at Abbey Road Studios in London. Season 2 was filmed between 2007 and 2008, season 3 was filmed in 2009 and Season 4 was filmed in 2011...
’. The series will begin in April 2011.
Two songs from the Star Of Love album have featured in hit TV series Skins. 'Xtatic Truth' featured in Episode 7, Series 4 during the party scene and 'With You' in episode 3 of series 5 when Mini sees Nick sleeping next to Liv. 'I Do This Everyday' was featured on the Skins advert in February 2011.
The Delta Heavy remix of ‘I Love London’ was featured on the soundtrack to the film 'Harry Brown', starring Michael Caine
Michael Caine
Sir Michael Caine, CBE is an English actor. He won Academy Awards for best supporting actor in both Hannah and Her Sisters and The Cider House Rules ....
.
They were featured on a small documentary "4Play: Crystal Fighter", Which aired on Friday, 25 Feb 2011 on Channel 4.
Their track "Plage" was used on the 2011 television commercials for both Matalan
Matalan
Matalan is a British retailer that specialises in shoes and clothes. It was founded by John Hargreaves in 1985. It currently has 200 stores across the UK. The 200th store opened on 22 September 2006 in Croydon...
and Target
Target Corporation
Target Corporation, doing business as Target, is an American retailing company headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It is the second-largest discount retailer in the United States, behind Walmart. The company is ranked at number 33 on the Fortune 500 and is a component of the Standard & Poor's...
Studio albums
| Album Title | Album details | Peak chart positions |
|---|---|---|
| BEL (WAL) Ultratop 40 Ultratop 40 singles, often just Ultratop 40, is the weekly chart of best-selling singles in Wallonia and Brussels Capital Region, the french-speaking parts of Belgium. Its equivalent covering the Flanders region is Ultratop 50. Both charts are produced and published by the Ultratop organization... |
||
| Star of Love |
|
89 |
Singles
| Year | Single | Peak chart positions | Album | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BEL (FLA) Ultratop 50 Ultratop 50 singles, often just Ultratop 50, is the weekly chart of fifty best-selling singles in Flanders, Belgium, and is produced and published by the Ultratop organization. The chart has existed since March 31, 1995... |
BEL (WAL) Ultratop 40 Ultratop 40 singles, often just Ultratop 40, is the weekly chart of best-selling singles in Wallonia and Brussels Capital Region, the french-speaking parts of Belgium. Its equivalent covering the Flanders region is Ultratop 50. Both charts are produced and published by the Ultratop organization... |
NL Dutch Top 40 The Dutch Top 40 is a weekly music chart, which started as the "Veronica Top 40", because the offshore radio station Radio Veronica was the first to introduce it. It remained "The Veronica Top 40" until 1974, when the station was forced to stop broadcasting... |
|||
| 2009 | "Xtatic Truth" | — | — | — | Star of Love |
| "I Love London" | — | — | — | ||
| 2010 | "In the Summer" | — | — | — | |
| "Follow / Swallow" | — | 70 | — | ||
| 2011 | "At Home" | 95 | 74 | — | |
| "Plage" | — | — | 12 |
Remixes
- Master ShortieMaster ShortieTheo Jerome Kerlin is a British MC who is credited by his stage name Master Shortie. He is also a singer, establishing his own record label, Odd One Out. Plus has been listed in the Sound of 2009 poll.-Early life:...
'Dance Like A White Boy' - The WombatsThe WombatsThe Wombats are an indie rock band formed in Liverpool, England. The band comprises native Liverpudlians Matthew Murphy and Dan Haggis , alongside Norwegian-born Tord Øverland-Knudsen...
'Jump Into The Fog' - CSSCSS-Computing:*Cascading Style Sheets, a language used to describe the style of document presentations in web development*Central Structure Store in the PHIGS 3D API*Closed source software, software that is not distributed with source code...
'Let's Reggae All Night' - Erik HassleErik HassleErik Hassle is a Swedish pop singer-songwriter.-Biography:Hassle was raised in a rural village two hours south of Stockholm and originally aspired to be a professional footballer. He grew up listening to soul music and realised his love of music early after listening to Wilson Pickett...
'Don't Bring Flowers' - Magic Wands 'Black Magic'
- MIT 'Rauch'
- Pony Pony Run RunPony Pony Run RunPony Pony Run Run are a French power pop band from Angers formed in Nantes in 2003. The band line-up consists of three members named simply "G" , "A" and "T"...
'Hey You'
Mixtapes
- Feast of Aurora
- Pop Espanol (Rough Trade exclusive CD)
- Que Vasco Eres
- Online Mixtape
- Radio Mix for Kitsuné (Broadcast on Le Mouv)
- Kiss FM Minimix (Broadcast by Loose Cannons Kiss 100 FM)
- Online Mixtape