One of the best albums in the history of music is actually just a collection of demos before they wrote another two albums. This comes from an era of exciting electronic music in the early 2000s. Their first EP with Alice Practice was released in 2004 and their punky approach to electronic music spoke to thousands of dedicated fans. This album is necessary for everyone to have.

Not usually into electronic music at all, but this album really stands out. Very impressed with it, especially alice practice

Listening to this album is like reading a book you will get lost in it amaze

Literally, I can explain this album as nothing but beautiful 8-bit chaos, with glitchy drums and Atari Teenage Riot-esque singing. Seriously. Listen to Alice Practice to see what I'm talking about.

Best album ever, so inventive and interesting to listen to.

Download:

Untrust Us

Alice Practice

Courtship Dating

Airwar

Crimewave

Didn't top it with second album-have high hopes for the third :D

Reminds me of a mental house party. 10/10

Had this album ages but I have to say, it's the best album I've ever bought :D

Strange but good

I think if you like Crystal Castles, then you should defo buy this album.

Even if you only like one, or a couple of there songs - this album is great for easy listening, and you'll pickup the songs really easily, and then you won't be able to get them out of your head! But if the electronic genre isn't for you, then i wouldn't recomend it, however if you like it, than it's a must!

i really love this band and this album. I wasnt sure about crystal castles until i saw them supporting blur at hyde park, and the were actually amazing. And so is this album. Thinking to the future, crystal castles have created the sund of 2050, and thank god for it. With all the generic indie bands in the world we need someone like this band to step out and do something different. lets hope they can keep it up for their second release.

BESTEST ALBUM EVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

pure retro-electro brilliance, the whole album is hard to digest at first, mainly because of its size and courtship dating and air war are deffinately ones to ease in with, but after a few listens pretty much every song on here jumps out at you. anyone who finds it a boring or 'samey' album either has not listened enough or simply isnt a fan of this genre.

Its so old now but it's still fresh!

The best chiptune band i thinkk

x

LET'S DANCE!

okay, this album is actually so bad. it is boring and samey and the songs sound like somebody speaking in a stupid voice into a tin can! i'm not actually joking!! these people must have really bad voices to warp them to the extent that they do on this album!

i thought this album exceeds all expections successfully combining dance and slow drum and base. The best song on the album is untrust us closely followed by love and caring. Every song has its own catchy tune....great album!

Must confess I was rather slow getting a copy of this, better late then never though and well worth the wait. Be warned though, this album takes a bit of perseverance as there is far too much to try and absorb it all in one go. By the third and fourth listens you'll still be hearing bits you've missed before, simple but hypnotic melodies and drum patterns. Ideal for chilling out at home after hours. Recommended.

Crystal Castles - Crystal Castles

Rating: 7 out of 10

Bit-music battered out of speakers. Indecipherable vocals that scream and bleep and glitch as beats and blips bound

out of the ether. Catchy melodic tunes fused with harsh electroclash and punk-noise aesthetic. Sounds odd and it

is, but not that original, except it does indeed sound fresh, strangely enough. Recommended.

just to start it's worth the price of what you get and perfect for a party to have a little rave if you into that sort of thing, if not listen to some of the snippets to get what it's about but honestly most people like them, i was reading NME and helen mirren, katy perry, tom jones all reckon they're good

Firstly i would like to say to anyone thinking of buying this album DO NOT buy if you do not like dance, electro or distorted vocals. I love this album i think its great appealing to anyone who likes Electro, Dance, Or Thrash these guys are really pushing the bounderies and trying something new. I bought the album on the strength of one track Untrust Us and throughly enjoyed the rest of the album as it takes you through different moods and paces of beats. A Must have for anyone whos a fan of new rave!

Total pants. Call this music?

This album twists and turns. I thought I knew what I was buying, but boy was I wrong. Not that is a bad thing - this is an awesome album. It's surprising the whole way through, even after repeated listenings it has so much to take in. 4 stars!

This is a Fantastic album and is well worth the money, as it comes with 18 tracks and a music video for courtship.

If you like crystal castles you have to get this album!

as above

Their album is ace and their music is unique. I went to their concert (birmimgham academy - 28th.08.08) and they can pull out a good show. I wish they will get bigger. If you like alternative techno/retro gaming sounds that is the band you've always dreamed of...

I really like this band since discovering them through a friend.I can't get 'magic spells' out of my head..different to any thing I've heared before.

Quite simply the best band in the world right now. You cannot stop listening to this album. Bow to the Canadian electrduo, they are deities and must be worshipped.

Nothing quite like this. Try listening to HEARTSREVOLUTION is this floats your boat. =]

An amazing album, ever song is really good.

i recommend you get love and caring, knights, courtship dating, air war, and vanished

as the are the key songs which define their style in my opinion

:]

I feel no need to issue any directive other than this: buy.

I got turned onto this by the allure of the Courtship Dating video on telly last night. I was very happy to discover that when I bought it it also came with that very same video. It reminds me a bit of the Yeahs, but more electro and less synthy. I bet they would score a high five live from me.

I was expecting it to be pure electric rubbish, but curiosity got the better of me as I heard that they were becoming popular, and I was pleasantly surprised when I heard its effectively layered beats and blips side by side with the array of cleverly mixed female voices (especially in “Air War”), and from then on I was hooked. However songs like “Love and Caring” and “xxzxcuzx” are quite harsh, and for me, it took a while getting used to them, but with a couple of listens, you are rewarded with a great variety of tracks that boast creativity with its 8-bit sounds and glitchy effects.

Another amazing band comes out of Canada. Probably one of the best albums of '08. It's very unique.

Crystal castle may not be very popular. But they are definatly worth purchasing!

Absolutly Amazing!

100%

Take some industrial sounds of Depeche Mode,the beats of U96 and some early Human League, this album is a must to anyones electronica collection.

actually, for an album consisting mostly of synth sounds and vocals. Stand out tracks: Courtship Dating, Vanished, Tell Me What to Swallow, Untrust Us, Air War, Alice Practice ... A pretty good soundtrack to commuting through a city!

Besides that, they're awesome live, like nothing ever seen before.

Truly fantastic. I love 'em all but stand out tracks are 'Untrust Us', 'Magic Spells' and 'Crimewave' (which has been in my head all day) i will definitely play these out when I DJ next.

I do however, wonder how they will follow up this album, will they drop all the C64 sounds?

Buy Crystal Castles NOW!

Listen to the 30 second sample on Air War. That is what it sounds like. For the whole thing. No variation no nothing. And its not even a good riff. The song deserves to have every swear word in any language used to describe it.

After slagging them off loads I felt a bit unfair - I like to give all music a chance really.

I saw they had a free song up for grabs

So I thought, ok I'll try it out!

The whole song is basically the same thing the whole way through... with distorted vocals and headache beats.

Don't get me wrong, you'll love this if you love dance, but in MY opinion... it's just the same as other terrible music.

I dont like this album at all i couldnt dance to it or just listen to it, rubbish

This is the best album of the year so far easily.

All of the songs are gret (except Xxcxuzx me lol) but the rest are amazingly catchy, wierd random songs which are all brilliant in their own right. I love black panther!!

best song!! Bye, as good as the horrors strange house was last year!

The synthesis on this album is all well constructed and thought out. Pretty much every track on it's own could be seen as a winner however looking at the album as a whole the ideas are too repetetive, the sounds and rhythms are very similar throughout and the tracks 'Love and Caring' and 'Alice Practice' are so similar it is insane. My personal favourite is '1991' and I also love the reverb drenched 'Tell Me What to Swallow' which is the only real standout from the gameboy/punk/disco sound found throughout.

brilliant, amazing, different and excellent beats

only misses 5 stars because if you listen to it on repeat it loses a bit of its appeal

but not much!

could easily be used as the soul music at any party

A fearless album from one of the most influential and cool new bands around. Crystal Castles might not break into the mainstream but do not want to. They pride themselves on their edge and originality which has seen them praised by many music magazines. CC feed off people who hate them, progresing them further. If everyone liked the band they wouldn't be 'cool' anyway!

I cannot believe people have actualy bought this, its just a load of monotone, low budget garbage. Bish bash bosh jobs done? I Suppose beggers can't be choosers

I love this album and Alice practice is my fav song. Does any1 else think its the song when Sid is crying on the Dancefloor in Skins Season2?? Untrust Us and Courtship Dating are also wkd the beats are catchy as f#~k.

love love love love love love love.

completly different to other music around at the moment the synth sounds are amazing combines punk and dance really well...best track is courtship dating but get the whole album!

I have never heard music as weird as this. I mean weird as in unique. I also understand this is created by sounds from games? Interesting. But not in a bad way. My opinion is if you like this a lot then buy the album! You're never going to find anyone with this sort of music for a while.