Stripe's Song of the Day: Crystal Castles - Knights

Raw style and good taste overcomes technical limitations on the energetic but economic instrumental

Ethan Kath made the debut record of Canadian electronic group Crystal Castles on a microkorg- a synthesiser that costs less than $500. But he made up for the technological limitation with raw style and good taste. The DIY aesthetic of their eponymous record is exhilarating because it boasts an ingenuity I don’t come across enough in music today.

“Knights” is an instrumental track and doesn’t feature singer Alice Glass. It does, however, contain an unusual yet cheerful vocal sample in the chorus. The song starts off with a dense layer of bass and a steady beat which is eventually accompanied by chaotic noises. The chorus resolves the song, successfully uplifting the listener into a disorderly but hypnotic state.

The track is quick and energetic. It has an interesting pulse to it and could fill up a dance floor for a particularly discerning DJ. It isn’t pop exactly, and isn’t as readily accessible, but its economy and inventiveness should be of particular interest to fans of electronic music.  

This article is part of Stripe, bdnews24.com's special publication focusing on culture and society from a youth perspective.