It's rare in indie music circles nowadays that you truly find a match made in heaven. But last week, we were rewarded with just that. The darkest, most gothic and terrifyingly emotional of weddings, just in time for Halloween. Robert Smith, frontman of The Cure and Emperortr of all that is dark and terrible yet beautiful and uplifting joined forces with Crystal Castles, the genuinely disturbing and enchanting masters of nihilistic yet evocative electro.
They released a cover of a song from the 80s by Platinum Blonde. Blogs and sites across the internet mentioned that casually as if we are all oh so familiar with the original. But of course, none of us are (and seeing as the original isn't on Spotify, I doubt it's been listened too much)!
But I really couldn't give a toss about the original because this track is stunning. It hits the mark on every level. It's insanely huge and on paper should be one of the most depressing things ever put to record, but Crystal Castles and Robert Smith work their mysterious, shadowy magic and make it positively anthemic and uplifiting. An apt word to use is "banger". The first time the beat drops into an almost defiant chorus will lift you off the ground like a polo ball being swung at by a 40ft high Horseman of the Apocalypse.
If I were a DJ, this would be at the intense, swirling climax of my set.
Link below for free download, once again from Gorilla vs Bear:
http://www.gorillavsbear.net/2010/10/28/mp3-crystal-castles-not-in-love-feat-robert-smith/
Crystal Castles actually did a cover of this on their second album, which has been out for a while, and this is the same but with the vocals swapped for the originals. So, a remix of a cover?
ReplyDeleteAn alternate version let's say. Either way, it is epically more epic.
ReplyDeleteQuite, ridiculously so.
ReplyDelete