Whilst Filthy Dukes may have headed up a Hoxton Bar & Kitchen show this week attended by Plugs and supported by dance poppers My Tiger My Timing, forget sweaty fist thumping to the simplistic electro drawl of Friendly Fires’ blueprint as there’s a smouldering iron ready and waiting to brand any venues cold-blooded enough to handle it. Following in the footsteps of Libs recyclers Cazals signing to boutique French/ Japanese label Kitsune, geek chic’s out and freedom fighting for the concept as well as Basque independence (see concept) is well and truly in as west Londoners Crystal Fighters look set to splatter their glitchy folk-tinged call to arms (or lucid legs) over every underground haunt, ramming incontestably dreamy vocals and ridiculously majestic hooks straight down every ear socket. Founding members Sebastian Pringle and Gilbert Vierich fly the flag for retro-infused futurism that flits between filthy breaks and impeccably polished brain jelly euphoria, whilst everything veers further into the surreal with dual frontwomen Mimi Borelli and Laure Stockley competing for the most endearing leading London lady as well as their inevitable appointment into the NME cool list later on in the year. Such is the genre-hopping moguls’ renown that following The Horrors’ recent Bristol show, in an overheard booze-fuelled Tesco chat revolving around how many bands could be named based around the Crystal prefix, the ‘Fighters marked a rite of passage into scenesterdom amongst a trio straight out of Topman’s summer range. Ironic, perhaps but they’ve got a point now that the Castles have crumbled…Astounding remixes aside, recent hard-hitting EP title track Xtatic Truth demonstrates the delicate intricacy with which the quintet confront the much-needed 21st-century dance music overhaul, whilst I Love London could get anyone worldwide hopping on the next plane to the capital to catch a glimpse of their Favela Chic-esque musical mastery. Dashing, daring and devilishly devastating, forget all you know and muck in with their mangled mayhem.
Kitsuné Maison's Compilation Volume 7 is out now!
