Crystal Castles Split Up, Alice Glass Goes Solo

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Alice Glass, frontwoman of critically acclaimed Toronto duo Crystal Castles, has announced she is leaving the band. Taking to her Facebook page, Glass cited a “multitude” of “professional and personal” reasons for dissolving her collaboration with producer Ethan Kath, marking “the end of the band”.

“I am leaving Crystal Castles,” her official statement begins. “My art and my self-expression in any form has always been an attempt towards sincerity, honesty and empathy for others. For a multitude of reasons both professional and personal, I no longer feel that this is possible within CC.”

However, Glass, who has been making the rounds as a DJ for a number of years now, indicates that she will continue to release music as a solo artist. “Although this is the end of the band,” she adds, “I hope my fans will embrace me as a solo artist in the same way they have embraced Crystal Castles.”

The electronic duo, best known for tracks like Baptism and a cover of Platinum Blonde’s 1983 single Not in Love, which featured The Cure frontman Robert Smith on vocals, have been relatively quiet since the release of their third LP in 2012 and subsequent tour. According to Rolling Stone, most of the press done for the record was through e-mail and the duo were very selective about which questions were answered.

The collaboration between Glass and Kath began in 2003 when the producer recruited the then-15-year-old punk rock singer to add vocals to his electronic productions, which were noted for their mix of chiptune elements and walls of digital noise, uploading the results online under the name Crystal Castles.

The band went on to release three critically lauded albums and embark on numerous tours. Their chaotic live performances quickly became infamous for Glass’ unrelenting energy and crowd participation. During a 2011 Australian tour, Glass ignored doctors orders and proceeded to play shows on a broken ankle.

Watch: Crystal Castles – Baptism

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