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Crystal Castles Bring It Home

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Awaiting a set from local heroes Crystal Castles, fans were content to thrash out their anticipation in a sweaty cluster of keffiyahs and Kanye shades last night (Feb. 21) at Toronto’s Wrongbar until the puckish duo took the stage. Frontwoman Alice Glass, looking like a black-rimmed JD Salinger heroine viciously attacked by Karen O in a dark closet, demurely vogued to the hard-edged beats of mix master Ethan Kath, who remained hunched over his Atari-pimped synthesizer (a 5200 chip is encased inside) throughout the set. Both sported his and her leathers, and emanated a mysterious resilience.

A live drummer added weighted professionalism to the frenetic burn of bangers “No Skin,” “Air War,” and MySpace slam-dunk “Alice Practice,” as a constant pounce of strobe lights induced electric synesthesia (or maybe it was just the flash of all those photo bloggers). But it was latest single “Crimewave,” off the band’s yet-to-be titled forthcoming Last Gang debut that defined their noir-slick sonic. Like an ABBA-tinged pulsation remixed with L.A. scenesters HEALTH, Crystal Castles delivered never-ending glossy noise combustions, always in search of the next Nintendo power-up.

We Asked: Crystal Castles are famously obsessed with video games. What game has caught your fancy lately?