Crystal Fighters

French fashion and music label Kitsuné boasts a lengthy laundry list of electro indie rock giants, among them Boys Noize, Bloc Party, the Whitest Boy Alive, Hot Chip, and many others. So it should come as no surprise that Spain's Crystal Fighters, a folktronic band that cleverly combines Basque folk instruments with drum loops, heavy synths, lilting vocals, and a rocking stage show happily joined their ranks in 2008. Crystal Fighters were formed after enigmatic singer Laure recovered a diary of her deceased reclusive grandfather's while visiting his Basque country home. Inside his notebook was the skeleton of an incomplete opera with the future band's name as its title. Intent on completing the work and honoring her grandfather's legacy, she returned to London and enlisted the aid of friends Gilbert, Graham, Sebastian, and Mimi, and together they researched and worked to finish his opera. Along the way, they became inspired by the dark folksy sounds of Spanish instruments, combined them with London's booming basslines, and the band was born. Their first electro single, "I Love London," became a smash hit and was heavily remixed and played on the club circuits throughout Europe. Known especially for their dramatic and artful stage performances, Crystal Fighters promised to play new tracks and remixes at every show, proving that electro bands can derive inspiration from ever-expanding sources and can do more than just mess around with GarageBand. Their next single, Xtatic Truth, dropped in May of 2009, cementing the group's place among Kitsuné royalty. The In the Summer and Swallow/Follow singles arrived in 2010, heralding the release of the band's full-length debut, Star of Love, that October.