Mehan Jayasuriya of PopMatters positively reviewed the "Crimewave" saying that it "might be a remix, but it sure as hell doesn't sound like one, a testament to the fact that keyboard wizard Ethan Kath manages to dress the song up in the Castles' trademark icy hedonism." Brian Reid of Prefix Magazine commented that "Crimewave" shows the depth of Crystal Castles as much more than just a dance-focused electro band.
"Crimewave" is set in the time signature of common time with an uptempo metronome of 121 beats per minute. "Crimewave" follows a chord progression of Em, C, Am, Bm, Em, C, G, Bm.
CRIMEWAVE CRYSTAL CASTLES LYRICS SKIN
The song consists only of the following lyrics which are repeated vocally by Health in monotone throughout the song: "Eyes lit / On sharp threats / From dark lips / The lights press / The soft skin / To rough hands". Paul Lester from The Guardian likened "Crimewave" to the sound of Ian Curtis from Joy Division intoning blankly over Kraftwerk at their most synthetic. "Crimewave" was composed as breezy, off-kilter electropop. The song consists of simple, catchy beats backed by lively video game sounds.
Musically, "Crimewave" builds from now-retro electroclash to a clattering mix of drums. The single's cover artwork was also modified for the re-release, with the white background being replaced with a black background. The reworking significantly lengthened the original song while retaining the prominence of the original vocals by Health.Īfter originally being released on August 13, 2007, as a single backed with Crystal Castles' "XxzxcuZx Me", "Crimewave" was re-released on September 21, 2008, to coincide with Crystal Castles' North American tour with Health., again in single form but with Crystal Castles' "Alice Practice" replacing "XxzxcuZx Me" as the B-side. Originally written and composed by the members of Health for their self-titled debut album, "Crimewave" was re-written and re-worked by Ethan Kathof Crystal Castles to act as both bands' debut singles as well as the first single from Crystal Castles' self-titled debut album. "Crimewave" was used in Gossip Girl No.1 and features on its companion soundtrack OMFGG – Original Music Featured on Gossip Girl No. The track was performed by Crystal Castles at All Points West Music & Arts Festival in 2009. The single was accompanied by a music video upon its re-release in 2008. Critics complimented the song's originality and emotion it brought to the electronic music scene. "Crimewave" achieved critical praise from most contemporary music critics.
The track consists of only three lyric lines and has been said to tell a story about the sadness and ennui one might experience when locked inside a Pac-Man maze for eternity. The song contains prominent electro and chiptune musical characteristics. It was re-written by Ethan Kath of Crystal Castles. The song is a re-working of the Health original track of the same name written by the band members of Health for their self-entitled debut album. It was first released on Augby PIAS Recordings accompanied by the b-side "XxzxcuZx Me". The song acts as both Crystal Castles and Health's debut singles in addition to being the first single from the album Crystal Castles. "Crimewave" is a song performed by Canadian experimental band Crystal Castles and American noise rock band Health from Crystal Castles' self-titled debut album.