Belfast based electro-punk act Chalk laugh at the idea of less is more on their Crystalpunk album. Ross Cullen (vocals, keyboards, synthesizer, bass, guitars) and Benedict Goddard (guitar, synth) have hunted down every empty space in order to hammer down their message of handling crippling anxiety, pain, and pretending not to care.
Their wall-to-wall keyboards almost smother the guitar and the bass barely hangs on. By inserting techno and industrial elements they aim to entertain by hitting their audience over the head in an unrelenting way that will work well in a crowded club, but it falls it bit flat in the comfort on one's home. They will surely sell a lot of copies at the merch table, having banged the crowd into submission.
Crystalpunk is released via ALTER Music (vinyl, CD, digital).
Tracks:- Tongue
- Pain
- Can't Feel It
- Longer
- One-Nine-Eight-Zero
- Eclipse
- Skem
- I.D.C.
- Béal Feirste
- Ache
- 03/12-19 SXSW, Austin, TX
- 03/20 Am Fm, Dallas, TX
- 03/21 Sleeping Village, Chicago, IL
- 03/25 Larimer Lounge, Denver, CO
- 03/25 Neurolux, Boise, ID
- 04/10 Botanique Rotonde, Brussels (BEL)
- 04/11 Trabendo, Paris, France
- 04/13 L’Amperage, Grenoble, France
- 04/15 Santeria Toscana, Milan, Italy
- 04/16 Bogen F, Zurich, Switzerland
- 04/18 Lido, Berlin. Germany
- 04/20 Tolhuistuin, Amsterdam (NL)
- 04/22 The Fleece, Bristol, UK
- 04/23 Electric Ballroom, London, UK
- 04/24 Gorilla, Manchester, UK
- 04/25 The Wardrobe, Leeds, UK
- 05/14 The Arts School, Glasgow, UK
- 05/15 The Button Factory, Dublin (IRE)
- 05/16 Limelight, Belfast (NI)
- 05/20 Bearded Theory, Derbyshire, UK
- 06/13 God Save The Kouign Festival, Penmarc'h, France
- 08/26 Custom House Square, Belfast (w/ IDLES), UK