Crystal Fighters - Biography
Crystal Fighters are an East London-based dance band steeped in elements of traditional Basque culture. An early incarnation of the band was formed by Sebastian Pringle (lead vocals, guitar), Gilbert Vierich (electronics, guitars, txalaparta, percussion), and Graham Dickson (guitar/txalaparta), but the addition of Laure Stockley (vocals) and Mimi Borelli (vocals) took the band into an even more dynamic creative direction. In 2010, drummer Andrea Marongiu joined the lineup.
The band's name was inspired by an unfinished opera that Stockley's reclusive, mentally ill grandfather left behind after his death. Discovered while Stockley was clearing out his home in a remote area of the Basque countryside, the opera's strange and grandiose themes worked their way into Crystal Fighters' theatrical stage show and their debut album, 2010's Star of Love (Atlantic). The band's fascination with Basque music and culture is evident in their use of traditional instruments such as the xylophone-like txalaparta, the percussive danbolin, and the txistu, a type of pipe whistle. After touring extensively, Crystal Fighters released the critically-acclaimed Cave Rave (Atlantic) in 2013.