This Friday finds the arrival of the fourth Crystal Castles album, titled Amnesty (I). Over the past several weeks the Toronto electro duo have been rolling out a series of the LP’s tracks — we’ve recently hyped a synth-heavy dancer called “Char” and the pulsating “Concrete” — but today, on the eve of its release, have upped the ante.
In a message posted online and penned by new vocalist Edith Frances, Crystal Castles reveal that their “share of proceeds” from Amnesty (I) will be donated to global human rights organization Amnesty International.
Read Frances’ notes in full below, check out another new track from the album, titled “Sadist”, and cry over not getting tickets to Crystal Castles’ sold-out October 9 appearance at the Sinclair in Cambridge.
“A lot of fucked up stuff is going on in 2016. Its been a year of glaring violations of human rights. As much as the world can seem scary, seeing how so many people are reacting is inspiring. It’s vital for us to actually support the people taking direct action to make a difference.
The band’s share of proceeds from our new album Amnesty (I) will be donated to Amnesty International. Physical copies (vinyl/cd) have a bonus track. We want our voices to call attention to issues that need to be illuminated. Amnesty International stand up for human rights by fighting injustice hands-on, and gives a voice to those who may feel voiceless. They fight for LGBTQ rights, women’s rights, prisoner rights, and children’s rights. They fight against discrimination, arbitrary detention and unfair trials, and civilian injustice. They are the people on the ground working to change these issues and they need our help. Not just our words, but also our resources.
The world is at a critical tipping point. Human rights have no borders, no language, no religion and no race. This applies to you and affects you. I challenge more musicians to do the same with their albums. Donate your proceeds to a charity of your choice. No longer can we sit back and watch and talk; what we really need right now is action.”
-Edith Frances