Celestica
Crystal Castles
Unraveling the Ethereal Message of Crystal Castles' 'Celestica'
Crystal Castles' song 'Celestica' is a hauntingly beautiful track that delves into themes of existentialism and detachment. The lyrics suggest a journey through a desolate emotional landscape, where the act of 'eating our young' could symbolize self-destruction or the consumption of innocence and purity in the process of growing older and more jaded. The request for silence and stillness 'for modesty' might imply a desire to maintain dignity in the face of inevitable decay or the breakdown of one's own body and spirit, as referenced by 'the splints have been broken.'
The chorus, 'Follow me to nowhere,' evokes a sense of aimlessness and resignation, as if the speaker is leading the listener on a path to oblivion, 'woven with the utmost care,' suggesting a meticulous, yet futile, attention to detail in life's journey. The contradictory pleas, 'hold me / Don't hold me' and 'coax me / Don't coax me,' reflect an internal conflict between the need for comfort and the desire for isolation, a common human struggle between connection and independence. The imagery of being cleansed with chloride and scrubbed suggests a purification process, perhaps of the soul, that is both invasive and necessary.
Crystal Castles, known for their experimental electronic music, often infuse their songs with a sense of otherworldliness and introspection. 'Celestica' is no exception, with its ethereal soundscapes and cryptic lyrics that leave much to the listener's interpretation. The song's title itself, possibly a reference to a brand of synthetic crystals, could be a metaphor for artificial beauty or the cold, hard nature of something seemingly perfect yet devoid of life.