Juice B Crypts

Three albums since the departure of Tyondai Braxton and with fellow cofounder Dave Konopka no longer in the picture, drummer John Stanier and multi-instrumentalist Ian Williams press ahead with the band’s righteous avant-rock mission, which they began together on a pair of 2004 EPs. The surviving duo sounds anything but diminished on the exploratory and experimental *Juice B Crypts*. Having intended to reclaim a quirky New York authenticity by both writing and recording in their hometown for the first time in the project’s history, Battles compile a set of tunes here as unpredictable as any downtown DIY club or late-night subway journey, occasionally with local vocalists in tow. No Wave notable Sal Principato of the underrated funk punks Liquid Liquid embraces the alien boogie of “Titanium 2 Step,” while Xenia Rubinos sings her art out on “They Played It Twice.” Out-of-town guests like leftfield hip-hop act Shabazz Palaces and prog pioneer Jon Anderson also help keep the adventurous project’s manic energy from veering the vessel too far off its course.

Now down to a duo, the busy instrumentalists recruit Tune-Yards, Shabazz Palaces, and the singer of Yes for their aggressive fourth album.

‘Juice B Crypts’ is an intricate and complex album that nonetheless bottles the joy and immediacy of the band's best work

Juice B Crypts is no different, bathing in the art/post-rock freedoms of its predecessors.

It’s not always been obvious, but since their inception in 2002, Battles have been on an almighty quest for the funk.

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Like a hummingbird in flight, Battles make the most complex labour look carefree and weightless. Since the release of their debut album, Mir...

The ever-innovating Battles have reached new heights with their new album ‘Juice B Crypts’.   The refined sound has traces of their

Now a duo, Battles' fourth album Juice B Crypts is giddily unrestrained – fast in terms of tempo and run time and fastidious in its construction.

The group’s fourth album occasionally threatens to collapse beneath the weight of its overstuffed songs.

Battles' bracing full-length debut, Mirrored, was a record that combined the hard rock punch of drummer John Stanier with a concoction of guitars, bass,...

'Juice B Crypts' by Battles, album review by Adam Williams. The duo's forthcoming release comes out on October 18th via Warp Records

When Battles hit the scene 13 years ago, they didn’t sound like anything else around them.