The Crystal Set
Encyclopedia
The Crystal Set was a Sydney
-based Australia
n indie
rock
band
formed in the early 1980s featuring Russell Kilbey (bass and lead vocals), Phillip Maher (guitar & vocals), Davey Ray Moor
(keyboards & vocals) and Tim Seckhold (drums).
The Crystal Set released its first single, "A Drop In The Ocean", independently. It was signed to Red Eye Records owned by John Foy and the first single was re-issued through Red Eye. Their next two singles, "Wholly Holy" and "Benefit Of The Doubt", were moderate indie
hits via rotational airplay on then Sydney-based government-supported FM radio station JJJ.
With the departure of Moor, Craig Hooper (formerly of The Reels
) joined Kilbey, Maher, and Seckhold and the collective released "Cluster". One side of the Red Eye released EP
featured songs recorded with Moor while the other side featured compositions with Hooper. Upon Hooper's departure, Russell Kilbey assumed guitar duties and vocals and Luke Blackburn, a Melbourne
musician, joined as bassist and vocalist.
When Red Eye Records signed a distribution deal with Polydor Australia in 1990, The Crystal Set's second album, Almost Pure, signalled the band's migration from an independent act to one associated with a major label. As a result, the release found moderate national success in 1991n with the singles, "Thrive" and "She Spits Out Stars". Their Red Eye/Polydor label-mates were The Cruel Sea
, The Clouds, Steve Kilbey
(Russell's brother and lead singer and bassist from successful Australian band The Church
), Jack Frost aka Steve Kilbey and Grant McLennan (The Go-Betweens
), The Bhagavad Guitars
, Curious (Yellow)
and The Beasts of Bourbon.
The Crystal Set disbanded at the end of 1991. Russell Kilbey went on to collaborate with David Thrussell from techno-industrial
outfit Snog
in a collaboration called Sex Industrie. The duo released a cover version of the classic AC/DC
song "Jailbreak".
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
-based Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n indie
Indie rock
Indie rock is a genre of alternative rock that originated in the United Kingdom and the United States in the 1980s. Indie rock is extremely diverse, with sub-genres that include lo-fi, post-rock, math rock, indie pop, dream pop, noise rock, space rock, sadcore, riot grrrl and emo, among others...
rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
band
Musical ensemble
A musical ensemble is a group of people who perform instrumental or vocal music. In classical music, trios or quartets either blend the sounds of musical instrument families or group together instruments from the same instrument family, such as string ensembles or wind ensembles...
formed in the early 1980s featuring Russell Kilbey (bass and lead vocals), Phillip Maher (guitar & vocals), Davey Ray Moor
Davey Ray Moor
Davey Ray Moor is an England-based songwriter, singer, multi-instrumentalist, composer and producer.Moor was born in Beirut and raised in Australia, and now lives in England. He first came to musical prominence in Sydney as keyboard player, and occasional vocalist, for an independent rock outfit...
(keyboards & vocals) and Tim Seckhold (drums).
The Crystal Set released its first single, "A Drop In The Ocean", independently. It was signed to Red Eye Records owned by John Foy and the first single was re-issued through Red Eye. Their next two singles, "Wholly Holy" and "Benefit Of The Doubt", were moderate indie
Indie rock
Indie rock is a genre of alternative rock that originated in the United Kingdom and the United States in the 1980s. Indie rock is extremely diverse, with sub-genres that include lo-fi, post-rock, math rock, indie pop, dream pop, noise rock, space rock, sadcore, riot grrrl and emo, among others...
hits via rotational airplay on then Sydney-based government-supported FM radio station JJJ.
With the departure of Moor, Craig Hooper (formerly of The Reels
The Reels
The Reels is an Australian rock/indie pop group which formed in Dubbo, New South Wales in 1976 and initially disbanded in 1991, they eventually reformed in 2007. Their 1981 song, "Quasimodo's Dream", was voted one of the Top 10 Australian songs of all time by a 100-member panel from Australasian...
) joined Kilbey, Maher, and Seckhold and the collective released "Cluster". One side of the Red Eye released EP
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
featured songs recorded with Moor while the other side featured compositions with Hooper. Upon Hooper's departure, Russell Kilbey assumed guitar duties and vocals and Luke Blackburn, a Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
musician, joined as bassist and vocalist.
When Red Eye Records signed a distribution deal with Polydor Australia in 1990, The Crystal Set's second album, Almost Pure, signalled the band's migration from an independent act to one associated with a major label. As a result, the release found moderate national success in 1991n with the singles, "Thrive" and "She Spits Out Stars". Their Red Eye/Polydor label-mates were The Cruel Sea
The Cruel Sea (band)
The Cruel Sea are an Australian indie rock band from Sydney formed in late 1987. Originally an instrumental-only band, they became more popular when fronted by vocalist Tex Perkins in addition to Jim Elliott on drums, Ken Gormly on bass guitar, Dan Rumour on guitar and James Cruickshank on guitar...
, The Clouds, Steve Kilbey
Steve Kilbey
Steven John Kilbey is the lead singer-songwriter and bass guitarist for The Church, an Australian rock band. He is also a music producer, poet, and painter....
(Russell's brother and lead singer and bassist from successful Australian band The Church
The Church (band)
The Church is an Australian rock band formed in Sydney in 1980. Initially associated with new wave and the neo-psychedelic sound of the mid 1980s, their music later became more reminiscent of progressive rock, featuring long instrumental jams and complex guitar interplay...
), Jack Frost aka Steve Kilbey and Grant McLennan (The Go-Betweens
The Go-Betweens
The Go-Betweens were an indie rock band formed in Brisbane, Australia in 1977 by singer-songwriters and guitarists, Robert Forster and Grant McLennan. They were later joined by Lindy Morrison on drums, Robert Vickers on bass guitar and Amanda Brown on violin, oboe, guitar, and backing vocals,...
), The Bhagavad Guitars
The Bhagavad Guitars
The Bhagavad Guitars are a Sydney-based indie-rock band formed in the late 1980s featuring John Kilbey , Jeremy Butterworth, Adrian Workman and Matt Kerr...
, Curious (Yellow)
Curious (Yellow)
-Members:*Mike Caen *Phil Hall *Karin Jansson *Michael Knapp *Violinda *Les White -External links:* *...
and The Beasts of Bourbon.
The Crystal Set disbanded at the end of 1991. Russell Kilbey went on to collaborate with David Thrussell from techno-industrial
Industrial music
Industrial music is a style of experimental music that draws on transgressive and provocative themes. The term was coined in the mid-1970s with the founding of Industrial Records by the band Throbbing Gristle, and the creation of the slogan "industrial music for industrial people". In general, the...
outfit Snog
Snog
Snog is a band formed by Australian musician David Thrussell, along with fellow art school friends, Tim McGrath and Julia Bourke, in 1989. The band's music is a fusion of many different styles, including industrial, techno, ambient, experimental, funk and even some of the social commentary of...
in a collaboration called Sex Industrie. The duo released a cover version of the classic AC/DC
AC/DC
AC/DC are an Australian rock band, formed in 1973 by brothers Malcolm and Angus Young. Commonly classified as hard rock, they are considered pioneers of heavy metal, though they themselves have always classified their music as simply "rock and roll"...
song "Jailbreak".