"Cease and Desist" is a song by Canadian singer-songwriter

Alice Glass Margaret Osborn (born 25 August 1988), known professionally as Alice Glass, is a Canadian singer and songwriter. She is the co-founder and former frontwoman of the electronic band Crystal Castles. In 2014, she embarked on a solo career. She rel ...

, released on 23 January 2018 through Loma Vista. The song was written by Glass, Jupiter Keyes and Luwayne Glass, and produced by Keyes and

Dreamcrusher Luwayne Glass, better known as Dreamcrusher, is a Brooklyn-based noise musician from Wichita, Kansas. Dreamcrusher has been the subject of features in ''The Village Voice'', ''Pitchfork'', and '' FADER''; praised in ''SPIN'' and ''VICE''; and wa ...

Release

"Cease and Desist" was released on 23 January 2018 through

Loma Vista Recordings Loma Vista Recordings is a record label founded by Tom Whalley, former chairman and CEO of Warner Bros. Records and Executive of A&R at Interscope Records. The label was initially a joint venture with Republic Records and is based in Beverly Hill ...

, and is the first new material Glass released since her eponymous debut EP (2017). The track came after former bandmate

Ethan Kath Claudio Paolo Palmieri known professionally as Ethan Kath, is a co-founder and songwriter/producer for Crystal Castles and previously the bassist of Kïll Cheerleadër and Die Mannequin. ''Rolling Stone'' named Crystal Castles icons of 20 Years of ...

denied allegations of sexual misconduct made by Glass, and confirmed that he was seeking legal action against her. In a press release, Glass stated:

This song is a call to arms for all survivors. But being a survivor often means feeling afraid, it means sometimes feeling worthless, like you can’t go on. We need to fight back against those who have victimized us and against the feelings that tell us to give up inside. Sometimes we think we deserve the pain others have inflicted on us. This song is what I need to tell myself to get through each day, and what I hope other survivors can remember when they feel like they can't make it through the darkness of their own recovery. Every day is a fight.

Composition

"Cease and Desist" clocks in at less than two minutes and features writing and production contributions from former

Health Health, according to the World Health Organization, is "a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease and infirmity".World Health Organization. (2006)''Constitution of the World Health Organiza ...

member Jupiter Keyes and

noisecore Mathcore is a subgenre of hardcore punk and metalcore influenced by post-hardcore, extreme metal and math rock that developed during the 1990s. Bands in the genre emphasize complex and fluctuant rhythms through the use of irregular time signa ...

producer

. The song consists of a corrosive

industrial Industrial may refer to: Industry * Industrial archaeology, the study of the history of the industry * Industrial engineering, engineering dealing with the optimization of complex industrial processes or systems * Industrial city, a city dominate ...

beat and Glass' "unchained vocals". ''

Noisey ''Vice'' (stylized in all caps) is a Canadian-American magazine focused on lifestyle, arts, culture, and news/politics. Founded in 1994 in Montreal as an alternative punk magazine, the founders later launched the youth media company Vice Media, ...

'' said the track is "like only Glass can make it: fast, sort-of-sparse, brittle-feeling, but tough at its core. Glass' vocals are a frantic cry, and a refusal to be downtrodden: "Honestly, you're never the victim" her lyrics implore, offering a balm for her own wounds, but also for those of others too." ''

Consequence of Sound ''Consequence'' (previously ''Consequence of Sound'') is an independently owned New York-based online magazine featuring news, editorials, and reviews of music, movies, and television. In addition, the website also features the Festival Outlook ...

'' called the song "a tight, furious burst of catharsis." ''

Dazed ''Dazed'' (''Dazed & Confused'' until February 2014) is a bi-monthly British style magazine founded in 1991. It covers music, fashion, film, art, and literature. Dazed is published by Dazed Media, an independent media group known for producing ...

'' characterized it as an "electro-punk thrasher". '' Paste'' described the song as an "abrasive, dirty noise-pop track." ''

Stereogum ''Stereogum'' is a daily Internet publication that focuses on music news, reviews, interviews, and commentary. The site was created in January 2002 by Scott Lapatine. ''Stereogum'' was one of the first MP3 blogs and has received several award ...

'' called it "a staticky

noise Noise is unwanted sound considered unpleasant, loud or disruptive to hearing. From a physics standpoint, there is no distinction between noise and desired sound, as both are vibrations through a medium, such as air or water. The difference arise ...

blast." ''

Spin Spin or spinning most often refers to: * Spinning (textiles), the creation of yarn or thread by twisting fibers together, traditionally by hand spinning * Spin, the rotation of an object around a central axis * Spin (propaganda), an intentionally b ...

'' noted the song's "shrieking vocals and harsh, distorted synths, along with lyrics that inspire resilience."

Music video

The release of "Cease and Desist" was accompanied by a music video directed by Lindsey Nico Mann and Dan Streit. The video features colorized and pixelated images of various live footage of Glass mixed in with shots of vintage animation, security footage, cats and rabbits, and more.

Personnel

* Alice Glass – vocals * Jupiter Keyes – production, artwork design *

– production * Ryan Kaul – mixing * Lucas David – photography

References

{{authority control 2018 singles 2018 songs Alice Glass songs Loma Vista Recordings singles