The members of Cristal came together in a Richmond, Virginia kitchen over a batch of sangria in 2001. The band members, Jimmy Anthony, Bobby Donne (who is also a member of Labradford), and Greg Darden use a variety of electronic devices, sources, and recording locations to improvise and/or compose. The result can be beautiful, relaxing, chaotic or challenging, often all at once. Volume is critical. "The threesome create tracks that mix drone-landscaping with surgical penis methods in a way that is sure to make you salute. By turns lilting, dark and noisesome, this music feels like a sharp fingernail circling your navel slowly inside a tightly shuttered room. Just be careful you don't have anything in the way when they decide to slam the door shut. It might hurt." - Byron Coley, the Wire