Portsmouth’s Crystal Tides have released their debut album, Toothpaste, in February 2026, and it is already making waves nationally. As of 13 February, the album sits at number 18 on the Official UK Album Midweek Charts, marking a major milestone for the band.
Known for high energy live shows and anthemic songs that get audiences singing along, the band features Billy on vocals, Harry and Neil on guitars, George on bass and Joe on drums. After years of building momentum through singles and EPs, Toothpaste represents their most ambitious project to date.
A significant part of that journey took place at the University of Portsmouth’s professional music recording studios in Eldon Building, where much of the album was recorded.
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The University’s studios were purpose built in 2022 by renowned designers Digital Garage, with over one million pounds invested to create acoustically optimised recording spaces and industry standard control rooms. Developed in collaboration with Centre for Creative and Immersive Extended Reality, the facilities are designed to support both student learning and professional level production.
During the recording of Toothpaste, drums, guitars and vocals were tracked through a Neve Genesys Black recording console, with sessions run in Pro Tools, one of the industry’s most widely used recording platforms. Equipment from leading manufacturers including Neve, SSL, ATC and Genelec provided the technical foundation for the project.
The album sessions also created hands on experience for students Amy Gill and Will Phippen, who assisted throughout the process. Working on a professional recording project of this scale gave them the opportunity to develop practical, industry focused skills in a real studio environment.
I was honoured to be offered the chance to work with David & Crystal Tides on the new album 'Toothpaste'. It was amazing to get the chance to experience a professional studio environment with supportive, friendly & welcoming people. I learnt a lot throughout the week that I took on board into my studies this year and will continue once I graduate. I am very grateful for this opportunity, so thank you to the University, to Crystal Tides and David for letting me be a part of it!
A long-term creative partnership
The band’s co-producer and the university's lead technician, David Evans, has worked with Crystal Tides for more than eight years, supporting their development from early demos to increasingly successful releases. After beginning a role as a technician at the University of Portsmouth studios in summer 2024, he recommended the facilities to the band as the ideal setting for their debut album.
Reflecting on the experience, he said:
The studios gave us everything we needed to bring this record to life. The combination of acoustically treated rooms, high end equipment and a focused creative environment made a real difference to the final sound. It has been a lot of hard work to go from the raw recordings to the finished mixed album, and we are incredibly proud of what we have achieved at the University of Portsmouth.
With a Top 20 midweek chart position and growing national recognition, Toothpaste highlights not only Crystal Tides’ rising profile, but also the impact of the University of Portsmouth’s investment in industry standard creative facilities that support both student learning and professional production.