From a crackling intercontinental phone stretch from my couch in San Diego to Scott Kirkland's Berlin hotel room, I spoke with the half of the Crystal Method recently. Apparently, my voice kept cutting out, but I could hear everything he said fine. It really makes normal conversation impossible when you are forced to repeat yourself two or three times. He was a nice fellow and we made it through the interview, albeit with more stops and starts than 1-5 northbound traffic on a Friday afternoon. Here's the result:
POP MUSIC
'Boom' Years
The Crystal Method hit its stride following a simple credo: 'We basically make music we like'
By Chris Nixon
March 4, 2004
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DATEBOOK
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The Crystal Method, with DJ Hyper
9 p.m. Saturday; 4th & B, 345 B St., downtown; $20; (619) 231-4343
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With the addition of 2003's "Legion of Boom," the Crystal Method epitomizes the best of American techno, giving us a future beyond simply repetitive dance music.
This Las Vegas-bred, Los Angeles-based duo blends raucous block-rockin' beats with its brand of metallic, gritty guitar work and hip-hop swagger. From their early Vegas days formulating a pan-dance-floor sound, the Crystal Method's Ken Jordan and Scott Kirkland have always maintained a keen sense of balance between rock, metal, hip-hop, down-tempo and mainstream electronica.
For Kirkland, the unique balance of genres results from the bevy of influences he experienced as a teen.
"Growing up in the '80s, the edgiest music was heavy metal and rock, so I listened to Judas Priest, AC/DC and Metallica," said Kirkland, speaking from a hotel room on a tour stop in Berlin, Germany. "Then, I discovered New Order and Depeche Mode.
"Later, I listened to Public Enemy and EPMD. The L.A. rave scene in the late-'80s and '90s also played a part. All of those influences drive what we do in the studio and contribute to what we like to hear in the studio. As simple as it sounds, we basically make music we like."
After a move to the City of Angels in the mid-'90s, the duo burst onto the national scene with 1997's "Vegas." The thundering beats and infectious rock guitar riffs of that debut gave the Crystal Method well-deserved recognition in pop and electronica. The Crystal Method followed in 2001 with "Tweekend," with a complex jungle of vocals by Scott Weiland (Stone Temple Pilots) and guitar wizardry by Tom Morello (Rage Against the Machine). The next year found Jordan and Kirkland doing "Community Service," an excellent DJ remix disc with tracks from Rage Against the Machine and Orbital.
But 2004's "Legion of Boom" might be the duo's best release yet. The Crystal Method has refined its careful tightrope act between genres, and the album exudes a consistent party vibe throughout.
"We took about seven or eight months to make this album, so it actually came together a lot quicker than previous albums," said Kirland. "I think we were more conscious of not letting ourselves get carried away, and not spending too much time on a track.
"We took much time tweaking the album on 'Tweekend.' We labored over it too much and it turned out to be a very dense album. For this album, we made a conscious effort to strip things down a bit. We wanted to listen a little bit better, in the sense of knowing when to move on, knowing when something is right and not second-guessing it. I think that helped push us along at a better pace for this album."
The Crystal Method's journey has taken Kirkland and Jordan further than they ever dreamed, and they plan to continue on the journey as long as people will listen.
"As someone who started out almost 10 years ago now, we had no idea that we would have a career in music," said Kirland, who along with Jordan will perform at 4th & B Saturday. "At the time, American electronic music was pretty below the radar as far as attention and record sales.
"We were hoping we would have some success in Europe and the UK, and maybe produce and do remixes. We just kept putting out 12-inch (recordings), which turned into a record deal, which turned into a great opportunity for us in Vegas, which turned into two records and a million and a half record sales.
"Now, we're on our third album. So it's a dream come true to be able to make music for a living and be able to have success doing it. I want to keep doing it as long as people are into it and we have fun doing it."
Chris Nixon is a San Diego writer.
