The Crystal Method

The platinum record that blew up American electronica

With Vegas, The Crystal Method proved that big beat could conquer the United States without asking Europe for permission. The 1997 album, certified platinum by the RIAA in 2007, placed tracks like Busy Child, Keep Hope Alive, and Trip Like I Do in clubs, on the radio, and in soundtracks, placing the project—born in Las Vegas in 1993 by the hands of Ken Jordan and Scott Kirkland—at the forefront of American electronica.

Dirty breakbeats, rock, and The Bomb Shelter

Jordan and Kirkland met in the late eighties while working at a Smith's supermarket in Las Vegas. Jordan ran the UNLV radio station and taught Kirkland how to DJ; both took those beats to college bars and, once in Los Angeles, to the rave scene of the early nineties. The single Now Is the Time (1994) and especially Keep Hope Alive (1995), in City of Angels, functioned as an anthem for a besieged scene. They recorded their first albums at The Bomb Shelter, a soundproofed shelter turned studio in the Los Angeles area. Tweekend (2001) climbed to No. 32 on the Billboard 200 with Name of the Game and collaborations from Tom Morello and Scott Weiland. Legion of Boom (2004) and Divided by Night (2009) received Grammy nominations for Best Dance/Electronic Album; the former pushed Born Too Slow and the latter, on the Tiny e label, brought together Matisyahu, Peter Hook, and Emily Haines. Their music has appeared in over a hundred films, series, and video games—including the theme for Bones—and they signed commissions such as the soundtracks for London and Drive for Nike. The Community Service program, first on Indie 103.1 and later on SiriusXM, extended their role as DJs and radio programmers.

Kirkland at the helm, without turning down the voltage

During the recording of their 2014 self-titled album, Kirkland underwent brain surgery and the duo closed that studio chapter. In 2017, Jordan retired from music; Kirkland kept the name and released The Trip Home (2018) and The Trip Out (April 15, 2022, Ultra Records), featuring Post Punk alongside Hyper and Iggy Pop. The project has headlined events such as EDC, Lollapalooza, and Ultra Miami, and Kirkland represented Nevada in NBC's American Song Contest. Today, The Crystal Method remains a live vehicle for breakbeats, electronic rock, and rave hedonism, with Kirkland as the sole active member.