FFWD Weekly
Copyright © 1997. All Rights Reserved.
The Crystal Method
Vegas
Outpost/Universal· First full-length release from the West Coast's answer to the Chemical Brothers. Which is kinda funny because the Chems were the UK's answer to the West Coast's Dust Brothers.
As inevitable as another "British Invasion" of musicians who make a mint by repackaging American music and selling it back to them is, so is the response from every little cog in the recording industry's machine. Now that electronica has officially invaded the US (because Time and Newsweek say it has), you can bet the forces stateside are rallying 'round the flag to regain lost ground on the battlefield.
The first real salvo comes from Ken Jordan and Scott Kirkland, otherwise known as the Crystal Method. Not just jumping the big beat bandwagon, these two have been around the thriving West Coast breakbeat scene for a few years (the track "Keep Hope Alive" has been around in one form or another for about three). While it is definitely from the same munitions dump as the Chemical Brothers (screamin' knob-twiddling over ruff beats), it is of a little higher caliber. Which means when they aim, they hit a bit more often.
Like when writing songs, which these guys can actually do. No slappin' together five different loops, they write music which changes and evolves over the course of time. Tracks like "Trip Like I Do," "She's My Pusher" and the vocal tune "Comin' Back" sound like someone took some time to create them. Of course, it's still all based on the big beats and a trusty 303 recipe, which ain't a bad formula in itself.
But it's still a formula and one that the Crystal Method don't seem too interested in changing. They make funky, dirty, acid-drenched breakbeat that sounds like the city the album is named for. But, like Vegas itself, even though you have a lot of fun, it's not what anyone would call a fulfilling experience.
3/5
Red Eye
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