Outdoor music festivals are hugely popular, and have become the place to see and hear incredible bands of every genre. And thanks in part to the rise in popularity of electronic music festivals like the Voodoo Experience and others, the festivals are booking some amazing DJ’s you don’t want to miss. First on my list of must-see DJs is The Crystal Method.
Formed in Los Angeles in the early ‘90s The Crystal Method is duo Ken Jordan and Scott Kirkland. Their sound embodies ‘90s electronic; with heavy techno and big beat influences. They were first popular in the Rave scene that was thriving in LA at the time, and they quickly distinguished themselves from other electronic artists by playing huge numbers of live shows. It was stylish in the early ‘90s for DJs to maintain a level of anonymity, but The Crystal Method wanted the same respect shown to “real bands.” Their frequent live performances coupled with successful mix-tapes lead to a record deal with Outpost Recordings. In 1997 they released their debut album, “Vegas,” which was certified as a platinum album in 2007.
I love this duo because I honestly love the sound of the ‘90s. Not because it was a decade of entirely amazing music, a lot of it was complete crap, but because there were several truly iconic groups that created a sound that is unique to the decade. Crystal Method’s sound blends influences from rock, funk, soul and hip-hop, as well as collaborations with Tom Morello of Rage Against the Machine, Scott Weiland of Stone Temple Pilots and others into something that is both distinctly familiar and uniquely their own. Fans of the game Need for Speed: Underground will recognize the song Born to Slow in the above video off the 2004 album Legion of Boom.