PORTLAND, OREGON The evolution of the world thanks to the computer age has caused a new rock n’ roll revolution; suddenly, the same old guitars-and-bass-and-keyboard combo is passe. The lines between rock, funk, r&b and heavy metal now blur. Suddenly we have the pairing of Puff Daddy and Jimmy Page. Even Aerosmith’s Walk This Way has new life thanks to the unlikely remix by Run DMC. Brian Eno and David Byrne should be considered founders of this sound, created when they did My Life in the Bush of Ghosts back in the mid 80’s. Credit for this “new” wave of music, however, which is now known as techno or electronica, goes to two guys from Las Vegas. The known pioneers of the revolution is The Crystal Method, and they’re taking over the world. Since their first single, Now’s the Time, debuted in 1994, the band’s been going non-stop. Their new album, Vegas, premiered last year to high praise and resulted in a sold-out European and North American tour. Now two of their tunes are being used in Mazda Miata and Gap Khakis ads. Soon you’ll even be able to hear their music on the new South Park movie, which recently debuted at Sundance (The soundtrack comes out in May). Their stuff is on club compilation disks as well as on MTV. But the stuff on TV really doesn’t do them justice, just as prerecorded cuts in a club fail miserably, once you hear them live. A simple way to describe their act is how Ken Jordan, one of the partners, put it to me: 2 guys plus 200MB RAM divided by 5 samplers divided by 2 synthesizers (X a zillion watts). When the duo are right in front of you, the show is an event, a combination of sound and light and a thousand fans of all ages coming together in a syncopated frenzy. Scott Kirkland and Ken Jordan were teenagers in Las Vegas when they were both turned on to synthesizer music. By the time they met, Scott had several songs written, and Ken was working in a studio with a singer. They came together as producers. It was the mid-80's. The pair worked tracks for local rappers and singers, but their passion was in the stuff they were creating together. It took a couple of years for their sound to gel. By then, both had worked their way to Los Angeles, California. In LA, the boys hit the raves that were happening all over the city. They noticed how different the environment was compared to ones they’d been to in Vegas. People came to the ones in Los Angeles to dance and have a good time. The attendees weren’t meat market babes or macho A-holes looking for a fight. These left their attitudes at the door. Scott and Ken liked this idea a lot. By 1992, the two engineers had found their focus, and became one of the first groups in this new genre of dance music. The mission of The Crystal Method was now clear: To bring the best things of the rave/event to the rock world. It’s difficult for many people to go out and enjoy the music because they’re... surrounded by either a completely different group of people, or they’re in environments where they ordinarily wouldn’t normally go, or the events are, like, too late, Scott told me. The structure of their act is as different as their sound. Aside from performing at all-age clubs, the music before their act is performed by their own deejays who also play the same sound. This means that the energy is kept constant, all night; pretty much what you’d find at a rave. One of the main reasons we have serious deejays on the road with us is to add that element so there isn’t a lull, Scott explained. Usually the opening band, they’re not as loud and the lights aren’t as good, and then the next thing you know, they’re over, and the sound guy’s favorite (music)--like Fogghhat or some other nonsense-- is playing through the loudspeakers. Once everyone experiences the raves, they want to see that sort of thing every time they go out. I know Ken & I do. So we have deejays with us, and a (sometimes another) talented opening act, so it, like, flows pretty well, he continued. The deejays usually pick up the moment Crystal Method exits the stage. David Holmes was the deejay at Portland’s LaLuna the night I saw them. With techno, it’s about precision.Replicating a Crystal Method cut live takes much more effort than traditional live rock, because rock naturally varies from show to show. With techno, it’s not about frets and notes or voices that may vary; it’s about precision. Because they use organic sounds and 70’s funk samples, they can’t really change the music once it comes out. To replicate it on stage takes a tremendous amount of work. They don’t play instruments as much as they use tools. Scott uses both an Emulator 4 and Emax II sampler. Vintage Keys and a Nord Lead are his synthesizers of choice (one of which he tossed on the stage in a Pete Townsend-like burst of creative inspiration the night I saw them). For Ken, an Ensonig ASR 10 sampler, Ensonig ESQ-M and an AKAI MPC2000 sampling drum machine round out his end of sound. He also utilizes a rack mount sampler. Every part of their act is focused on the overall effect. This includes the lighting. Formerly lighting for Marilyn Manson, Smashing Pumpkins, the Beastie Boys and more, Lighting Director Lawrence Upton was impressed from the start with the content and melody of Vegas. It's impossible not to be impressed by them, Lawrence told me. At every show he's seen, the response (from the audience) has always been a collective 'wow.' The light show is a 'wow' all by itself. When I told him this, Lawrence smiled proudly and said, you don’t get greatness from mediocrity. The only way to assure that greatness was through continuity, so their label, Geffen Records, allowed them to buy their own board. The LoWave Research board Lawrence uses runs the Status Que program. The story of a good band... good art... (is) to really dig in and focus on the art, Scott said. The last thing they intend to do is to just put out an album because there’s a deadline. They both attribute a lot of their success to their record and PR companies, who have given the pair a lot of room-- and time-- to create their best. Having somewhat of a Bad Boys reputation hasn’t hurt them, either. The partners are clearly happy with the way things are going for them. Yeah, we gave up our day jobs long ago,” Ken piped in, which is good, ‘cos I can’t think of anything else I could do at this point. It’s great, moments like this, where you play in front of thousands...and have every body go crazy... it’s fun, Scott said, leaning back in his chair. I wish we’d had something like this when I was growing up. 
http://www.club.imusic.com/showcase/club/cryst1.html http://www.mtv.com/news/gallery http://www.summers-mbm.com Even though we are not sure where they are- but don't blame Ginger- All photos By Ginger LyvereTaken at the well known club called LaLuna, in Portland, Oregon. ARCHIVE 2000 
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