The Crystal Method: Pioneers of Electronic Dance Music

Many of edm’s biggest names got their start back in the day, including legendary duo, The Crystal Method. Made up of Ken Jordan and Scott Kirkland, The Crystal Method is an American electronic music and keyboardist duo formed in Las Vegas, Nevada in 1993.

Before their stardom, Ken and Scott started working on music while they were co workers at a grocery store and Ken was also a local DJ in Las Vegas as well as the college radio program director at UNLV. They then moved out to LA together to make something of themselves, and became a dance-based electronic duo with a definite rock band feel.

The duo’s first musical creations were discovered by a British DJ named Justin King who created the record label City of Angels, and it’s first official release was The Crystal Method’s “Now is the Time”. The Crystal Method were then signed to Outpost Recordings in 1996 where they released their first album, Vegas on September 8, 1997. Vegas peaked at number 92 on the Billboard 200 and was certified gold by the RIAA in 1998, then platinum in 2007.

Following In 2001, the CM came out with their second album, Tweekend, which peaked at number 32 on the Billboard 200, which is still the group’s highest album chart position. the band pulled together all its diverse influences to create this album that not only reflected its dance music roots but its lingering passion for hard rock and soul. The disc featured collaborations with Stone Temple Pilots’ Scott Weiland, Rage Against The Machine’s Tom Morello and Beck turntablist DJ Swamp.

Their next release, 2004’s Legion of Boom earned The Crystal Method their first ever Grammy nomination in the “Best Electronic/Dance Album” category and included collaborations with former Limp Bizkit guitarist Wes Borland, rapper Rahzel of The Roots, San Francisco poet Hanifah Walidah and Lisa Kekaula, singer for Los Angeles’ indie stalwarts The Bell Rays.

Crystal Method have held strong as forerunners of the electronic music revolution in America. Today, they have distinguished themselves as two of the most recognizable faces in the American electronic music landscape, boasting over a million-and-a-half in album sales combined between all their releases. The Crystal Method are settling in to their newly designed state of the art studio and beginning work on their fourth full-length album, which they will support with an extensive live tour.

The Crystal method will be touching down in Phoenix on April 22nd at the Monarch Theatre with support from Binary Hertz. Don’t miss your chance to witness the legends live!

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