''The Crystal Method'' is the fifth studio album by American
electronic
Electronic may refer to:
*Electronics, the science of how to control electric energy in semiconductor
* ''Electronics'' (magazine), a defunct American trade journal
*Electronic storage, the storage of data using an electronic device
*Electronic co ...
duo
the Crystal Method
The Crystal Method is an American electronic music act formed in Las Vegas, Nevada, by Ken Jordan and Scott Kirkland in the early 1990s. They were pioneers of the big beat genre and their music has appeared in numerous TV shows, films, video gam ...
.
The album was released on January 14, 2014, although it was set to be released in 2013, but delayed due to Scott Kirkland's brain surgery in early 2013.
The whole album was set as a free stream on
Hype Machine
Hype Machine is a music blog aggregator created by Anthony Volodkin.
History
Hype Machine was originally a music database created in 2005 by Anthony Volodkin, then a sophomore computer science major at Hunter College.Heilemann, JohCapturing the ...
on January 4, 2014.
The cover, sleeve and digital booklet was designed by Bob Kadrie with band photography by Chapman Baehler. It is also Ken Jordan's final album with the group before retiring in 2017.
Critical reception
''The Crystal Method'' garnered a mixture of both positive and mixed ratings from
music critics
Music journalism (or music criticism) is media criticism and reporting about music topics, including popular music, classical music, and traditional music. Journalists began writing about music in the eighteenth century, providing commentary on w ...
. At ''
Alternative Press
Alternative press may refer to:
Individual publications
* ''Alternative Press'' (magazine), an American music magazine
Alternative journalism
* Alternative media
** Alternative media (U.S. political left)
** Alternative media (U.S. political ri ...
'',
Annie Zaleski
Annie Zaleski is an American music journalist and author.
Career
Zaleski is a regular writer for mainstream media outlets such as The A.V. Club and NPR Music, and a columnist at ''Salon''. She is based in Cleveland, Ohio where she has won firs ...
rated it three-and-a-half stars, commenting that the album "Nods elsewhere to
New Order's lurching bass,
Daft Punk
Daft Punk were a French electronic music duo formed in 1993 in Paris by Thomas Bangalter and Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo. Widely regarded as one of the most influential acts in dance music history, they achieved popularity in the late 1990s as p ...
's robotic funk and crushing synthrock are just the cherry on top."
Ian Robinson of
CraveOnline
Mandatory (formerly CraveOnline Media) is a lifestyle website based in Los Angeles with sales offices in New York City, Chicago and San Francisco. The site is owned by media company Evolve Media, LLC. Mandatory focuses its contents into the male- ...
rated it a seven-out-of-ten, calling it "a decent album, just not what I was hoping for from the dynamic duo of EDM."
At ''
The A.V. Club
''The A.V. Club'' is an American online newspaper and entertainment website featuring reviews, interviews, and other articles that examine films, music, television, books, games, and other elements of pop-culture media. ''The A.V. Club'' was cre ...
'', Lily Moayeri graded it a B−, feeling that the album "is not a comprehensive listening album, but it's not meant to be."
Gregory Heaney of
Allmusic
AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...
rated it three stars, writing that the band "are tied more to their mission than the means of completing it".
At ''
Las Vegas Weekly
''Las Vegas Weekly'' is a free alternative weekly newspaper based in Henderson, Nevada, covering Las Vegas arts, entertainment, culture and news. ''Las Vegas Weekly'' is published by Greenspun Media Group. The paper was founded in 1992 by James P ...
'', Mike Prevatt rated it three stars, noting how the band "roars with a familiar vigor and distinction."
Edna Gunderson of ''
USA Today
''USA Today'' (stylized in all uppercase) is an American daily middle-market newspaper and news broadcasting company. Founded by Al Neuharth on September 15, 1982, the newspaper operates from Gannett's corporate headquarters in Tysons, Virgini ...
'' rated it two out of four stars, commenting that "many of these tracks
ounddesperate or dated."
Track listing
References
External links
Facebook
The Crystal Method albums
2014 albums
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