They may not have invented electronic music, but the Crystal Method are one of the acts that crafted the sonic experience that gave birth to the genre.
The L.A duo have been at it for so long – since the early ‘90s -- that they are, along with the Disco Biscuits, the veterans of the Identity Festival, which will invade the Cricket on Friday. The tour is a monster, featuring multiple stages and dozens of artists. It's a coming-of-age of sorts for the genre, which has finally outgrown its night-time club roots and is making itself known at 20 major cities, with many of the venues sold out.
The Crystal Method’s Ken Jordan picked up the phone in Richmond, Va., one recent afternoon at 1:30 to talk about the tour. He’s not such a vet yet, though. In fact, the L.A. resident promptly yawned, noting he hadn’t had his coffee yet.
Jordan and his partner, Scott Kirkland, helped electronic break through the popular music wall with the release of Vegas, which cracked the Top 100 on Billboard in 1997 and just kept selling. The album was certified platinum 10 years later, and a special edition was re-released. The pair also has worked on the scores of a series of films and their music is also familiar from such video games as “X Games 3D: The Movie." They never stop working, it seems.
“We scored a couple scenes for a film coming out in the fall called Real Steal” -- on the soundtrack we’ve got one of them with this rapper Yellow Wolf, he’s on Eminem’s new label,” Jordan said.
Jordan says he’s been having a great time out on tour with such artists as Kaskade, Steve Aoki and many others, but for him, two younger artists have stood out.
“We really liked Le Castle Vania’s set, also Datsik,” Jordan said, who added that while he was familiar with their work, he had never seen them perform before the tour.
SoundDiego
Music. Community. Culture.
The Identity Festival’s stop in San Diego will be a return of sorts for Jordan, whose wife, Janine, pretty much grew up in the county and went to UCSD, where she studied business. These days, she helps to run a nonprofit called the Green Wave, which promotes environmental awareness.
“Her parents are still in Poway -- we still go down there quite a bit and visit,” said Jordan, who may or may not do some surfing while he’s in town. What’s clear is that Janine wouldn’t say where she surfs – she didn’t want more people in the water there than already are.
The Identity Festival, with Crystal Method
Friday, Sept. 2, Cricket Wireless Amphitheatre -- tickets are still available.
