01Two founders, a continuing name
The name on the record remains The Crystal Method. The people responsible for its history deserve to remain just as visible: Ken Jordan and Scott Kirkland built the original partnership; Kirkland carries the project forward after Jordan's retirement. An October 2026 interview identifies Kirkland as its sole member, still discussing and performing the music they made together. That is a continuation with a history, not a reason to write either founder out of it.1
02Vegas: a place, then a record
The Crystal Method's story connects Las Vegas roots with a musical partnership established in Los Angeles. The artist biography published by Insomniac dates the group's formation to 1993. By the time Dorothy Parvaz interviewed both men in 1998, their move from Las Vegas to Los Angeles was already part of the backstory. The debut album gave that earlier home a permanent place in the catalog: Vegas, released in 1997.234
The record is an inviting starting point for a listening journey: “Trip Like I Do,” “Busy Child,” “High Roller” and “Keep Hope Alive” all belong to the original album. Start with that original ten-track sequence before moving into deluxe editions and remixes. It is a small distinction, but editions matter when we are tracing what listeners first encountered.4
The duo's own words also complicate the easy picture of electronic musicians hidden behind their equipment. In that 1998 interview, Jordan described wanting the dependable organization of concert venues alongside the openness and variety of rave events. He insisted on a dance floor directly in front of the stage. The audience was part of the design. Remembering that intention gives us another way into the music: not just as recordings to collect, but as something made to bring people into the same physical space.3
03A partnership you can hear about in the work
Kirkland's 2026 recollection of making Tweekend offers a particularly useful portrait of the partnership. He would improvise with synthesizers routed through effects pedals while Jordan marked promising moments in the recording. Those discoveries could then be selected and assembled into a track. It is a practical account of two different kinds of attention working together: making possibilities, then recognizing which ones were worth keeping.5
Released in 2001, Tweekend arrived four years after Vegas. Kirkland recalled wanting to move forward rather than reproduce the debut, with Tom Morello among the collaborators who helped shape the next record. For this listening journey, “Name of the Game” is a useful next stop—not as a verdict that one era is better, but as an invitation to compare the choices made on either side of those years of touring.5
The catalog kept expanding. Legion of Boom followed in 2004; its “Born Too Slow” brought together vocalist John Garcia and guitarist Wes Borland. That credit is worth spelling out: a memorable recording is also the work of the people invited into it.6
Legion of Boom and Divided by Night earned Grammy nominations at the 2005 and 2010 awards respectively. Those are award years, not the albums' release years. The Recording Academy lists two nominations and no wins for The Crystal Method.7
By the 2014 self-titled album, collaboration remained central. Speaking to M Music & Musicians, Jordan credited Dia Frampton with much of the initial musical idea behind “Over It.” He also explained how the duo combined analog instruments with newer software and computers. The tools changed; their interest in experimenting together remained. His account is a valuable reminder that the story should include Jordan's own descriptions of the work, not only later recollections of his departure.89
04When the duo became a solo project
The transition needs careful wording because published dates disagree. In a May 2019 interview, Kirkland explicitly dated Jordan's retirement to April 2016. Some biographies instead use 2017. We follow the artist's specific account here, with attribution, rather than pretend those sources agree.10
In a separate 2022 interview, Kirkland said Jordan had approached him in 2015 about wanting to retire. He described the decision as amicable and said Jordan supported his continuing under The Crystal Method name. This is Kirkland's account of the transition; it does not justify inventing a falling-out or speculating about Jordan's private life today.11
There was a tangible adjustment behind the unchanged name. Kirkland told Electronic Sound that he bought Jordan's share of the studio and reorganized it for his own working process. He also recalled playing new material for Jordan and valuing his response. Retirement from the act did not make Jordan's contribution disappear from the story.10
05Carrying it forward
The 2018 album The Trip Home marked the first Crystal Method studio album of Kirkland's solo era. In an interview that December, he discussed returning to familiar analog instruments, including the ARP 2600 associated with “Holy Arp.” It provides a listening point for the question at the heart of this chapter: what carries forward when the personnel change?12
Solo, however, does not mean made without anyone else. Kirkland's 2022 account describes working with Glen Nicholls, also known as Future Funk Squad, and seeking other trusted perspectives. He explained that The Trip Out, released in 2022, began as a companion to The Trip Home before the pandemic helped change its direction. The continued presence of collaborators belongs in this history too.11
As of October 2026, Kirkland is still active under The Crystal Method name. His recent interviews coincide with Tweekend's twenty-fifth anniversary, a vinyl reissue and a Paul Oakenfold remix of “Name of the Game.” This is evidence of a living project engaging with its earlier work—not evidence that the story stopped in 2001, or that a new studio album has been announced.1
For SMPL.FM, the tribute begins with that care. Listen back to the records Ken and Scott made together. Follow the work Scott has made since. Keep the credits attached, and leave room for the artists' own accounts. The band name continues; honoring it means remembering the people and decisions that gave it meaning.
Take the next turn
Records discussed in this story
Explore the source links for these recordings. The room player has its own credited selection.
Vegas
Begin with the original sequence, including “Trip Like I Do,” “Busy Child,” “High Roller” and “Keep Hope Alive.” Deluxe editions add later material.
Explore the source ↗Tweekend
Use “Name of the Game” as an invitation to compare this chapter with Vegas. The interview follows the duo’s recording process and collaborators.
Explore the source ↗The Crystal Method
Follow Ken Jordan’s account of how Dia Frampton helped shape “Over It.”
Explore the source ↗The Trip Home
The first studio album of Kirkland’s solo era; “Holy Arp” provides one entry point.
Explore the source ↗The Trip Out
Read Kirkland’s account of its development from a companion project into an album shaped during the pandemic.
Explore the source ↗Continue the conversation
Go deeper.
Original interviews, artist accounts and recording catalogs. Every link opens a new tab. Historical accounts are attributed; listening invitations are our editorial interpretation.
- The Pitch, October 1, 2026 ↗
- Insomniac artist biography ↗
- Drop-D, March 21, 1998 ↗
- Apple Music album catalog ↗
- V13 interview, September 14, 2026 ↗
- Contemporary V2/Fuse announcement, January 2004 ↗
- Recording Academy artist record ↗
- M Music & Musicians, issue 32 ↗
- 2014 album catalog ↗
- Electronic Sound, May 9, 2019 ↗
- MusicRadar / Future Music, March 7, 2022 ↗
- Sound & Vision, December 12, 2018 ↗
Research checked 28 October 2026. Original features with sources for deeper exploration.
Stay curious. Stay a little longer.
Return to your listening room ↗