Review: The Crystal Method at Rosemount Hotel

The Crystal Method at Rosemount Hotel
w/ Jaydream
Saturday, March 9, 2024

Far from a nostalgia trip, The Crystal Method at Rosemount Hotel was an eclectic outing full of energy and dynamism that showcased both the act’s pioneering work as big-beat innovators in the 1990s as well as their continued excellence in the field of electronic bangers. Once a duo, The Crystal Method now lives on through Scott Kirkland, following the retirement from music of co-founder and friend Ken Jordan in the mid-2010s. This change at the helm has been seamless, with the Kirkland era The Crystal Method continuing to be an exciting live threat as well as continuing the act’s reputation for class outputs with the critically lauded The Trip Home and The Trip Out in 2018 and 2022, respectively.

Jaydream was the opening act of the night. A resident local who has established herself as the go-to party starter since hitting the live scene in 2016, her mix of house and trance got the early crowd on the dance floor and moving along. Heading into harder beats as the set continued, Jaydream showed both her knowledge and passion for music, grabbing samples from a myriad of sources and merging them all into one dynamic and bouncing sonic soundscape.

The Crystal Method followed on from where Jaydream left off, starting strong with a feast of maleable break-beats and dirty bass lines, including elements of album tracks such as Name of the Game and Busy Child that kept the crowd moving. Kirkland’s ability to create a set that felt both familiar and fresh is a testament to the act's enduring relevance in the electronic music scene.

Stopping to talk to the audience, Kirkland advised that after his last visit to the Rosemount main room in December 2022, he had made sure it was included on this tour due to the great turnout and vibes on display from the Perthians in attendance. While it may be just hype talk, Kirkland seemed sincere in his desire to connect with the audience and express his gratitude. Similarly, he exuded an ever-present start of enthrallment via his air guitar and air drums, as well as general boogieing behind the decks as he dined upon selection after selection of tasty beats and hypnotic grooves.

As a reprieve from the fast pace towards the midway stage of the set, Kirkland dropped remixes of UK ’90s classics Born Slippy and Massive Attack’s Dissolved Girl in between the proto-dub-step rhythymic swing of High Roller from the Vegas LP. From there, the trip went back to gaining speed, with the classic Keep Hope Alive receiving a spin before, in homage to local heroes, AC/DC’s Dirty Deeds was reanimated into an electro-clash metal stomper that had the crowd throwing their arms in the air and singing along at the top of their lungs.

Winding his way to the finish, Kirkland was relentless, leading the ecstatic dancefloor movers through a host of more psychedelic electro moments before diving into the heady finale of the recent hit Ghost In The City backed up with the classic Trip Like I Do.

Overall, the set was a reminder of the positivity that surrounded emerging future technologies of the 1990s and presented a stark contrast to the commonly held beliefs the same technology now often receives just two decades on. While one may be right to be cautious of that which is untested, it is also important to acknowledge the positives of anything that enables the creation of such pure ecstasy and dance-floor bangers.

MICHAEL HOLLICK

Photos by Karen Lowe