The Crystal Method return with their latest mix compilation, with remixes of the Doors, New Order and the Smashing Pumpkins, along with lots of new and old tunes, do they make the grade?

The Crystal Method – Community Service II (Ultra)

Look out, the Americans are back with more dirty ass breaks. Ken Jordan and Scott Kirkland who have been called the American version of the Chemical Brothers at times but we think that’s unfair. They have always been a step ahead musically with their amazing albums, this is the follow up to their last mix album, which was titled “Community Service I” and was well received. This is their latest mix album, after touring last year for a long time with DJ Hyper, they decided to get back into the studio and create another mix CD and here it is

Tracklist

1.The Crystal Method – Intro
2.PMT – Gyromancer (Elite Force Remix)
3.Elite Force – Ghetto Fabulous
4.Hyper – Come With Me
5.The Doors – The Crystal Method vs. the Doors (Roadhouse Blues Remix)
6.Evil Nine – We Have The Energy
7.Dylan Rhymes feat. Kathrine Ellis – Salty (Meat Katie Remix)
8.The Crystal Method – Keep Hope Alive (J.D.S Remix)
9.Koma and Bones – Speedfreak
10.The Crystal Method feat. Kevin Beber – Kalifornia
11.Uberzone – Octopus
12.UNKLE feat. Ian Brown – Reign (False Prophet Mix)
13.The Crystal Method – Starting Over (Elite Force Mix)
14.The Crystal Method – Bound Too Long (Hyper Mix)
15.New Order – Bizarre Love Triangle (The Crystal Method’s CSII Mix)
16.Smashing Pumpkins – 1979 (New Originals 1799’s Remix)
We start with the slow starting introduction that just starts to kick you in the teeth about half a minute in, with the heavy drums and the highly addictive riff that backs it. You know that you are going to get your arse handed to you in this CD and that’s the point. It certainly catches my attention and I’m already dancing to this CD and we are only in the introduction.

The real CD starts with the Elite Force remix of PMT’s Gyromancer, which was always a favorite of mine and the grinding bassline is the key here. Just pure nastiness that ol Shack aka Elite Force has taken this tune into. It is bass heavy and it is a pure dancefloor destroyer. The track still keeps some of the original’s part but Elite Force has taken this and added some 10 ton bassline with a grinding riff. This is a smart decision among Crystal Method because it adds to their genius introduction and gets you grooving.

Elite Force makes another appearance on this compilation with his Ghetto Fabulous tune, which adds more flavor to this already devastating mix album and we are only a few tracks in. This goes into more of the techy breaks that Elite Force is doing of late. It adds that hip hop flavor at times with that catchy old skool riff and old skool beat and the robot voice that hangs in the background. The beat then begins to change and you hear “Come with me on the dancefloor”, now Hyper is up

Hyper toured extensively with the boys from Crystal Method in 2004 and they became great friends. This track was put on this compilation, even before the single was released on 4:20 records. This uses the brilliant riff with the genius “Come with me, on the dancefloor” vocal. “Come With Me” is a great pick for this mix because it raises the tempo and gets you dancing even more. I could be biased because I’m such a big fan of Hyper but this rocks and it fits perfectly in the mix.

Now we head to a remix of the Doors, yes that 60’s band with Jim Morrison as the vocalist. Crystal Method use the vocal here to great effect, you get the great Jim Morrison, (RIP) singing “Roll Baby Roll”. I love the guitars that hang in the background, nothing like bringing back old skool tunes that most of us cannot remember, because we were not born yet.

Evil Nine returns after a year of uncertainty because of Marine Parade’s problems but since Hope now runs them, they got stability. The evilness is back with some dirty as heck breakbeat bassline, talking about “on the run”, it is what you expect from the breakbeat duo. The ranting vocal taking about no more this, no more that and the bassline just adds to the excitement. It adds to the more dirty influence that the mix has taken on and it is flowing very well.

Now we go into Meat Katie’s remix of the nasty Dylan Rhymes track called “Salty”, such up tempo breakbeat with so much energy and the vocal is just right and it hits the spot. This track adds so much needed energy into this mix; it continues the ride in 5th gear, no real building up here. The bassline is just so evil and so filthy at times, and then the riff joins in, heaven here. I absolutely love it. We then roll into a remix of a Crystal Method track from the breakbeat kings J.D.S.

J.D.S are easily the kings of the breakbeat world and they easily show why they are so well liked with this remix, if you liked this track, wait for their album, out on TCR in May 05. “Keep Hope Alive” was one of my favorite tracks from their first album and J.D.S add to the original vibe. They add such a percussive push to this track, with the altered drums in the back and the grooviness, it just gives this already amazing mix, an even more kick in the teeth.

We are really in the main part of the mix here and then The Crystal Method throw in the nasty techy breakbeat tune from Koma and Bones, which was released on TCR last year. Speedfreak is another up-tempo breakbeat track with swirls and swirls of effects with that devastating bassline that just gives this mix, more energy and it builds on what The Crystal Method wanted.

Another The Crystal Method track appears but this one features a man who has disappeared in some aspects of breakbeat, the man known as Kevin Beber, who has made some nasty nu-skool breakbeat tunes in his time. This takes the track “Kalifornia” and throws it into a nu-skool theme, the sound that was more prevalent a few years ago. The bassline is so nu-skool with the rumble that was so 1998, I love the heavy ass bass sounds, which were probably Beber’s idea. It also adds more and more energy to this mix, which is in 5th gear and has been from the introduction, none of this weak buildup stuff, just full throttle stuff.

Kirkland and Jordan decided to add their close friend Uberzone to this compilation. Uberzone has been neglected by a lot of breakbeat addicts and only now; his contribution is coming to light. This is just as mean as the previous tracks and this really pushes a cool sounding riff with some cool effects, which give this a unique element, more of the take me away breakbeat variety. “Octopus” does slow down the pace a tad bit, it seems like the duo settled for waiting a little longer till they completely raised the roof.

As we near the home stretch, the only song that I really had a problem with, is the following one because James Lavelle overplayed everything UNKLE with Global Underground 026. I loved the original but hated this mix but it does fit in well with the compilation here. You know the techy breakbeat bassline with the cut up of the vocals of Ian Brown on “Reign”.

Another mix from The Crystal Method’s album comes in, with the third track and final from Shack aka Elite Force. Kirkland and co. use this track as something to bring the pace back up after “Octopus” and “Reign” took the pace down a bit. The mix of Starting Over uses more of an up-tempo but lets the riff dictate the pace but it doesn’t quite raise the pace till the next track. The mix has been outstanding so far, with a bunch of gems and some new tracks.

Now we are in the driver seat for the final three tracks, make sure you are strapped in for the final ride because you may not hang on. This is the final remix of a Crystal Method track, Hyper uses the nu skool rumble bassline at times, not as heavy as Beber’s collaboration with the said duo. This brings the tempo to something much higher and this just really pushes it to where it should be. I love Hyper’s use of the vocal because he doesn’t alter it that much and that was the best part about the original. His use of the riff that just hooks you is very nice indeed. Near the very end of the track, you hear a vocal that you have heard before but you can’t believe it.

I’m not going to pretend I was a huge New Order fan because they got big when I was far too young and I probably did not care about music back then. Bizarre Love Triangle is probably one of my favorite New Order tracks but it shocked me that The Crystal Method added it to the mix. This is the highlight of this compilation but I do have my reservations, which shall be discussed very shortly. They leave the vocal, which was probably the second greatest part of the track but when the riff comes in, that everyone remembers of the original, they throw in a breakbeat but no riff, that’s almost criminal but the mix still totally rocks. I love when producers do classic tunes justice like this one and you don’t want it to end, with the Bernard Summer vocal. Oh my word, can it get any better.?

We end the mix on a remix of the Smashing Pumpkins, I’ll be frank, and I never liked the group, Billy Corgan or 1979. The mix seems to do it justice and the purists hate it but those who love to hear rock remixes will love it. What a way to end the mix on!

Conclusion:
From the moment you press play, The Crystal Method take you on a ride into energetic breakbeat, which the new Hyper single to some new Elite Force tracks to their remix of the doors to a few mixes of their songs to their amazing remix of New Order and then finishing it off with 1979. Kirkland and Jordan have certainly set the bar and given you, your money’s worth, go get this, it’s better than almost every compilation out recently