Fascinating name for a duo electronic music project, if you have ever done drugs. That aside, 1997 proved to be another interesting year in musical history. Names for the duo and album aside, this is The Crystal Method’s best release by far. It is a decent and consistent listen and sounds great, even today. Let’s take a listen to this fascinating EDM recording.

We kick off with the drug ode Trip Like I Do which has some sharp sounding Acid based sounds. Some extra melodies and sampled quotes that are brilliant are here. We then kick into a brilliant tune, indeed, from the first few seconds of this album, we can tell this is a brilliant tune. Breakbeats then enter, taking your consciousness to the next Dr. Timothy Leary circuit. It’s an awesome and well pieced melodic tune. It sounds electrified and energetic. It then goes into a subdued breakdown which is suspenseful. A female sampled vocal tells the nature of the track. Then – BANG! It goes into a psychedelic and electronic trip for our ears. It’s both danceable and intelligently done. What were these guys smoking? It’s a great and solidly interesting listen. Fast and furious, indeed. It is such an awesome listen, right to the end of the track, and is unforgettable. A must hear.

Following is Busy Child which is equally as awesome as the first track. Starting off with some basic breaks and continuing the feel of the first track, we hear more vocal samples and go into a banging breaks track. It’s a refreshing, futuristic and above all, quality listen. It’s rare for EDM to be so good, it is beyond good. It is mindblowing. The repeated phrase sampled here then kicks the track into a multisectioned piece of pure brilliance. Although this sounds a lot like something The Chemical Brothers would do, it is original and exciting. The Crystal Method made music of this sort very exciting and perfected in a genre of their own. Interesting and melodic. Towards the end, there is a great and suspenseful change in the melody. Above all, another brilliant track.

Cherry Twist begins with some clever beats and cutting edge electronic sounds, before going into a great track with a well mixed set of melodies and more likely drug influenced sounds. It quickly goes into a breakdown, with some pulsating Acid sounding sounds in a progressive music fashion. This builds up in an excellent way before climaxing into a crazy and danceable piece that surges with musical brilliance and energy. It sure is a good listen, with many differently placed and creative sounds through this track.

High Roller begins with some spacey sounds, and what sounds like NASA sort of samples of routine space transmissions. It’s an epic and wonderful listen, and definitely sounds like something which is drug influenced. Still, it is an extremely imaginative and wonderfully beat driven piece to hear. There is a sense of progressive EDM on this track, showing the world of music that, hey, songs can be both interesting and lengthy. Words do not do justice for the imaginative and creative sounds on this song, and album. The breakbeats are classic and fantastic. The second half of this track is strangely Ambient and does not have beats, just sound effects. It’s very IDM and sounds good, especially through headphones.

The next track is Comin’ Back which is a melancholy piece with female vocals. It’s a deep and emotional sounding piece which quickly goes into more breakbeats and awesome textures. Unlike most EDM tracks where the vocals are merely for show, there is real emotion in the sung lyrics here. There are some spacey and interesting sounds here. There is a hint of melancholy here, but not to drag you down into a bad mood. It’s just well delivered. Another classic track. Good work by The Crystal Method. This is a top album, and a good song to hear. The outro is brilliant too.

Following is Keep Hope Alive which was a big hit at the time. After the intro, beats and interesting mixtures of sounds enter the track. It’s a great piece to listen to and sounds like it could have been recorded today. That’s how good this album, and song is. It really hasn’t dated at all. The vocal sample is a good one, too. A fresh piece of music and energetic sounding is here. This is a good starting point for the music of The Crystal Method. Yes, it sounds a lot like The Chemical Brothers. Still, it is a fantastic listen. Inspired. The breakdowns are intense, quickly going back into the beats here.

Vapor Trail starts off with the sound of someone ripping a cone from a bong (seriously, that’s what you hear) before going into a subtle, beat driven piece. A great and simple track with cleverly thought out sounds. It’s Acid music for 1997 and beyond. It breaks down into some razor sharp melodies, then drumrolls back into the main piece. The music here is quality, and is so ahead of its time that it is difficult to describe the imaginative and original sounds here. One for the drug parties that people take drugs to? One could only imagine. A great piece all the same, and has some brilliant sounds on it. It is over six minutes long, but is never boring. A very interesting listen.

She’s My Pusher comes next and it is a more IDM and quirky music addition from the album. Some static melodies enter in after the intro, and one is brought to a musical nirvana for those who dig a good EDM album. It’s excellently done, and despite this album clearly being made for drug use with it, it is totally enjoyable when stone cold sober too. An interesting array of melodies are in the breakdown and the whole piece is great. The beats are in the forefront of this piece, and demand attentive listening. Another great effort here. The sonic textures are dazzling. Enjoyable from start to finish.

Next is Jaded which has a great drum loop and simple melodies at the start, before going into a really well done piece which is so well pieced together. Some female vocals are here, too. Another good effort, not a duff track here on this album. It goes into super computer melodies, before the lady of the song sings a reassuring lyrical piece about having a good life. It’s a great EDM breakbeat piece with vocals, which is difficult for many to create. The Crystal Method deserve credit here for great music, which this is. Some rushing aircraft like noises come in in the middle of this track. Intelligent and quirky listening. A reassuring listen.

Last is Bad Stone which begins with some spacey melodies and some well done sounds in an Acid sounding way. Some old school sounding drum beats come pulsating into your ears. It’s another great track here to listen to at home when recovering from that hangover after a crazy night out. It’s still as good as the rest of the album, granting the album a quintessential, classic status. Excellent work here. This is somewhat more progressive than the others here, but sounds like a good track anyway. It goes into a frenzy towards the end.

Overall, this is definitely a classic album, no matter if you are under the influence or not. It’s a great EDM album and an inspirational listen for anyone interested in electronic music. It’s the best album by The Crystal Method, and cemented the duo’s place in history.

Music to hear under the influence? Definitely.

9/10