The Crystal Method (who is Scott Kirkland) has teamed with pioneering UK breakbeat producer Hyper for a unique single – “Post Punk” featuring legendary Stooges front man Iggy Pop. “Post Punk” will appear on The Crystal Method’s seventh studio album The Trip Out set for release April 15, 2022 on Ultra Records.
The brooding, mid-tempo “Post Punk” was produced alongside longtime Crystal Method ally Hyper (Guy Hatfield). From TCM vs Hyper single “Fire To Me” which appeared on the London original motion picture soundtrack to his remix of TCM classic “Busy Child,” the celebrated cinematic sound designer, whose recent credits include music for gaming and screens (Cyberpunk 2077, “Orange Is The New Black”)—steps into the studio with The Crystal Method for an album cut that is progressive and mesmerizing.
Borrowing a soundbite from Jim Jarmusch’s Stooges documentary Gimme Danger, the track is built upon distorted synths and heavy drums, while Iggy Pop—in his signature, gravelly voice—asserts his individuality. “I don’t want to be a punk. I don’t want to belong to any of it,” he pronounces. “I just want to be.”
A follow-up to 2018’s acclaimed The Trip Home—which took fans on a nostalgic, sonic journey—The Trip Out finds Kirkland looking to the future and embarking on collaborations with some of today’s most exciting, and musically diverse, artists. Primarily written in 2020, the album loosely centers around the idea of escapism—a timely theme amid a year of shuttered venues, canceled tours and global lockdowns. Alongside “Post Punk,” the album will feature already released singles “House Broken” featuring Naz Tokio and “Act Right” featuring Billy Dean Thomas and VAAAL.
Originally formed in Las Vegas in the early nineties by co-founders Scott Kirkland and Ken Jordan (now retired), The Crystal Method is one of the most successful American electronic acts. Pioneers of the big beat genre and innovators of the ‘90s electronica movement, The Crystal Method has remained at the forefront of the worldwide dance music industry for more than two decades.
The Crystal Method celebrates a 25+- year career in the music scene, which has resulted in an extensive discography that includes: the platinum-selling Vegas (1997), the band’s debut studio album and one of the top-selling albums worldwide by an American electronic artist ever; Tweekend (2001); Legion of Boom (2004) and Divided by Night (2009), both of which received GRAMMY nominations in the Best Electronic/Dance Album category; and The Crystal Method (2014). The Trip Home–released in 2018–served as the sixth full-length The Crystal Method album and Kirkland’s first as a newfound solo act. It’s follow-up The Trip Out will be released April 15, 2022.
As TCM, Kirkland’s music and creative output also extends into film and TV, where his credits include: the theme song for hit Fox TV show Bones; the score for indie film London; composing all the music for the J. J.-Abrams-executive-produced Fox TV drama Almost Human; the film score for the 2017 documentary Hired Gun: Out of the Shadows, Into the Spotlight; and the theme song for 3 Below, the Netflix TV series from Academy Award winner Guillermo del Toro, as well as writing additional music and the end title for Netflix’s move Trollhunters – Rise of the Titans.