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THE CRYSTAL METHOD "DIVIDED BY NIGHT" (TINY E RECORDS) |
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There's a lot of collaboration going on with The Crystal Method's first-in-five-years studio album "Divided by Night." "Divided" is an appropriate word for multiple reasons. (A) Because the artistry is split across the bridge of cooperation between the Method and a number of renown artists who pitch in on numerous songs here, and (B) because it may leave fans divided. Or, I may be wrong. I'll admit to my opinion being a bit colored by the preamble my friend offered me when introducing me to this disc. He was disappointed that it didn't sound - to him - like a purely Crystal Method effort. And, in a way, it's not. Check out the liner note credits on this disc. You'll find that the bulk of the songs are by The Crystal Method and [insert name]. So this is a collaborative work. Now, when I mentioned reason (B) up there, don't think I was lumping myself into the fans divided into the negative side of things. I'll admit, the album takes some getting used to for someone whose other recent excursions into Method territory are "Tweekend" and "Drive." Yeah, so I'm out of touch and behind times - whatever. Despite the mild initial oddity (there's a distinct flavorful something-or-other discernible here beyond the Method's normal acid-doused mid-tempo breakbeats), "Divided By Night's" unique style, thanks to the input of the Crystal Method's co-creators on this disc, is a bit of a refresher course for this famed electronica team. Bringing in some new melodic approaches, some bits of cool-injected pop, some hip-hop (not that I'm suggesting that the Method never played with any of this before - I'm no Method expert) - there's lots of hard-to-put-your-finger-on aspects that the collaborators bring to the table. So, yes, this is a Crystal Method CD, but maybe it's not exactly what's come before. You decide. -- review by Kristofer Upjohn
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