The Crystal Method

Delayed in part due to Scott Kirkland’s brain surgery, this self-titled release has an urgency and sense of celebration that’s also been the duo’s raison d’etre since 1997’s Vegas set them apart. Kirkland and Ken Jordan are dancefloor veterans for a reason; they know how to interpolate new sounds without discarding what fans love about them. Guest singers like Dia Frampton and LeAnn Rimes suggest a diva-pop accessibility that does make “Over It” and “Grace,” respectively, work considerably well as songs and not just tracks (though prepare for the remixes!). Found sounds, samples, elementally sequenced synths, and growling basslines still dominate their approach, but for a duo celebrating their 20th anniversary together, they’re still challenging themselves by working with the likes of Franky Perez (Scars on Broadway), Nick Thayer, Afrobeta, and mau5trap artist Le Castle Vania. Yet there’s still plenty of meat on the bone for the duo’s own works (“Emulator,” “110 to the 101," and “Jupiter Shift”) to shift from the clubs to outer space and back with little change in direction.