The Crystal Method with Drive

I've decided I'm going to start running, which is probably the last thing anyone expected from me.

I’ve already worked my way through LCD Soundsystem’s 45:33, so now I’m moving onto the next Nike+ Original Run release.

This time it’s The Crystal Method with Drive.

The Crystal Method are an American electronic duo made up of Ken Jordan and Scott Kirkland. They came out of the 1990s big beat and electronic scene, with records like Vegas establishing their sound through heavy beats, distorted synths and big, driving production.

Drive was released in 2006 after Nike approached the duo to make music specifically for running. Rather than giving them a normal album and telling people to go for a run, the whole thing was structured around a 45-minute workout.

It starts with “Starting Line” at a slower pace, gradually builds through tracks like “It Hertz”, “Don’t Stop” and “Brand New Kicks”, reaches the high-energy section towards the end, then closes with “Finish Line”. The tempo follows the basic shape of a run, from warm-up through the harder middle section and back down into a cooldown.

I actually like the idea behind this one more than I expected. It isn’t simply a collection of electronic tracks thrown together for a workout. The whole thing has been sequenced around movement, so I’m interested to see whether I actually notice the progression while I’m running.

So now I’ve got 45 minutes of The Crystal Method, one run, and absolutely no idea how far I’m going to make it.

Let’s see how this goes.