Written by Mikael Johnston and the late Wayne Static of Static-X for Mikael’s band Mephisto Odyssey during their time together at Warner Brothers Records in 2000, this lost hit that dominated terrestrial radio and was featured in rotation on MTV X returns in a brand-new remastered mix and a stunning 4K video edit, restored from the original 35mm film shot by director Len Wiseman of the Underworld series and Ballerina, then lovingly re-edited by Johnston and director William Instone of Butcher’s Bluff.
This is the 25th anniversary release of the original version of Mephisto Odyssey’s song, “Crash,” featuring Wayne Static of Static-X. The new release features updated production, a new mix and mastering and a fresh 4k edit of the video from the original 35mm film!
Originally written by Mikael Johnston with the help of Michael Julien Morris of Faith No Man (which later became Faith No More) and Wayne Wells (aka Wayne Static of the band Static-X), the song was slated for release on Mephisto Odyssey’s forthcoming album “The Deep Red Connection” under Warner Bros. Records. In 2000, the label approached Mikael about also using “Crash” for the soundtrack and in the movie for the animated feature “Batman Beyond: Return of The Joker,” starring Mark Hamill as the Joker.
Mikael agreed, and a music video—directed by Len Wiseman—was shot, featuring the then-current lineup of Mephisto Odyssey, (Mikael Johnston, Orpheos DeJournette, Barrie Eves & Josh Camacho) as well as Wayne Static and Static-X guitarist Koichi Fukuda. However, both Mikael and Wayne felt that the original mix didn’t fully capture the song’s energy and that the video was too focused on promoting the animated feature rather than standing on its own as a music video. Talks of a remix and a re-edit of the video began, but for years, various demos and ideas remained unfinished.
Finally, in 2024—10 years after Wayne’s passing—Mikael revisited their demos and re-recorded and produced the original version from the original demos, notes and ideas talked about by Mikael and Wayne over the years. Mikael gave it new production an rerecorded the parts while keeping it faithful to the nostalgic sound of the original song, mixed it and then had it mastered by Maor Appelbaum. The video was also re-edited in 4K by Mikael Johnston and “Butcher’s Bluff” director William Instone using the original 35mm prints, which had been dormant in the Warner vaults for 25 years.
These film canisters contained never-before-seen footage, which inspired Mikael and William to completely reimagine the “Crash” video from the ground up. Using what has been dubbed by ReGen magazine as the “lost track” demo as the foundation for both the song and the darker visual theme of the new video, this 25th anniversary version retains the original magic while making it bolder and closer to the vision Mikael and Wayne had when the track was originally recorded in 2000. This song embodies the sound of that era like a time capsule while modernizing the mix and video edit for today.
Both the new mix and master of the original version and the newly reimagined “Falling Star” version of “Crash” will be released as an anniversary single under the title “CRASH: Reborn”, along with Camacho’s remix as well as other surprises.
About Mephisto Odyssey
Mephisto Odyssey is a pioneering American electronic and industrial music group
founded in San Francisco in 1993 by Mikael Johnston. Known for blending house,
breakbeat, rock, and dark electronica, the group gained recognition through releases on
Warner Bros. Records and collaborations with artists such as Wayne Static and Jane’s
Addiction. Now re-emerging with “CRASH: Reborn,” Johnston continues to push the
boundaries of genre and legacy.