This male/female duo from Los Angeles consisting of Statik and kaRIN chose the name Collide to represent the collision of techno, industrial samples, breakbeats, the ambient and noise, and Gothic vox that influenced them. Together they blended the macho angst with a softer, ethereal aggression. Collide are the U.S. version of The Curve: exotic, deep, dark, dreamy, gothic and sexy. Their latest venture into gothic darkwave, Vortex, is a collection of decadent aesthetic brilliance. Composed of a handle of news and remixes in gusts, this collection covers the last two albums of the group, Chasing the Ghost and Some Kind of Strange. Rather than farming Vortex's production duties out to the typical mix of friends and trendy producers, Collide put out an open call for remixes of their material. More than one hundred potential collaborators responded yielding a lot of interesting remixes.
Remixers, DJs, and bands from all over the world lend their talents, passion, and inspiration to further expand on the already diverse sound of Collide. From chunky guitar versions, to slithering lounge stylings, to Delerium-esq versions that are sure to hit the dance floor. This CD also contains three new covers, including the very poignant The Lunantics Are Taking Over the Asylum, originally recorded by Funboy 3, as well as Haunted When the Minutes Drag by Love and Rockets, and Feed me to the Lions by Adam and the Ants. Most mixes are well done, and imprint the mixers' styles on the song. Variation is good, with styles ranging from Charlie Clouser’s dark, trippy and guitar-laden mix of Euphoria via the softer and groovy Conjure One mix of Tempted, to the Headache's breakbeat version of Wings of Steel. Also included is Collide's own mix of Front Line Assembly’s Predator, with kaRIN on vocals instead of Bill Leeb. Most of the standout material takes advantage of the fact that kaRIN is an above-average vocalist, with more range and less affectation than the typical one-dimensional industrial siren, and Statik definitely knows his way around a studio.
The remix is in many ways an alternate universe where songs can take new life. Sometimes a remix can even become more well-known than the original tune (think Todd Terry’s remix of Everything But the Girl’s hit Missing). Collide put in their bid for remixed greatness with Vortex. It is significant to note that the mixes on Vortex never once betray the intent of the original versions: even then there is a considerable stylistic move away from the music of the original. You have here all sorts of music producers drawn to the music of Collide, adding their own interpretations to Collide songs. So there's much more being put into each piece on the album, than just making a plain remix. A lot of creativity was invested here and this is truly a great listening experience for the heart and the soul. If you’re looking for dark, gothic dreamy atmospheric dance music than this is your cup of tea. Vortex will tide over fans as they wait in anticipation of a new studio recording from the group.
