Collide - "Bent And Broken" 2xCD

A new double-album (26 tracks) of mostly remixes from California's finest dark-edged electro-rock act, "Bent And Broken" also includes some curious covers, including The Glove's "Orgy" and Queen's "She Makes Me". WIth the wealth of re-visited material here (mostly from their past couple of studio outings), fans of kArin and Statik's trademark blend of edgy electronica and sleek, ethereal vocal stylings will find much to enjoy here.

Quite often, remix albums are throwaways, shredding the artists' dignity in a shower of generic club beats or mainstream "radio friendly" mixes. For "Bent And Broken", I have to hand it to the band's choice in remixers -- there's nary a moment of "dubstep" foolishness here. Everything keeps Collide's integrity (and overall sound and personal, emotive vibe) intact.

It all opens with a heavy electronic remix by longtime Collide friends cEvin Key and Hiwatt Marshall, which works perfectly well in a trippy, skittering Skinny Puppy fashion. New track "Bent & Broken" is as good as anything the duo have done in the past, while the Queen cover ("She Makes Me") is a lovely, dreamy, even flighty acoustic-sounding rock song, sung in a gentle, ghostly voice courtesy of kArin. Other standouts include "Tears Like Rain (Cloudburst Mix)", which brings a serene, austere Eno piano ambience to great effect. "Counting To Zero (kaRin's Lullaby Mix by Antigen5)" is beautifully atmospheric and almost symphonic, while the "Unraveling Breaths" remix of "Utopia", by Whitney Kew, is a fittingly lovely ambient closer. 

A solid and faithful collection of both outsider remixes and a few new Collide tracks, "Bent And Broken" does the band justice, despite having many outside hands involved. Any fan will be more than pleased with this selection of dark and intelligent electro-rock stomp and slither. 

(Noiseplus Music)

Collide - "Counting To Zero" CD

Beginning with the texturally complex, almost psychedelic "Bending And Floating", this veteran Californian electronic duo have taken aspects of their last effort (the all-classic rock covers album "These Eyes Before") and synthesized them into the band's signature dark-edged electro-rock template. "Lucky 13" is a slinky, seductive groove with an almost bluesy swagger. "In The Frequency" is a low-and-slow trip-hop gem, and "Slow Down" is a trippy kaleidoscope of ambient rock. "Further From Anything" begs for club play. There are other standouts, as well, but I'd be rambling. Suffice to say that Collide's expert synthesis of electronica, moody rock, and dark dance is among the finest you're likely to hear anytime soon. "Counting To Zero" finds Collide firing on all cynlinders. Kudos to Statik and kaRIN! (Noiseplus Music)

Collide - "These Eyes Before" CD

This California group's fifth full-length shines a new light on the duo's darkly sensual grooves. Formed in the mid-90's amidst the industrial rock frenzy, programmer Statik and vocalist kaRIN have steadily built a solid reputation and audience, fully independently, and their work has been instrumental in diversifying an increasingly testosterone-laden electronic dance/rock scene. They have befriended and worked alongside artists like Tool, Skinny Puppy, and Prince, but fittingly, it's their own work that garners them the most attention. "These Eyes Before" is a collection of 10 covers, beginning with Pink Floyd's "Breathe", which is transformed into a lovely and fantastic soundscape with an appropriately spaced-out vibe, and of course kaRIN's smooth and ethereal vocals. The Moody Blues' "Nights In White Satin" is also respectfully updated, with a superb mix of organic instrumentation and sleek programming. Other standouts? Depeche Mode's "I Feel You" is trippier and better-produced than the original. Bowie's amazing "Space Oddity" is given a wonderful modern electronic cyber-grafting, with kaRIN's breezy vocals pointed to the celestial heavens. Chris Isaak's "Baby Did A Bad Thing" effectively brings some smoldering, gritty rock to the table, and Fleetwood Mac's percussive "Tusk" is recreated, with actual marching band, and it all closes out with another Pink Floyd classic, "Comfortably Numb". Normally, I'd shout "heresy", as some things are just sacred, but Collide admirably pull it off, adding a cool and deep layer of mood to the song's already-potent melancholy. A superb release, and perhaps their best yet. (Noiseplus Music)

SPC ECO - "3-D" CD

The first non-Collide release from American indie label Noiseplus, this cryptically-named release is, in fact, an alias of Dean Garcia of Curve. With vocalist (and daughter) Rose Berlin in tow, he's tapped into the heart of swirly, epic shoegaze with this splendid 13-song album. Relying less on electronic rhythms than his other recent works, SPC ECO (pronounced 'Space Echo') is by far his most pleasing release in years. 'Shine On Down' takes the template set by My Bloody Valentine and the Cocteau Twins and brings that noise-melody sound screaming/murmuring into the new century. Berlin's lost little girl vox are often obscured in the dense din of Garcia's programming and textured, layered guitars, but they add an ethereal feel to the songs, as in 'Telling You', which begins with a driving bassline and leaves just enough breathing space for her vocals to shine. In fact, SPC ECO is the closest Garcia's been to Curve in some time, and in some aspects, this is the culmination of his various projects. The production is superb -- deep, dense, and thumping in all the right places. Berlin's voice 'oohs and aahs' in a most sensuous way, and the songs flow beautifully. Sure, it's nothing to expand the shoegaze sound (it's pretty well peaked), but '3-D' is a seriously gorgeous listen for anyone who longs for the days of Slowdive or MBV (or Curve). 'You're Alright' is a more driving, rock-angled track, with Garcia's big guitars and stronger, more forward vocals from Rose. Two remixes close out this fine disc, one by Tim Holmes and another by Alan Moulder, which add a more clubby aspect to the tracks. Holmes' mix of 'Telling You' echoes Curve more than anything else here, in fact, and Moulder (who's known for his work with bands like The Jesus And Mary Chain) keeps a more swirly, droney vibe on his mix. A superlative release for those with an inkling for pretty noise. (Noiseplus)

Dean Garcia's social networking site

Collide - "Two Headed Monster" CD

This California act's fourth full-length CD strikes with a powerful and dynamic blow, balancing the heavy with the sweet as well (or better) than any band I can think of. Anchored by the tough and darkly-evocative electronic grooves of programmer/instrumentalist Statik, and led by the sensual, ethereal vocal stylings of kaRIN, Collide's modern rock attack is multi-faceted and melodic. Some place them firmly in the 'industrial' or 'gothic' category, but here Collide move way past those classifications and take bits of hard rock, as well as swirly shoegaze aspects, into their lush mix. 'Chaotic' features drums by Tool's Danny Carey and bass by Curve mastermind Dean Garcia, and this synthesis of live instruments with Collide's electronic foundation makes for one of the band's finest, and most sonically well-developed songs to date. 'Head Spin' is a twisted pop song with an unusual tempo, while the thumpy and hallucinogenic 'Two Headed Monster' could almost be mistaken for Skinny Puppy (who Collide have been known to associate with), if not for the cool and seductive female vocal. The dramatic 'Shifting' shows an almost orchestral side, and this vibe works well, showcasing this group's skill at any style they tackle. Simply, 'Two Headed Monster' is Collide's best work thus far, and any follower of dark and stylish modern rock should investigate now! (Noiseplus Music)

photo by Dan Santoni