Album Review: Notes From The Universe – By Collide
– By Rob Jones –
There is no one like Collide. Their music defies categorization, and that’s an excellent sign of great art. I’ve heard all sorts of musical styles in their sound over the decades I’ve been listening to them: industrial, trip hop, darkwave, jazz, middle eastern music. Over the course of six albums (not counting some excellent remix albums and a great cover album) of all original songs, they have crafted a very diverse catalog, But Notes From The Universe stands above them all as their most unique, dynamic, and complex album yet.
“Stardust” sounds absolutely cinematic, like if Hans Zimmer collaborated with The Crystal Method. The album’s first single, “Are You Better Now?” — Reminds me a lot of Curve around the time of their album Gift. “Turn Off Your TV” delves into the agenda-ridden psychological programming that’s driving people crazy these days, saying, “Why don’t you turn off your TV? It’s always trying to sell you something.”
“Haunting Me Still” is a remarkable hybrid of industrial and middle eastern music that is just flat-out awesome.
“What Were You Thinking” is a really cool hybrid of trip-hop, goth, and industrial.
“Freak Like Me,” with its fuzzy ambient trip-hop melodies, is my favorite song on the album.
Frankly, I’m reaching for descriptions of these awesome songs to attempt to give you some idea of their sound, and i don’t think I come close. There’s so much to immerse yourself in and so much going on in the compositions that it really is futile trying to compare them to anything or anyone. Between Statik’s incredible blend of music and kaRIN’s mesmerizing vocals, you have a highly unique musical experience that you really shouldn’t miss.
You can find Notes From The Universe and their other incredible albums on their website: www.collide.net
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