Chasing the Ghost
Now, when I first heard Hooverphonic's electronic trip-hop masterpiece A New Stereophonic Sound Spectacular I thought that I d heard the sexiest album of my life. Of course, that title was just begging to be contested, and the new champion is Collide s Y2K album Chasing the Ghost. This is a sexy, sexy album kids! It s a triumphant blend of trip-hop, electronica, goth, pop and yes, even world-music elements. Exotic, erotic, and seductive, that s this album in a nutshell. All of Collide s songs are produced, mixed and engineered by Statik, while the lovely Karin provides vocals and words. It s a match made in heaven, to be sure. This album is cohesive and fluid. And I m gushing now, which is hardly flattering to me, but this album is just so good that I can't stop talking about it. --Negativepop.comSex. That's what this CD is all about. Put it on before you hop in the hay, or flannel, or whatever it is you use to do the deed in, and you'll see what I mean. Collide have been around for awhile, but I'm a newbie to them really...so I can't really say if this is a departure of sound for them or not. I think it is, if the press-sheet is to be believed. Although the 'sex' part was probably always there, thanks to kaRIN's vocal delivery. She just sounds so...sultry. This time around it seems as though the music caught up. Listening to 'Chasing The Ghost' brings visions of kaRIN encased in a drool-tastic latex/leather ensemble, draped over a piano in a smokey lounge sometime in the 40's. Great atmosphere to this release. Statik is no slouch either, the music on this album is top-notch, covering a lot of ground. Hints of middle-eastern material here and there, subtlety abounds... I have a soft-spot in my heart for Darkwave. It appeals to both my inner Goth and my inner Rivethead. Collide have crafted an exceptional work with 'Chasing The Ghost', further establishing themselves as part of the upper elite in the Darkwave genre. Lookin' for music to drink wine to late at night, but tired of the same old Goth classics? Go out and grab yourself a copy of this release. Bask in it's voluptuous, seductive charms... Anguish never sounded so kinky. --StarvoxMuch like the Sirens in Homer's The Odyssey, the music of Collide may be characterized as an outward projection that is beautiful and alluring, and an internal matrix which is hazardous and menacing. Rich electronic soundscapes and dark ambient beats create a seductive tapestry of layered sounds that interacts in stunning fashion with kaRIN's distinctive vocals, beguiling whispered harmonies that are too tangible to be spectral, yet too ethereal to be fully material. If the album could be said to have a mere two highpoints - a severe injustice done to the remainder of this rather amazing disc - it would have to be the infectious, spine-chilling third track, "Razor Sharp", with its disarming, swirling vocal melodies and mind-warping soundscape, and a brilliant cover of Jefferson Starship's "White Rabbit", which maintains the psychedelic apprehension of the original while giving it a more modern flair courtesy of the electronic instrumentation. And, like every good cover tune, Collide's take on "White Rabbit" preserves the spirit of the original, and uses that as the all-important scaffolding with which is builds its own unique interpretation. Simply excellent. --Chaotic Critiques