interviews/articles

The Machinist (Belarus) May 2004

vAlien: What did you want to get as final result starting to develop new remix project which was later arrived in the form of 2CD “Vortex”?

kaRIN: We wanted to give the songs more life and present them in totally new ways. The remixes on “Vortex” are very diverse and really stretch the sound of COLLIDE even further. We are hoping that it will tide people over before the next CD, which will take awhile.
Statik: I always liked extended singles and remixes of my favorite songs growing up. I would go to the local record store and try to find new versions of songs that I already had.

v: So, you have got two remix releases now: CD “Distort” ? 2CD “Vortex”? Of course, the original songs were different for these releases, but do you see any principle difference between these records in concept, sounds, mood…?

Statik: We were more in charge of what remixes were used and who did them on “Vortex” than on “Distort”. A lot of the songs on “Vortex” came from our open remix call, but it was still our decision on what made it and what didn’t. It’s not that we don’t’ like the mixes on “Distort”, but there just wasn’t as many choices in terms of what went on the album and what didn’t.
kaRIN: It is hard for us to say what we will like until we hear it. You can just tell if it works with the song and feels inspired. On “Vortex” all of he remixes were selected because we thought they brought something new and special to the song. My favorites are the ones that veer the furthest, while still remaining in a realm that we like.

v: What process did you find more easy – to work on last full length album of COLLIDE or to realize remix project of such big caliber as 2CD “Vortex”?

kaRIN: Working on new material is ALWAYS harder for us. We do every element ourselves and it is a long time consuming process.
Statik: A new album is harder, but it was defiantly A LOT of work to put together “Vortex”. In some cases I helped out some of the mixes by having the remixers send me their individual tracks to mix myself, only because I really wanted to spend the time and make the mixes sound as good as they could be. There were also so many songs on “Vortex” to finalize that it was a challenge to figure out which songs to use without having the album sound repetitious. I wanted everything to be different, not just an album of fast songs, or an album of just slow songs – mix it up!!

v: Did you represent on “Vortex” all the best remixes made by other artists and djs or you saved something tasty for future releases? Were there many remixes which didn’t fit you because of low quality or other aspects? As I understand you received almost 130 remixes, what is quit a lot to make the choice difficult!

kaRIN: We definitely put all of our favorite remixes on “Vortex”, we originally planned one CD, but then there were so many songs that we liked for different reasons that we had to make it two CDs.
Statik: All of the others that didn’t make it on the CD, we posted up on our website, so nothing was saved off. There is a lot of new material for listeners between “Vortex” and the remixes posted on the site.

v: There are several pure dance remixes on “Vortex” (for example, from Marty Ball and Shane Terpening). Do you like how they sound and are they close to your own view of how COLLIDE could sound if you practice strict dance approach?

kaRIN: I am hoping that there will be more to dance to on this CD. Dancing is one of my favorite things to do and I would love to see us do more dance oriented material. When we are making a song however, we never confine ourselves to any one idea, we just let it unfold and go where it wants to go.
Statik: It was a conscious decision to put some club-oriented material on “Vortex”. Those were just our favorites. I’m still not sure how they would sound if I did them from scratch – different I’m sure.

v: It seemed to me that kaRIN sang anew some songs specially for remixers needs. Is it true? I just can’t imagine how for example Mark Walk could make his orchestral mix recreating original song alone?

kaRIN: No, every remixer worked with the same vocal parts. There was just one remix that I re-sang some of the vocals, because they were no longer in the right key to fit the music.
Statik: I especially liked the 5am mix of Crushed where the vocal ad lib parts from the end turned into a main part of the song. There is usually so many sounds and vocal parts from our songs that it just isn’t necessary to do new parts.

v: Don’t you think that collection of songs on “Vortex” is too eclectic and polyhedral?

kaRIN: Okay, I looked up the word polyhedral in the dictionary to make sure I understood the question and I did not see it? So I can only answer the eclectic part. Is our album too eclectic – I think not, but then that is a biased opinion, as I really like eclectic.
Statik: Well, “polyhedral angle” is an angle bounded by three or more plane angles having a common vertex. And a vertex is kind of like a “Vortex”. I enjoy polyhedral things. I say the more polyhedratic the better. In fact I don’t think I could imagine anything being too polyhedral for my taste.

v: Please tell us a bit about remixers. I see some known names among artists (Charlie Clouser, Wade Alin, Kevin Kipnis, Mark Walk, Rhys Fulber, Ian Ross), but about a half of them are mystery for me. Are these people from new bands, what musical scenes do they represent?

kaRIN: I look at “Vortex” as a diverse collaboration of songs, with a wide range of styles. It was quite amazing to us how many people responded to do remixes from other countries – Russia, Germany, Macedonia, Ireland, etc. One of my favorites remixes on the CD, is by a band from the Netherlands called Orphanage. It is so completely different from what we do and we love it. We call it the hunky, chunky mix. It’s fat with driving guitars.
Statik: That is what was great about doing a remix contest the way we did. It wasn’t about anything they had done before, just what they could do with a remix for us. No prejudging about anyone.

v: It must be very personal subject explaining your choice of songs for cover-versions? Have you ever tried to make cover of big hit, very famous song? Such step could attract more listeners to COLLIDE own music. For example, why not make remixes on DEPECHE MODE, Bjork, NIRVANA, THE CURE or any other popular band?

kaRIN: Good question, sometimes I wonder about that myself. Ultimately, we both choose the song according to what we feel we could bring to the song at the time. Our choices are based on the song, not on its popularity.
Statik: To me, the songs we choose were open to us adding a lot. Also, some songs that I like a lot, I just can’t imagine changing. It’s kind of a curse about liking a song so much that I just couldn’t bear to change it.

v: I have to say that you work with very good photographers to represent COLLIDE on press photos. This time you worked with Matthew Cooke. How did your collaboration start and pass?

kaRIN: Our main concept on the last shoot we did with Matthew was to do a flaming shot, where we would extend my fingers into long talons and light them on fire! Matthew also wanted to light the wall behind us on fire, it was pretty CRAZY. He just about set his backyard on fire and I was worried that the fire department would shut us down. He is a totally out there and obsessive in that artistic kind of way. I love collaborating with different people, it always makes things more interesting.
Statik: For us, anyone that has a vision of art, and not just to recycle what’s been done, is a good thing.

v: Did you notice that the main colors on your photos change with every album? For “Chasing the Ghost” they were red and vinous, for “Some Kind Of Strange” you use dark green and brown, now you are in dark blue. I think it’s interesting aspect – a play with lights and colors.

kaRIN: Yes, I am very color oriented, so I usually like the whole thing to work together.
Statik: I have to hand that to kaRIN. She has a lot more vision to some of the photo ideas.

v: Three more questions about new photos. kaRIN, do you make some details of you dress by yourself?

kaRIN: Yes, I always decide the details. I have very particular taste, so it would be hard for anyone else to figure out what is right for me. I am also lucky to have a lot of talented people around me. I often have my good friend designer, Terri King make things for me to wear.

v: Statik, where did you get such a cool cyberspectacles? And what are the lists with hand written texts behind of you on walls on one of the pictures?

Statik: I made the last ones that I used out of a couple of different things that I had around. I guess like everything else we do, if you can’t find, just make it.
v: kaRIN, have you ever participated in fashion showing in L.A.?
kaRIN: Yes, as I mentioned my good friend Terri King is a fashion designer. Her clients includes a long, long list of musicians including Marilyn Manson and Ozzy Osbourne. She does amazing fashion shows, that are quite a spectacle and I usually participate or help out in some way.

v: Did you celebrate 10 years jubilee of COLLIDE in a special way?

kaRIN: No, not really. Maybe we should have a celebration right now. I would say that although it has been a long road and we have both worked very hard, we are impressed that we have managed to get this far.
Statik: We are never good at dates and years and those kind of things. And at the moment, it seems like we’re too busy to stop and look back.

v: I didn’t listen to new SKINNY PUPPY album yet (i’ll do it very soon), but I already read some very positive reviews on this album. Some people say that this is probably the best record of legendary Canadian industrial band! Statik, what do you think about this album and how it was to work with Nivek Ogre and cEvin Key on new songs? Is it close to magic?

Statik: It was a great experience. I didn't really work with Ogre though, as is the way it works with a SKINNY PUPPY album I think. The music pretty much gets made and then Ogre and Mark Walk did their thing. It was cool to see the things that cEvin came up with. He has a really great way of tweaking sounds, and coming up with new sounds to fit the song. I may be biased, but it's my favorite SKINNY PUPPY album in a long time... it was really a collaboration between everyone involved.

v: kaRIN, please explain your phrase: “For me, music has to be satisfying on all levels”? What levels do you mean here?

kaRIN: I have appreciation for anything artistic at all. As far as something that satisfies me on all levels, there are many elements. Intellectually, it has to say something that appeals to me. Emotionally it has to call out and reach me. Spiritually, it has to offer something internally, and then artistically it has to inspire me. It’s not an easy task and I have a lot of admiration for the people who are able to and of course aspire to it myself.

v: From what do you try to escape by your music? (Again I attentively read press-release.)

kaRIN: I am an escapist really. I like the surreal. I like looking at life differently and examining it. Escaping to me means leaving the normalcy of daily life behind and traveling to the sublime or truly magical.

v: Thanks a lot for interview. My final question is: What will be the main theme of next COLLIDE album?

kaRIN: Thank you so much for taking the time to speak with us and for following us from the very beginning. Making the best music that we can is always the theme of each CD, that’s all we can ask.
Statik: I am going to try to work on a theme of hummingbirds and polar bears. Of course, that could change.