Notes From the Universe review

RagMag (Recording Artits Guild Digital Magazine)

RagMag (Recording Artits Guild Digital Magazine)

It seems like it’s taken a while for press and magazines and most people to really take notice of Notes From the Universe, but we’re starting to get some good press on it, which makes us happy. We put A LOT of energy into making an album, so it does mean a lot when people notice, and take the time to write a review.

RagMag

An ambient and boundless alt pop and rock opus of an album was recently released from the band Collide and it breeds an absolutely refreshing set of textures that blend and chop into each other giving everything a darkened disquietude but also this vitality that helps the songs build a fierce but flowing character.

The Notes from The Universe album is completely immense, and these songs have the feel of connecting together almost like a concept album would.

You get such a great combination of natural and digital instrumentation that create an atmosphere that has a way of wrapping itself around you and keeping you right where it wants you.

You have some real gems throughout the records playthrough that possess this pop sensibility which is also there a lot on this release.

But even still if you look at this like it is a concept album, you're better off.

The vocals across the record have this graceful tonality to them and it really helps the whole approach for the soundscape and style that they've built.

There are plenty of surprises lurking around the corners and levels of intensity that rise and fall so the songs have a way of feeling alive and breathing.

What's most impressive about this really is the arrangement and songwriting and how the performance of the songs is the glue that keeps everything together and forward moving.

These are incredibly pictorial as well a lot of the time, which is quite beautiful in its own right, but they never lose that touch of grit and sharpness.

Notable songs include "Freak Like Me", Haunting Me Still, and "Are You Better Now" among others of course.

The Independent "Notes From the Universe" review

The Independent "Notes From the Universe" review

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. - Rob Jones