MARK SHREEVE

'Collide' is a live performance by Shreeve's band at the Elelectronic Music & Musicians' Association ('EMMA') 'festival' at Derby Assembly Rooms on 12th March 1994. 'Collide' comes at the end of Shreeve's period of electro-synth pop/rock influenced releases. In some ways it serves as a bridge between Shreeve's pop style and his later 'Berlin School' masterpieces recorded usually with collaborators (especially 'Redshift') where his live sequencing of a massive Moog IIIC modular is extraordinary. The musicians performing on 'Collide' (Mark Shreeve, James Goddard, Julian Shreeve) are the synthesists that later record as 'Redshift'.

Whilst Shreeve's synth pop has a good deal of 'bubble gum' in the sound, this is not true of 'Collide'. which is far more more rock and far more prog. 'Collide' is the Shreeve 'solo' album fans of heavier prog and synthesizers must add to their collection.

'Collide' represents the very best of Shreeve's 'solo' career. The pieces on this album vary from the full, in-your-face, heavy synth-prog ('Graveraver', 'Meateater', 'Assassin') to intricate, dark and detailed synth sequencing ('It', 'Pan-Galactic Anorak') alongside more pop and anthemic pieces ('Storm Column', 'Darkness Comes', 'The Stand').

I'm so very tempted to nudge this album into 5-stars because I don't think anything else occupies this unusual niche in the panoply of prog. But for now, four stars: "Excellent addition to any prog rock music collection" describes it very well.

Oracle is the eighth album of Mark Shreeve. It starts with the highly energetic 'Blade Runner' which doesn't really have much to do with the marvelously sensual VANGELIS soundtrack. Vangelis never "rocks" like this piece. [In addition to the catchy Blade Runner theme, his album Direct (1988) Vangelis did approach this kind of a pop direction, but certainly not to a degree of this music.] It seems Shreeve has sampled details from 'Welcome to the Pleasure Dome', the 1984 hit of Frankie Goes To Hollywood, to a great effect. Also 'Myriad of Colours' has a powerful drive and even a fuller soundscape. Heavy drum programming and all kinds of synth crashes that make the ones in 'Owner of a Lonely Heart' sound lame. Very catchy this is, but frankly too hyperactive for me to enjoy without reservations. Think of adrenalin-fuelled early THOMAS DOLBY without vocals.

'Mephisto' (the longest track of the seven, at 7:12) continues with the rhythmically and sonically muscular direction. I begin to miss more dynamic variety and, most of all, more sensitivity. The second vinyl side begins with 'Shadowplay' that brings nothing new to the table. BTW, Chris Franke of Tangerine Dream is guesting on it.

Admittedly the music is well produced, much better actually than a lot of synth-centred popular music of the time. But sad to say, the term over-produced wouldn't be out of place here. 'The Ice Queen' gracefully slows the tempo and thus gives the moody melody the deserved attention. Shreeve's cool guitar playing is a nice additional ingredient to the synthetic soundscape. 'After the Silence' is fairly similar to 'The Ice Queen'. The use of synthesizers is delicious here, from the trumpet-like melody line to a particular bright riff that reminds me of a song on the album Il Sole Nella Pioggia (1989) by ALICE, the Italian singer. Oracle's final piece 'Thunderdome' perhaps namely nods to the second Mad Max movie (1985). Stylistically it's a return to what was heard before the previous slower pieces.

So, if you want some really catchy and bold synth-centred instrumental music, try this one. I feel disappointed to the album whole, because production-wise there would have been opportunities to make a great and dynamic album. Two or three stars? Maybe two's enough, despite all the strengths heard on this album.