This male/female duo from Los Angeles consisting of Statik and kaRIN chose the name Collide to represent the collision of techno, industrial samples, breakbeats, the ambient and noise, and Gothic vox that influenced them. Together they blended the macho angst with a softer, ethereal aggression. While Statik had played trumpet for a few years during school, most of his musical training came from within by spending endless months experimenting with samplers, computers, and music, until he accomplished his own style of electronic wizardry. He did attend a music/engineering school in Los Angeles that helped him land his first studio job. Statik's first solo project was called Statik: Machines. kaRIN sang spontaneously and consistently since a child, and the lyrics she creates for Collide express unconscious, flowing emotions. Her other artistic passions include jewelry designing, painting, and photography, with music being her favorite. Once Statik and kaRIN met, they knew they were on the same musical path. They self-released their first cassette demo, The Crimson Trial, in 1995, and followed this with their first full-length album, Beneath the Skin, a German import, in 1996. The album also included bass and guitar on some tracks. Re-Constriction released Distort in 1997. The re-mix album included favorites like "Pandora's Box" and "Violet's Dance." Compilations and singles became a strong means of expression and the duo sang or worked on dozens of them, remaining a studio band. After five years without a new album, the Next Level label released Chasing the Ghost in June 2001 with a few additions to the lineup: Tim Pierce (guitar), Fritz Heede (sitar), Kevin Kipnis (guitar), and Monica Richards (vocals), with Statik still in charge doing the noise, producing, engineering, and mixing.