Bill Leeb - Model Kollapse

Legendary electronic music maverick Bill Leeb has released his debut solo album 'Model Kollapse' via iconic alternative music label Metropolis Records. Bringing double delight, he also unveils his new video for 'Muted Obsession', which features Shannon Hemmett and Jason Corbett of post-punk outfit ACTORS. 

Reflecting the Tim Hill-produced video, Leeb says this song is about “the perception between fantasy and reality. How far would you go in this virtual social world we have created? Are we truly all alone? Who wants to play?”

Based in Vancouver, Bill Leeb is the genius behind highly influential electro-industrial scene mainstays Front Line Assembly and ambient-pop duo Delerium, having gotten his start with Skinny Puppy. He is also a key member of other recording projects, including Noise Unit, Intermix and Cyberaktif.

Four decades on, this album was recorded and produced in Vancouver, Toronto and Los Angeles with assistance from Vancouver/Toronto-based production duo Dream Bullet and long-term FLA/Delerium cohort Rhys Fulber, plus regular mixing engineer Greg Reely.
 
Earlier, Leeb shared ‘Terror Forms’ feat. Shannon Hemmett, which explores the intricacies of artificial intelligence and the very survival of humanity itself, and 'Demons', a song about the omnipresence of technology and the internal battles we wage due to the malevolence we see around us. This album also involves an appearance by long-term Delerium collaborator Mimi Page.

‘Model Kollapse’ marks Leeb's first solo venture since the mid-80s days of Front Line Assembly, when he used to make recordings in his bedroom, releasing them on limited edition cassette. It reflects the dystopian, nihilistic world we have created in so many different ways, ultimately asking the question "When will the human voice be lost to AI and technology....or will that be what saves us in the end?"  

Caustic yet melodic, danceable and very much song-oriented rather than soundscape-driven, 'Model Kollapse' carries traces of hard-edged electronic dance music pioneers such as Front 242, DAF, KMFDM and Skinny Puppy. Remarking that “Metropolis Records is one of the most important for alternative music on the planet, Leeb shares, "This album was made possible by my long-term friendship with label boss Dave Heckman, who continually supported my projects, allowing complete artistic freedom.” Heckman died in 2022.

The term "Model Collapse" refers to an AI phenomenon where trained models, especially those relying on synthetic data or AI-generated data, degrade over time. “As we forge forward on an unprecedented technological scale, it makes me wonder how much longer we can remain in control of various aspects of our lives. Automation has already taken over many industries. With technology running much of the world, will the entire planet eventually be vulnerable to a Model Kollapse? Chaos would surely ensue.”

Since Leeb formed Delerium in 1987, it has received two Juno awards and collaborated with Leigh Nash (Sixpence None the Richer), Lisa Gerrard (Dead Can Dance), Kirsty Hawkshaw (Opus III), Emily Haines (Metric), Jacqui Hunt (Single Gun Theory), Matthew Sweet and Kristy Thirsk (Rose Chronicles). Their hit 'Silence' with Sarah McLachlan reached #1 in numerous countries, its remixes also charting (the Tiësto remix was voted the 12th-greatest dance track of all time via Mixmag).

As of September 13, the ‘Model Kollapse’ album is available on vinyl and CD, as well as digitally. It may be ordered directly from the article via Bandcamp.