State of the Union: album reviews and ratings

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Reviews & Recommendations

	State of the Union (Johann Sebastian)

Artist Listing:

S - Z

"Conceived by Johann Sebastian, State of the Union started as a studio project in March of 2000. A remarkable blend of industrialism and more accessible forms of electronic body music. State of the Union 's debut album - 'Black City lights' - fuses together expressions and elements of philosophy, politics, and symbolism through the medium of hard hitting and addictive dance music.

State of the Union's live band is currently comprised of Johann Sebastian on vocals, Jimmy Nimra on drums, Hector 'Chicloso' Del and Jose MontesdeOca on keyboards."

-- stateoftheunion.biz, bio

State of the Union Discography - Album / CD Reviews

2002: Black City Lights
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2004: Timerunner EP
"The American combo now moved to Infacted, directly delivering this cool 'Timerunner'-maxi. After a poorly inspired debut-cut, comes the “Original version” of Timerunner. It’s an excellent danceable piece combining elements of EBM and a catchy future-pop like melody. I still like the energetic drum patterns. There’s a “Radio edit” as well, which doesn’t sound that different while the “Quantum state remix” by Koito sounds darker and more body minded. The title song is definitely the right appetizer to await the 2nd full length. Among the other pieces left, we get an excellent remix of Children of the night. This is one of the songs extract of the debut album that I kept in mind. This is pure dancefloor sensation, combining a carrying and catchy chorus with body-pop structures guided by the right danceable tempo! Next comes the Experiment 3-cut, which reveals another great piece of music, merging elaborated EBM structures together with some background trance influences. This piece remains instrumental, but perfectly works this way.."

-- DP, side-line.com

½ 2004: Inpendum
"This album is presented as a concept album, with a concept somewhat similar to the old sci-fi series Logan's Run. However, in this instance it's artificial lifeforms created by man that are fleeing for their lives, and the consequences of man trying to exterminate these rogue cyborgs. (...) However, I found a nitpick upon my first full listen to the album. The lyrics to the songs with vocals don't seem all that closely tied into the story of the album. Well, there is a general sense that they are trying to convey some of the atmosphere of the story, but Nowhere near as plot driven as some of the other concept discs I've listened to. But there were still some really good songs here, nonetheless. Makina Mata just has a really cool, deep voiced chorus that is not only very catchy, but would sound cool in a club setting as well. Timerunner is another excellent song, and was a perfect choice for a single. That being said, a lot of these other songs don't really leave me with all that strong of a impression. They're enjoyable to listen to, but don't really stand out all that much."

-- Jason Baker, synthpop.net, 8/04

¼ 2008: Evol Love Industry
Tracklisting: 1. Fakto 2. Evol Love 3. Dead Serious 4. Roller Coaster 5. Fall From Grace 6. Nothing at All 7. I Want 8. RadioMan 9. Crusher 10. Love is Complicated + Bonus MP3 Tracks: 11. The Color of My Skin 12. Blindfold 13. Fall From Grace (Memento Mix) 14. Fallen Angels + Bonus MPEG Video: RadioMan

"Though past releases were quite futurist, head of the Union Johann Sebastian has instilled this edition with airs of personal, romantic strife; to make a comparison, think VNV with the heartache of Assemblage 23. A perfect synthesis of this concept is Radioman; over galloping analogue beats, Sebastian’s voice soars with a sincere romanticism while its driving synths and rugged percussion stabilize its emotion with their oddly organic EBM edge. However, along with the topsy-turvy lovesick ballad Roller Coaster, it’s a mere star of optimism in an ennui sky. From the onset, Evol Love boasts a titanic bass stomp, which along with a commanding lead synth, provide sublime temper-tantrum contrast to Sebastian’s melancholy. Militant snares lead to a merger of mumbling bass and stopwatch hi-hat clicks for Dead Serious, a stark corner where a positive synth lead helps ease Johann from glum verses to a bittersweet chorus. As an extra enticement, four near-instrumental techno mp3 morsels plus a video for Radioman append 'Evol Love Industry'. These tracks are pleasant, yet the desert-shot video is quite impressive."

-- VM, side-line.com, 5/08

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Recommended Links:

State of the Union: official site
State of the Union on Myspace