State of Mind

by Front Line Assembly

Overview

Front Line Assembly's second album (the second of three released in three months in late '87 and early '88) shows the prolific Vancouver-based duo at the peak of their early style, which is basically that of a Canadian Cabaret Voltaire. Less aggressive and sample-based than their compatriots Skinny Puppy (which songwriter Bill Leeb used to be a member of; the Pup's Dave Ogilvie co-produced State of Mind), Front Line Assembly married doomy electronic keyboards and percussion to a live-sounding bass and drum whomp, creating a more purely dance-oriented sound. The instruments are up front, and the supposedly menacing found-sound vocal samples are mixed well to the rear, which is basically the only difference between songs like the throbbing "Inside Out" and mid-period Cabaret Voltaire albums like Micro-Phonies. State of Mind is danceable and occasionally sonically intriguing, but it's also a little too plainly derivative to be taken entirely seriously. ~ Stewart Mason

Product Details

Release Date:	04/12/2024
Label:	Cleopatra
UPC:	0889466541018
Rank:	28088

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Front Line Assembly   Primary Artist

Technical Credits

Bill Leeb   Composer,Mixing
Judson Leach   Remastering
Michael Balch   Mixing,Producer
Dave Ogilvie   Editing
Rhys Fulber   Composer,Mixing
Manfred Schiek   Illustrations
Mick Cripps   Design