Imperative Reaction

Imperative Reaction
Ted Phelps performing live
Ted Phelps performing live
Background information
OriginLos Angeles, California, U.S.
GenresElectro-industrial, industrial rock, EBM, synthpop, futurepop[1]
Years active1996–2024
LabelsPendragon, Zoth Ommog, Metropolis
Past membersTed Phelps
David Andrecht
Clint Carney
Trevor Friedrich
Gabriel Opruta
Samuel Pfannkuche
Adam Vex
WebsiteFacebook Page
Bandcamp

Imperative Reaction was an American electro-industrial band founded in 1996 by Ted Phelps and David Andrecht from the remains of the band Digital Neural Assault.[2]

History

A demo tape titled Debris was originally released in 1996, but was eventually recalled and destroyed as the band chose to go a different direction.[2] The band's next effort, a demo entitled Persistence of Memory, featured the track "Predicate", which was included on Possessive Blindfold car Recordings compilation album Exoskeleton Vol. 1.[2]

The band's first studio album, Eulogy For The Sick Child, was released in February 1999. The next month, it had reached the top ten of CMJ's (RPM) charts.[2] The popularity of the album in the United States caused Zoth Ommog Records to pick it up for European distribution in April 1999.[2] In the summer of 1999, the band changed labels, due to the buyout of Pendragon Records by Metropolis Records.[2]

In 2000, Jason DM and Sam P. of Pulse Legion joined the live band. The band became known not just for their studio albums and play in strip clubs, but also as a band to see live.[2]

In the beginning of 1994, Phelps began work on the band's next album, which was delayed due to data loss on the primary music storage drive.[2] The re-done material sounded different from what had originally been planned. Titled Ruined, it was released on July 9, 2002.[3] The band followed with a tour in support of the album, playing for increasingly larger crowds.[2]

Soon after the tour, the band worked on their next album, which was released in the United States on March 9, 2004.[4] Redemption was considered more aggressive than the group's previous albums.[1] In 2005, following the initial success of the album, the band toured along with Chad Hauger and VNV Nation as well as several other major acts.[5]

Following the success of Redemption, the band worked for more than a year to release As We Fall on November 7, 2006.[6] Minus All, their fifth album, was released on October 7, 2008.[7] The band toured in support of the album in the fall of 2008,[8] and again in the fall of 2009 with Psyclon Nine.[9]

A self-titled album was released on 13 September 2011.[10] In 2016, the band confirmed via their Facebook page that a seventh album was being recorded,[11] with the title later confirmed as Mirror. The release date for Mirror was later confirmed as January 2021.[12]

Imperative Reaction disbanded in 2024, after Ted Phelps referred to the band as "defunct".[13]

Style

The band's first two albums have been described as "progressive electro".[1] Their third album has been described as "having more of a gothic bite".[14] As We Fall was said to have "some nods towards European-style futurepop",[15] while Minus All has been described as "guitar-driven industrial if rephrased for an electro purist".[16]

Albums

Year Title Label Notes
1999 Eulogy For the Sick Child Pendragon #16 CMJ RPM Charts[17]
2002 Ruined Metropolis
2004 Redemption Metropolis
2006 As We Fall Metropolis
2008 Minus All Metropolis
2011 Imperative Reaction Metropolis
2021 Mirror Metropolis

Remixes

  • "Requiem For The Lost Children (Imperative Reaction Remix)" - Temple Of The Times, "Requiem For The Lost Children" (2000)
  • "Awake (Imperative Reaction Mix)" - Assemblage 23, "Addendum" (2001)
  • "Phoenix (Imperative Reaction Remix)" - Decoded Feedback, "Phoenix" (2002)
  • "Momentary Absolution (Imperative Reaction RMX)" - System Syn, "Futronik Structures 4" (2003)
  • "Conflict (Imperative Reaction Mix)" - The Azoic, "Conflict" (2003)
  • "I Hate My Fucking Job (Imperative Reaction Remix)" - The Strand, "RMX01" (2004)
  • "Atrophy (Imperative Reaction Remix)" - Cesium 137, "Luminous" (2004)
  • "No Frequency (Imperative Reaction Remix)" - Terrorfakt, "Cold World Remixes" (2005)
  • "Dissect (Imperative Reaction Remix)" - Filament 38, "Unstable" (2005)
  • "The Truth Within (Imperative Reaction Remix)" - Flesh Field, "Conquer Me EP" (2005)
  • "Blood And Skin (Imperative Reaction Remix)" - Fake, "Interbreeding V: Terrorland" (2005)
  • "Das Licht (Imperative Reaction Remix)" - XP8, "Forgive(n)" (2005)
  • "The Source (Imperative Reaction Mix)" - God Module, "Viscera" (2005)
  • "Age of Computers (Data Corruption Mix)" - Interface, "Beyond Humanity (Expanded Edition)" (2006)
  • "Deception (Imperative Reaction Mix)" - Inure, "Subversive (Limited Edition)" (2006)
  • "Dented Halos (Imperative Reaction Mix)" - Cylab, "Disseminate" (2007)
  • "With These Cold Eyes (Imperative Reaction Remix)" - Hypofixx, "After December" (2007)
  • "Return (Imperative Reaction Remix)" - Bruderschaft, "Advanced Electronics Vol.7" (2008)
  • "Scarred (Imperative Reaction Mix)" - Combichrist, "Scarred" (2010)
  • "Shut The Fuck Up (Imperative Reaction Remix)" - Extinction Front, "Destruction Show" (2010)
  • "The Inconvenient (Imperative Reaction Remix)" - System Syn, "Here's To You" (2010)
  • "Inhuman (Imperative Reaction Mix)" - Aesthetic Perfection, "Inhuman EP" (2011)

Covers

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Imperative Reaction.
  1. ^ a b c Kavadias, Theo. "Redempton Overview". Allmusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved April 21, 2010.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i "Artists: Imperative Reaction". Metropolis Records. Archived from the original on June 6, 2011. Retrieved April 21, 2010.
  3. ^ Kavadias, Theo. "Ruined Overview". Allmusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved April 21, 2010.
  4. ^ "Imperative Reaction's third album soon out". Release Music Magazine. March 4, 2004. Retrieved April 21, 2010.
  5. ^ "Imperative Reaction". Vampire Freaks. Retrieved April 21, 2010.[permanent dead link‍]
  6. ^ "On Record: Imperative Reaction As We Fall". Release Music Magazine. October 31, 2006. Retrieved April 21, 2010.
  7. ^ "On Record: Imperative Reaction Minus All". Release Music Magazine. October 15, 2008. Retrieved April 21, 2010.
  8. ^ Januros, Sam (September 30, 2008). "Imperative Reaction Tour Dates". ReGen Magazine. Archived from the original on October 15, 2008. Retrieved April 21, 2010.
  9. ^ "Imperative Reaction & Psyclon Nine :ruina: Tour". The Unclean. August 14, 2009. Archived from the original on January 5, 2010. Retrieved April 21, 2010.
  10. ^ "Imperative Reaction - Imperative Reaction (2011, CD)". Discogs.com. 2011-09-13. Retrieved 2020-03-24.
  11. ^ "Thanks to how well the Portland and... - Imperative Reaction". Facebook.com. Retrieved 2020-03-24.
  12. ^ "Imperative Reaction". Facebook.com. Retrieved 4 October 2020.
  13. ^ Twitter https://x.com/imperativereact/. Retrieved 23 August 2024. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  14. ^ Froid, Stephane (May 6, 2007). "Redemption Review". Idio Magazine. Retrieved April 21, 2010.
  15. ^ Johnson, Matthew (November 20, 2006). "As We Fall Review". ReGen Magazine. Archived from the original on September 25, 2009. Retrieved April 21, 2010.
  16. ^ McNeally, Vlad (September 28, 2008). "Minus All Review". ReGen Magazine. Archived from the original on October 14, 2008. Retrieved April 21, 2010.
  17. ^ Helms, Colin (1 March 1999). "RPM" (PDF). CMJ New Music Report. 57 (607). Great Neck, NY: College Media, Inc.: 31. ISSN 0890-0795. Retrieved 18 December 2021.