in kag ni to

Sonic Boom
Total Devotion in kag' ni to'
 This band has one thing I'd never heard from a generally house/techno group, a wide variety of electronic styles available on one thirty minute release.  Everything from Depeche Mode lyrics, unique samples (and some stupid ones too), thumping basslines, well programmed experimental pieces to pure EBM, this release has it all.  Normally I can't stand the traditional house/techno band for its utter lack of originality, but this band stands alone amongst those I've listened to who just as I begin to get annoyed with a really bad synth line repeat, to switch just as my attention wanders from the music.  The music, at the very least, debunked my techno-hate and let me realize that there are bands in that particular genre which are very good.  An excellent first release from a very talented electronic band.
-Jester

Orbit! magazine
in kag' ni to'
 Definitely influenced by Information Society yet highly distinct, Total Devotion's latest is pure danceable sample-crazy beats and rhythm. From "Believe in You" to the funky "Telepathy," in kag ni to prompts you to get up and dance around the stereo. "45rpm" is a playful romp filled with samples and audio mixes that are a delight to the ear. "The Sand Colony" has some great percussion and background samples that introduce the track and guide you down an electronic tribal tunnel. This album is filled with nothing but beats and is full of continuous movement. "Kiss the Sun" is an electronic excursion into passion only to be remembered for the playful techno interlude and solid backbeat mix. Techno-gods of the East.
-Richard Grace

where the grasses grow 

THE BEAT Nightclub, Ontario
TOTAL DEVOTION
Where The Grasses Grow
Well produced, one man band, with multi-tracked voices and crisp beats. Seems very much based on the lyrics, unlike a great deal of the industrial music that's coming out.
-Jeremy Pfohl
Storming The Base Of The Alien Foe

Information Society
    Rimas Campe has put together a new album.  As some of you out there know, this is no small feat, so applause to Rimas.  Though it's called "Where the Grasses Grow," after listening to the advance tape I think it should be called "Crunchfest."  There is this pervasive crunchy sound to everything, which is way cool.  It sounds like 11-bit recordings of dinosaurs chewing on styrofoam and concrete which were then converted to 7-bit with a bad translation algorithm.  This may sound like a negative comment, but remember that artists are always looking for new and different ways to give their sound a raw edge.  Rimas seems to have discovered a new one.
    Unbelievably minimalistic vocal production contributes to the compressed feel of the album.  TD's lyrical subject matter is familiar: early 20's angst and anti-society sentiments with a healthy dose of identity crisis.  This should make it easy to relate to for millions of college students.
    The rhythm loop at the beginning of the track "Detriment" has a very nice ominous industrial feel.  Again, the sound quality of said underlying rhythm loop is bizzarely bad.  (Intentional, I assume) It sounds like it was data-compressed and then unzipped wrong or something.  I like it.
    One high point: recording of young girl: "Why are you sticking that thing in my head?"
-Kurt Harland

Sonic Boom
Total Devotion has been marketing its new album as Nine Inch Nail clones for reasons that are beyond me. I'd be hard pressed to find a Trent Reznor comparison anywhere on the album with the exception of a few angstful lyrics. The album is definitely an extreme departure from the dancey synth-pop of the past and ventures heavily into the electro guitar arena. The music is still very light, poppy and Top-40ish in places. The majority of the lyrics are pop fluff love songs with nothing even remotely approaching a club track without some serious remixing. Rimas Campe seems to be pushing his limits with this new album. music is in such a different vein that his previous work that it is very evident how hesitant he is to work within this medium. The album ends up sounding very subduced but amazingly accessible for the popular audiences who seem to be starving for crossover bands such as these. I'd expect this album would be amazingly successful with the 'alternative' crowd but ignored by many of the diehard electronic music buffs. Total Devotion is Rimas Campe.
-Jester
  Sonic Boom link

Lithuanian Experimental Music Scene
TOTAL DEVOTION
Where The Grasses Grow
Fatal Records
Rimas Campe (who has Lithuanian blood!) presents 13 songs of pop industrial. Music mainly is mid-tempo and reminding of decorated NIN version. Rimas doesn't use distorted vocals too much, and in general all the image from lyrics to two girls dominating on the cover is not wishing wicked. Among the highlights certainly get "Lifeline", perhaps the most energetic song of the album, and the title track "Where The Grasses Grow". CD is available for 15 USD from the band.
(G)     3 1/4

Synth Style
TOTAL DEVOTION
Where The Grasses Grow
"Baltimore-based Synth/Industrial act Total Devotion starts off the new year with a new full-length CD entitled "Where The Grasses Grow." Picking up where "Pretty Hate Machine" left off, this aggressive album is filled with 13 tracks, ranging from the pure energy of "Lifeline" to the raw emotion of "Move Away." Their last release "in-kag-ni-to" established Total Devotion as a force to be reckoned with in the world of Techno. This time out, with the inclusion of electric guitars which are displayed prominently in "Slide" and "Never", the group is venturing forth into a realm where Nine Inch Nails dominates. In essence Rimas seems to be grabbing you by the lapels of your shirt, slamming you up against the wall and forcing you to like the new sound. Once again, he's have created an impressive album which gives credence to why they are one of many artists drawing more and more listeners!
-J Waters

isolation

Industrial Bible - Electro Webzine
  TOTAL DEVOTION - Isolation

Total Devotion is a one-man project that fuses together edgier dance music with synth-pop elements. On Isolation, Rimas Campe executes dense rhythms and joins them with squeaky sequences and untreated vocals. From the beginning of this MCD you can easily get a feel for Total Devotion's style. "Lost" features lively beats, rumbling rhythm elements, and raw vocals. Mixed into the mix are short sample snippets that reflect a slightly evil side to the piece. "Ride" contains a slower, yet equally trippy beat, dense analogue sounding sequences, and an array of various odd sounds that sweep through the track, never to return. The highlight of this MCD is "The Fury," a techno-styled piece that includes everything from rolling beats to scratching to guitar samples to pummeling rhythm elements to car engine sounds to impenetrable piano chords. This piece will give any Meat Beat Manifesto track a run for its money. Rimas Campe has got a good ear for the more rhythmic and beat elements and on Isolation he displays his seemingly avid affection for such musical components.

Sonic Boom
  Total Devotion heads back to its contemporary Dance roots with this new six song EP. While Rimas Campe still uses many elements found in post-Industrial, most specifically movie and television samples, "Isolation" is not an Electro album. The music and lyrics are simply not dark enough. Instead, Total Devotion walks the fine boundaries of Techno, Alternative Dance, and Synth Pop. The vocal work is straight forward, without any effects or processing. The drum programming, while complex, consists of a limited number of drum sounds and the cymbals are straight from pre-sets on the drum machine. Ultimately, Total Devotion is light hearted electronic Pop music without fancy arrangements or complex messages.
-Jester
  Sonic Boom link