Portion Control have always been slightly awkward candidates for canonisation. Formed in London in 1979, their early use of synthesisers, drum machines and sampling is routinely positioned at the beginning of a lineage that runs through industrial, EBM and harder forms of electronic music. Their influence on subsequent artists is well documented; Portion Control themselves, however, have rarely seemed interested in behaving like a historical institution. Their attention has remained stubbornly fixed on whatever comes next. That makes “1983-86 – Hit The Pulse to Purge…” interesting. The four-CD set, released by Artoffact Records on August 14, 2026, gathers material from one of Portion Control’s most consequential periods, including “Hit The Pulse”, “..Step Forward”, “Psycho Bod Saves The World”, singles, demos, rarities, live recordings and previously unreleased material. Paul Lavigne remastered the archive at Kontrast Mastering, while Stefan Alt created the new visual presentation. The collection also includes Rhys Fulber‘s rebuild of “Refugee”, allowing an artist who drew partly on the electronic vocabulary Portion Control helped establish to return to that vocabulary four decades later.

There is also a good contradiction here. When Side-Line spoke with John Whybrew in 2020, he described new work as the band’s “lifeblood”, stressed that nothing remains still for long and was distinctly unsentimental about physical formats, including the CD. Six years later, Portion Control have signed to Artoffact after decades of independence and begun the process of formally curating their own history.

Having seen Portion Control at Wrocław Industrial Festival 2025, what struck me was precisely how little the performance behaved like heritage music. The material was physical, severe and entirely present. That raised a more interesting question than whether the old recordings had “aged well”: what happens when a band so committed to moving forward finally acquires enough distance from its own past to treat it as an archive? We talked about historical distance, control and independence, imperfect technology, remastering, the strange burden of being called influential, Rhys Fulber’s reconstruction of “Refugee”, why some old songs become more disturbing rather than less relevant with time, and whether unlimited technological possibilities can be as creatively restrictive as having almost none.

Portion Control interview

Karo: You have spent much of Portion Control’s existence resisting retrospection. In our previous Side-Line interview, new work was described as your “lifeblood”, and even now you have said that compiling this archive was almost the antithesis of your usual forward-facing approach. What had to change before looking backwards became creatively legitimate? At what point does preserving the past stop feeling nostalgic and become another form of authorship?

Portion Control: Nothing changed as a conscious decision; it was more that enough time passed for the material to feel like a document rather than a repeat. While you’re still inside a period, revisiting it just feels like going over old ground. Forty years on, it’s not the same band looking at its own work anymore; it’s closer to handling someone else’s archive that happens to have your name on it. That distance is what turns it into authorship rather than nostalgia; we’re not trying to relive 1983-86, we’re trying to finally, fully document it.

Karo: The period covered by “1983-86 – Hit The Pulse to Purge…” was also the moment when increasing industry attention, management and eventually a major-label relationship began to make you feel that control was slipping away. Four decades later, after years of determined independence, Portion Control has entered a partnership with Artoffact. What distinguishes collaboration from surrendering control for you now? Has doing almost everything yourselves for so long changed your ability to recognise that boundary?

Portion Control: The difference is consent and reversibility. Losing control in the mid-80s wasn’t a choice we kept renegotiating; it was structural, built into the deals we were in. Working with Artoffact is a genuinely acceptable, realistic partnership, and that’s precisely what keeps it from feeling like surrender. Four decades of doing everything ourselves has made us sharper at spotting the difference between someone adding capability and someone quietly taking a decision away from us. We’re not naive about it, but we don’t assume every partnership repeats that old pattern either.

Karo: An archive is never completely neutral. Once you decide which demos, B-sides, live recordings, alternate versions and apparently marginal pieces belong together, you are effectively establishing a new hierarchy within your own history. Did compiling the set alter your understanding of that period? Were there recordings you once regarded as peripheral that now tell you more about what Portion Control actually was than some of the records considered central at the time?

Portion Control: Yes, more than we expected. There were pieces we’d filed away as ambient/experiments that, heard again in sequence, turned out to carry more of what the band actually was than some of the tracks we’d always treated as the “proper” releases. Putting things into an archive forces you to listen for what’s consistent, and it’s usually the rough or marginal pieces where that consistency shows up most clearly. A lot of this material carries strong memories of the period that are impossible to listen past.

Karo: Paul Lavigne has remastered material created under technological conditions radically different from those available now. But those limitations, the noise floor, early sampling, imperfect machines and restricted possibilities, are also part of what gave the recordings their character. Where is the line between revealing what was originally there and retrospectively improving it? At some point, does an imperfection become part of the composition itself?

Portion Control: Paul’s remastering was about getting the material into the best possible shape given the formats we had to work from, not about correcting or improving it. The noise floor, the limitations of the originals, the crude sampling and early electronics: none of that is incidental to the sound, it’s structural to it. Scrub it all out and you’re not restoring the piece, you’re making a different piece that happens to share a title.

So yes, we think imperfection becomes part of the composition once enough time has passed; not because we’re sentimental about tape hiss, but because those limitations shaped the choices we made in the first place. Remove them and the choices stop making sense. Paul understands our material on all levels and it reflects in the care he has applied to the mastering.

Karo: When I saw Portion Control at Wrocław Industrial Festival, what struck me was that the concert did not feel archival at all. The material remained extremely physical and immediate. What allows a forty-year-old electronic piece to remain convincing in that environment? Is that durability already embedded in rhythm and sound design, or does older material have to be actively reconstructed through performance in order to survive?

Portion Control: It isn’t automatic; you have to keep reconstructing it through better equipment, process and performance rather than just replaying it. A track from this period has to earn its place in the set the same way a new one does; every track has to serve the overall physical energy we’re aiming for. We don’t have many tracks from this earlier era, but the ones we do have to sit naturally into that balance.

Karo: Portion Control is repeatedly described through the artists you influenced. That is obviously recognition, but influence can also become a peculiar historical trap: the discussion moves immediately toward what happened after you rather than asking what the original work was doing on its own terms. Does being treated primarily as a precursor ever obscure the work itself?

Portion Control: Sometimes, yes. It’s a strange position; being useful mainly as a reference point gets tiresome. We don’t resent the artists we’re named alongside, but the conversation tends to stop at “and then X happened because of this”, rather than asking what the work was actually doing on its own terms. We’d rather be talked about for what’s intriguing or specific in the material itself than for the lineage it’s slotted into.

Karo: That makes Rhys Fulber rebuilding “Refugee” interesting. Someone who belongs to a later generation of industrial electronics, and who encountered a language Portion Control helped establish, is now returning to one of the pieces that helped form that language in the first place. Is there something circular about that? Can somebody influenced by your work hear possibilities in it that you could not possibly have heard in 1984?

Portion Control: Very much so, and it’s one of the most satisfying parts of this whole project. Someone who grew up in the industrial/electronic scene we helped shape comes back to rebuild one of our own pieces. Rhys was hearing things in “Refugee” we genuinely couldn’t have heard in 1984, because he’s hearing it through everything that’s happened since. We’re proud both to have been a small part of Rhys’s formative years, and for him personally with what he’s gone on to achieve.

Karo: “Refugee” is also uncomfortable because its subject has not become safely historical. When an old song suddenly seems newly relevant, is that proof of artistic durability, or evidence that the circumstances it responded to were never resolved? What happens to the meaning of a song when another forty years of history accumulate around it?

Portion Control: The second, honestly. We’d rather “Refugee” felt safely dated. That it doesn’t says less about the song ageing well and more about the conditions it was responding to never really going away. The meaning does shift with accumulated history, but not in a comfortable direction. It gets darker and heavier, not more historical.

Karo: I have to return to something you told Side-Line in 2020. You were remarkably relaxed about the decline of the CD because, as you put it, you never particularly liked the format anyway. Now we have this substantial four-CD archival set, accompanied by Stefan Alt’s design and a 24-page booklet. Has the CD finally won you over, or is there an important distinction between a format as a carrier of music and a physical object as a way of giving an archive shape?

Portion Control: No; we still have no particular affection for the format itself. The four-CD set isn’t a statement about CDs; it’s about giving an archive a shape you can hold, with the booklet and Stefan’s design doing most of the real work of contextualising the material. If a different physical format had suited the archive better, we’d have used that instead. The object is what matters here; the format is just the vehicle. We’ve always been stubbornly uninterested in using format as an excuse, whether that’s hardware, recorded media or working methods.

Karo: In 2020 you also criticised the tendency for electronic music to become almost tutorial-driven, with technique treated like a science while ideas become secondary. Early Portion Control was shaped partly by severe technological and financial restrictions. Today, when almost any sound can be produced and manipulated relatively cheaply, has limitation become something an electronic artist has to create deliberately? Can having too many possibilities now be as serious a creative problem as having too few?

Portion Control: Too many possibilities is a real creative problem. Our own limitations back then, technical, financial, whatever you want to call our “ineptness”, weren’t an obstacle to the sound, they were the sound. Today we can make the sounds we’ve always wanted to, and doing that well on a modest budget is entirely possible now. Our sound has always been built on a natural aggression combined with heavy sound design, and that’s still true; it’s just no longer constrained the way it once was.

Karo: There is now an interesting collision of times around Portion Control: Artoffact is beginning to excavate the catalogue, while you are still producing new material and performing. So perhaps this is the right place to finish. Has spending this much time inside 1983-86 changed anything about what you want Portion Control to sound like next? Or does examining that period actually reinforce the need to move somewhere it cannot follow you?

Portion Control: It’s too far back to have any real influence on Portion Control today. Nothing about how we made things in that period carries forward except the indomitable PC spirit and that we understand the technical synth/sampler sequencing of that era, but that’s about as far as it goes. Our new material, like all our material before, relies on whatever is new, challenges us but lies within our reach.

Portion Control live

• 24 October 2026, Zwickau, Germany
• 19th Elektrisch Festival, Club Seilerstraße. Portion Control perform alongside Escalator, Oszylator, Cyborg Projekt X and KRIEG-B.
• 1-4 July 2027, Canterbury, UK
• Shadowlands Festival, Gulbenkian Arts Centre, University of Kent. Portion Control are confirmed alongside artists including Foetus, Lustmord, Test Dept, Clock DVA, The Wolfgang Press, Regis feat. Liam Andrews, Githead, hackedepicciotto, People Like Us, Warrington-Runcorn New Town Development Plan and :Zoviet*France:.

About Portion Control

Portion Control formed in London in 1979 and emerged from the first wave of British post-punk and industrial electronics. Their early work combined sequenced synthesisers, primitive sampling, drum machines, aggressive vocals and rhythmic structures that helped establish a vocabulary later absorbed into industrial, EBM, techno and other forms of electronic music. Records including “I Staggered Mentally” (1982), “Hit The Pulse” (1983) and “..Step Forward” (1984) established the group’s reputation for a physical form of electronic experimentation. Portion Control toured with Depeche Mode in 1984 and subsequently became an acknowledged influence on artists including Nitzer Ebb, Skinny Puppy, Front Line Assembly, Nine Inch Nails and Orbital.

After a hiatus beginning in the late 1980s, Portion Control returned in the 2000s and continued developing the project through releases including “Wellcome”, “Filthy White Guy”, “Pure Form”, “Head Buried” and the recent “SEED” series. Rather than recreating their early sound, the renewed Portion Control has continued to work with contemporary production technology while retaining the aggressive rhythmic construction and detailed sound design that have remained central to the project.

After decades of independence, the group signed with Artoffact Records in late 2025. The label is now working with Portion Control both on new material and on a series of archival releases, beginning with “1983-86 – Hit The Pulse to Purge…”, released on August 14, 2026.

Karo Kratochwil

Based in Wrocław, I work as a music journalist and photographer covering electro, industrial, EBM, gothic, and darkwave. My work includes features and live coverage, as well as concert, portrait, promo, and theater photography. What interests me most is the connection between artistic intention, what the work communicates, and what unfolds live on stage, all in pursuit of the bigger picture behind the music.

Portion Control released a video for “Displaced Hybrid Refugee” on August 14, 2026, the same day their first archival box set, “1983-86 – Hit The Pulse to Purge…”, arrived on Artoffact Records as a 4xCD set, a digital edition and a limited red vinyl LP. The London electronic and industrial group posted the video to their own Portion Control VMAG channel.

Portion Control rebuild ‘Refugee’ as ‘Displaced Hybrid Refugee’

“Displaced Hybrid Refugee” sits at track 56 of the 77-track set and reworks “Refugee”, originally on the 1984 album “..Step Forward”. The band explain where the footage came from rather than what the song means: “This song is a rework of ‘Refugee’ and the video is built from the visuals used whenever we play it live.”

It is the second rebuild of that song to surface from the project. Rhys Fulber of Front Line Assembly produced “Refugee (Rhys Fulber Rebuild)”, the first preview issued when the box set was announced.

What the ‘Hit The Pulse to Purge’ box set collects

The set gathers the 1983 mini-LP “Hit The Pulse”, the albums “..Step Forward” (1984) and “Psycho Bod Saves The World” (1986), the 12-inch singles “The Great Divide”, “Go-Talk” and “Raise The Pulse”, and the “Purge” EP (1986), plus B-sides, compilation tracks, rarities, remixes, demos and two concert recordings from 1984 and 1985. Paul Lavigne remastered all 77 tracks at Kontrast Mastering. Sixteen are previously unreleased and a further twelve appear on CD and digitally for the first time. The 4xCD edition comes in a five-panel ecopak with a 24-page booklet of archive photos, designed by Stefan Alt of ant-zen. The red vinyl LP carries ten tracks.

Side-Line covered the set when Artoffact announced the box set “1983-86 – Hit The Pulse to Purge…” in June. Two further previews followed over the summer: the live recording “Tex-Mex”, taped at Dolce Vita in Lausanne in December 1985, and the demo “H.O.T. Matter” from the “Psycho Bod Saves The World” period. All three earlier tracks are on the box set alongside “Displaced Hybrid Refugee”.

The 4xCD box, the LP, the digital edition and a run of six vinyl test pressings are sold through Bandcamp. The set is also on Spotify, Apple Music and Amazon Music, with physical copies handled in the UK by Lexer Music.

Portion Control live dates

• October 24, 2026 – Zwickau, Germany – Elektrisch Festival
• July 1-4, 2027 – Canterbury, United Kingdom – Shadowlands

About Portion Control

Portion Control formed in South London in 1979 around Dean Piavani, Ian Sharp and John Whybrew. The group built a minimal, rhythm-led sound from sequenced synthesisers, drum machines, early samplers and clipped vocals, and issued a run of cassettes before their first vinyl album, “I Staggered Mentally”, in 1982. The mini-LP “Hit The Pulse” followed in 1983 and “..Step Forward” in 1984, the year they toured with Depeche Mode. “Psycho Bod Saves The World” closed the period in 1986. Their records from these years are cited as an influence on Nitzer Ebb, Skinny Puppy, Front Line Assembly, Nine Inch Nails and Orbital.

The band stopped in the late 1980s and returned in 2004 with “Wellcome”, followed by “Filthy White Guy” (2006) and “Pure Form” (2012). Side-Line spoke to them in 2020 in an interview with Portion Control, and covered the 2022 reissue of the “Dissolve” material after the original run was pressed on self-destroying discs. Three “SEED” EPs appeared between 2020 and 2025, the last of them, “SEED EP3.1”, marking the point where Portion Control joined Artoffact in late 2025. “1983-86 – Hit The Pulse to Purge…” is the first box set in the reissue programme that deal set up, and “Displaced Hybrid Refugee” is the track the band chose to mark its release.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

Chief editor of Side-Line – which basically means I spend my days wading through a relentless flood of press releases from labels, artists, DJs, and zealous correspondents. My job? Strip out the promo nonsense, verify what’s actually real, and decide which stories make the cut and which get tossed into the digital void. Outside the news filter bubble, I’m all in for quality sushi and helping raise funds for Ukraine’s ongoing fight against the modern-day axis of evil. Besides music I’m also an SEO and AI content flow specialist and have an interest in everything finance from stocks to crypto. There is music in everything!

side-line.com

British electro-industrial group Portion Control have released “H.O.T. Matter (Demo version 1)“, the third single from their archival box set “1983-86 – Hit The Pulse to Purge…“, out 14 August 2026 on Artoffact Records. The set collects the London group’s mid-1980s work across a 4xCD box, a digital edition and a limited red vinyl LP.

You can stream and pre-order the box set through the Bandcamp player below.

Portion Control detail ‘H.O.T. Matter’ and the box set

This demo version of “H.O.T. Matter” is being made available for the first time; the finished studio version of the track appeared on “Psycho Bod Saves The World”, Portion Control’s third studio album, released in 1986. A video accompanies the single.

“It is strange and satisfying in equal measure to have this era of our catalogue finally gathered into a single coherent release,” the band state about the box set. It is an opportunity for long term and new listeners to hear the music of this period in full context. This material shaped our sound and attitude for all that has followed since.

The box set, “1983-86 – Hit The Pulse to Purge…”, gathers 77 tracks. It brings together the 1983 mini-LP “Hit The Pulse”, the albums “..Step Forward” (1984) and “Psycho Bod Saves The World” (1986), the 12-inch singles “The Great Divide”, “Go-Talk” and “Raise The Pulse”, and the “Purge” EP (1986), alongside B-sides, compilation tracks, rarities, remixes, demos and two live recordings from 1984 and 1985. Paul Lavigne remastered all 77 tracks at Kontrast Mastering; 16 are previously unreleased and a further 12 appear on CD and digitally for the first time. The 4xCD edition comes in a five-panel ecopak with a 24-page booklet designed by Stefan Alt of Ant-Zen, and the red vinyl LP carries ten key tracks.

“H.O.T. Matter” follows “Refugee (Rhys Fulber Rebuild)”, a version reworked by Rhys Fulber of Front Line Assembly, and “Tex-Mex (Live at Dolce Vita, Lausanne 6/12/85)”, the second single from the box set. Both original studio versions appeared on the 1984 album “..Step Forward”, which the group promoted on tour with Depeche Mode and Blancmange.

Portion Control tour dates for 2026 and 2027

Portion Control have confirmed two festival appearances:

• 24 October 2026 – Zwickau, Germany – Elektrisch Festival
• 1-4 July 2027 – Canterbury, UK – Shadowlands Festival

About Portion Control

Portion Control formed in London in 1979 and built a raw, minimal sound around sequenced synthesisers, samplers and strident vocals. Their early records – the 1982 debut album “I Staggered Mentally”, the “Hit The Pulse” mini-LP (1983) and the second album “..Step Forward” (1984) – placed them among the pioneers of hard-edged electronic dance music, and the group supported Depeche Mode on tour in 1984. Their use of early sampling and drum-machine technology fed into the work of later acts including Nitzer Ebb, Skinny Puppy, Front Line Assembly, Nine Inch Nails and Orbital.

After a hiatus that began in the late 1980s, Portion Control returned in 2004 with “Wellcome”, followed by “Filthy White Guy” (2006), “Pure Form” (2012) and the run of “SEED” EPs between 2020 and 2025. The group signed to Artoffact Records in late 2025, and the label is now reissuing their catalogue as a series of box sets. “1983-86 – Hit The Pulse to Purge…” is the first of those sets, and “H.O.T. Matter” is the third single drawn from it, following the band’s confirmed appearance at Zwickau’s Elektrisch Festival later this year.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

Chief editor of Side-Line – which basically means I spend my days wading through a relentless flood of press releases from labels, artists, DJs, and zealous correspondents. My job? Strip out the promo nonsense, verify what’s actually real, and decide which stories make the cut and which get tossed into the digital void. Outside the news filter bubble, I’m all in for quality sushi and helping raise funds for Ukraine’s ongoing fight against the modern-day axis of evil. Besides music I’m also an SEO and AI content flow specialist and have an interest in everything finance from stocks to crypto. There is music in everything!

side-line.com

British electro-industrial group Portion Control have released “Tex-Mex (Live at Dolce Vita, Lausanne 6/12/85)“, the second single from their archival box set “1983-86 – Hit The Pulse to Purge…“, out 14 August 2026 on Artoffact Records. The set collects the London group’s mid-1980s work across a 4xCD box, a digital edition and a limited red vinyl LP.

You can stream and pre-order the box set through the Bandcamp player below.

Portion Control detail ‘Tex-Mex’ and the box set

“Tex-Mex” was recorded in December 1985 at the Dolce Vita in Lausanne, a Swiss venue that had opened earlier that year, and the performance was filmed. The band trace the track back to their studio sessions of the period rather than the stage. “‘Tex-Mex’ was recorded as part of the ‘..Step Forward’ recording sessions at Guerilla Studios in Little Venice, London,” the band recall. “It was where William Orbit had his recording base at the time and we utilised a lot of the equipment he had set up there for his own early electronic work.” A video for the single accompanies the release.

The box set, “1983-86 – Hit The Pulse to Purge…”, gathers 77 tracks. It brings together the 1983 mini-LP “Hit The Pulse”, the albums “..Step Forward” (1984) and “Psycho Bod Saves The World” (1986), the 12-inch singles “The Great Divide”, “Go-Talk” and “Raise The Pulse”, and the “Purge” EP (1986), alongside B-sides, compilation tracks, rarities, remixes, demos and two live recordings, from Amsterdam in 1984 and Lausanne in 1985.

Paul Lavigne remastered all 77 tracks at Kontrast Mastering; 16 are previously unreleased and a further 12 appear on CD and digital for the first time. The 4xCD edition comes in a five-panel ecopak with a 24-page booklet designed by Stefan Alt of Ant-Zen, and the red vinyl LP carries ten key tracks.

“Tex-Mex” follows “Refugee”, a version reworked by Rhys Fulber of Front Line Assembly that Portion Control issued as the first single in June 2026. The reissue campaign continues the group’s move to Artoffact, which began when Portion Control joined Artoffact Records and released the “SEED EP3.1” EP in December 2025.

About Portion Control

Portion Control formed in London in 1979 and built a raw, minimal sound around sequenced synthesisers, samplers and strident vocals. Their early records – the 1982 debut album “I Staggered Mentally”, the “Hit The Pulse” mini-LP (1983) and the second album “..Step Forward” (1984) – placed them among the pioneers of hard-edged electronic dance music, and the group supported Depeche Mode on tour in 1984. Their use of early sampling and drum-machine technology fed into the work of later acts including Nitzer Ebb, Skinny Puppy, Front Line Assembly, Nine Inch Nails and Orbital.

After a hiatus that began in the late 1980s, Portion Control returned in 2004 with “Wellcome”, followed by “Filthy White Guy” (2006), “Pure Form” (2012) and the run of “SEED” EPs between 2020 and 2025. The group signed to Artoffact Records in late 2025, and the label is now reissuing their catalogue as a series of box sets. “1983-86 – Hit The Pulse to Purge…” is the first of those sets, and “Tex-Mex” is the second single drawn from it.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

Chief editor of Side-Line – which basically means I spend my days wading through a relentless flood of press releases from labels, artists, DJs, and zealous correspondents. My job? Strip out the promo nonsense, verify what’s actually real, and decide which stories make the cut and which get tossed into the digital void. Outside the news filter bubble, I’m all in for quality sushi and helping raise funds for Ukraine’s ongoing fight against the modern-day axis of evil. Besides music I’m also an SEO and AI content flow specialist and have an interest in everything finance from stocks to crypto. There is music in everything!

side-line.com

Portion Control “Hit The Pulse to Purge” is a 4xCD box set scheduled for release on August 14, 2026 through Artoffact Records, with digital and limited LP editions. Titled “1983-86 – Hit The Pulse to Purge…”, it is the first archival box set in a series drawn from the British group’s back catalogue.

The collection covers the 1983 mini-LP “Hit The Pulse”, the albums “..Step Forward” (1984) and “Psycho Bod Saves The World” (1986), the 12-inch singles “The Great Divide”, “Go-Talk” and “Raise The Pulse”, and the “Purge” EP (1986). It adds B-sides, compilation tracks, rarities, remixes, demos and two concert recordings from 1984 and 1985.

77 tracks in total were remastered by Paul Lavigne at Kontrast Mastering, of which 16 are previously unreleased and a further 12 appear on CD and digitally for the first time. The 4xCD set is packaged in a five-panel ecopak with a 24-page booklet of archive photos and a new design by Stefan Alt of ant-zen. A limited red vinyl LP collecting ten tracks will also be issued.

The first preview from the set is a rebuild of “Refugee”, a track from the 1984 album “..Step Forward”, reworked by Rhys Fulber of Front Line Assembly.

Portion Control signed to Artoffact Records in late 2025. Side-Line reported the signing when the band joined Artoffact and released “SEED EP3.1”. The label is reissuing the group’s back catalogue as a series of box sets, of which “1983-86 – Hit The Pulse to Purge…” is the first.

About Portion Control

Portion Control formed in South London in 1979, with a line-up of Dean Piavani, Ian Sharp and John Whybrew. After early cassette releases, the group issued its first vinyl album, “I Staggered Mentally”, in 1982. Their use of sequenced synthesisers, samplers and strident vocals placed them among the early electro-industrial acts, and they have been cited as an influence on Nitzer Ebb, Skinny Puppy, Front Line Assembly, Nine Inch Nails and Orbital. The group toured with Depeche Mode in 1984.

After disbanding in the late 1980s, Portion Control reconvened in the mid-2000s and resumed releasing, with records including “Wellcome” (2004), “Filthy White Guy” (2006) and “Pure Form” (2012), followed by the “SEED” EPs issued between 2020 and 2025. Side-Line has covered the band over this period, including its reissue of the “Dissolve” material in 2022 and a 2020 interview. The “1983-86 – Hit The Pulse to Purge…” box set opens Artoffact’s reissue programme for the group.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

Chief editor of Side-Line – which basically means I spend my days wading through a relentless flood of press releases from labels, artists, DJs, and zealous correspondents. My job? Strip out the promo nonsense, verify what’s actually real, and decide which stories make the cut and which get tossed into the digital void. Outside the news filter bubble, I’m all in for quality sushi and helping raise funds for Ukraine’s ongoing fight against the modern-day axis of evil. Besides music I’m also an SEO and AI content flow specialist and have an interest in everything finance from stocks to crypto. There is music in everything!

side-line.com

This EP, containing 16 individual tracks, is a reissue of “Seed EP3”, originally self-released in 2021. Portion Control now presents this remastered version—released via Artoffact Records—which feels more like a full-length album, expanded with three additional new tracks.

Forty-five years after their first release, Portion Control remains a highly creative band operating at an impressive level of quality. The sonic construction and production of this work are clear evidence of that. This is dark, EBM-driven music, powered by phenomenal sound design and carried by imposing bass lines. On top of that, Dean Piavanni’s passionate vocal delivery completes the overall experience.

Portion Control stands for intelligent EBM, something they demonstrate convincingly on the first four tracks, including one of the new songs. These are followed by more Experimental, shorter pieces—primarily instrumental, though occasionally interwoven with vocals that function more as an effect within the music than as a traditional narrative element. Alongside these shorter compositions, there is one track that captivates the listener for over nineteen minutes. While the meaning of these pieces is not always as immediately clear as that of the opening tracks, they reveal a different perspective of the band—one that is not only Experimental but also Cinematic in nature.

A work with two clearly distinct faces, “Seed EP3.1” once again proves that Portion Control continues to evolve creatively, even decades into their career. (Rating:8).

Listen to “Move”:

Read the news on ‘Seed EP3.1’.

About Portion Control

Portion Control formed in South London in 1979 with an initial line-up of Dean Piavani, John Whybrew and Ian Sharp. They emerged from the post-punk period with a self-described “electropunk” approach, using early drum machines, samplers and affordable analogue synths.

The group’s first releases were cassette-only offerings such as “A Fair Portion”, “Gaining Momentum” and “Private Illusions No 1”, followed by the debut vinyl album “I Staggered Mentally” in 1982 on In Phaze Records. That record, together with 12-inch releases like “Raise the Pulse”, “Rough Justice” and “Go-Talk”, placed them within the emerging industrial and EBM underground.

They followed with the mini-LP “Hit the Pulse” (1983) and the second full-length “Step Forward” (1984), which coincided with support slots for Depeche Mode. Later 1980s releases such as “Psycho-Bod Saves the World” documented their move towards a harder, dancefloor-oriented sound before they halted activity near the end of the decade.

After the original run, Piavani and Whybrew continued in the related project Solar Enemy before reviving Portion Control in the early 2000s. The reactivated group released “Wellcome” (2004), “Dissolve” (2004), “Filthy White Guy” (2006), “Onion Jack IV” (2007), “Slug” (2008), “Violently Alive” (2010) and “Pure Form” (2012).

After an eight-year gap in long-form releases, the group returned in 2020 with “Head Buried: 54 Pure Electronics” on Progress Productions and began the “SEED” cycle, with “SEED EP1” in September 2020 and “SEED EP2” in December 2020. In 2021 they completed the trilogy with “SEED EP3”, released digitally on 5 March 2021 and built around short tracks plus the 19-minute piece “Chain”. In 2025 the band signed with Artoffact Records, which issued the remastered, expanded “SEED EP3.1” and began reissuing the group’s back catalogue.

Inferno Sound Diaries

I have been working for over 30 years with Side-line as the main reviewer. My taste is eclectic, uncoventional and I prefer to look for the pearls, even if the bands are completely unknown, thus staying loyal to the Side-Line philosophy of nurturing new talents.

www.side-line.com

Portion Control, the long-running UK electronic and industrial group from London, have signed a new record deal with Canadian label Artoffact Records and released the remastered, expanded EP “SEED EP3.1“. The EP reworks and extends the digital-only “SEED EP3” material first issued in March 2021.

Artoffact will also be reissuing the group’s extensive back catalogue, bringing early and later-era releases back into print.

“SEED EP3.1” appears as a 16-track digital release, running just over 63 minutes. It has been newly mastered by Paul Lavigne at Kontrast Mastering and adds three tracks to the original 13-track “SEED EP3” sequence, including the new song and video track “Possessed”.

You can check the full tracklist below.

About Portion Control

Portion Control formed in South London in 1979 with an initial line-up of Dean Piavani, John Whybrew and Ian Sharp. They emerged from the post-punk period with a self-described “electropunk” approach, using early drum machines, samplers and affordable analogue synths.

The group’s first releases were cassette-only offerings such as “A Fair Portion”, “Gaining Momentum” and “Private Illusions No 1”, followed by the debut vinyl album “I Staggered Mentally” in 1982 on In Phaze Records. That record, together with subsequent 12-inch releases like “Raise the Pulse”, “Rough Justice” and “Go-Talk”, placed them within the emerging industrial and EBM underground.

They followed with the mini-LP “Hit the Pulse” (1983) and the second full-length “Step Forward” (1984), which coincided with support slots for Depeche Mode. Later 1980s releases such as “Psycho-Bod Saves the World” and live albums documented their move towards a harder, dancefloor-oriented sound before they halted activity near the end of the decade.

After the original run, Piavani and Whybrew continued in the related project Solar Enemy before reviving Portion Control in the early 2000s. The reactivated group released “Wellcome” (2004), “Dissolve” (2004), “Filthy White Guy” (2006), “Onion Jack IV” (2007), “Slug” (2008), “Violently Alive” (2010) and “Pure Form” (2012).

After an eight-year gap in long-form releases, the group returned in 2020 with “Head Buried: 54 Pure Electronics”, issued first as a download and then as a limited, numbered CD on Progress Productions, collecting twelve tracks of new material. That same year they began the “SEED” cycle: “SEED EP1” appeared on 18 September 2020 as a four-track digital EP (“Telekinesis.V2”, “Crystal”, “White Rose”, “Martial”), while “SEED EP2” followed in December 2020 with five tracks (“Revealation”, “Gloat”, “Seek”, “Realm”, “Devour”).

In 2021 Portion Control completed the trilogy with “SEED EP3”, released digitally on 5 March 2021 and built around a set of short-range tracks plus the 19-minute longform piece “Chain”. The same year Progress Productions issued the 2CD set “Seed Compiled”, which gathers all material from “SEED EP1”, “SEED EP2” and “SEED EP3” in one physical edition, limited to 700 copies.

In 2022 the band released “Dissolve Plus” on VUZ Records, a CD compilation presenting hard-to-find tracks recorded between their 2004 comeback and the 2010 “Violently Alive” era. Read the review of ‘Seed EP3.1’.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

Chief editor of Side-Line – which basically means I spend my days wading through a relentless flood of press releases from labels, artists, DJs, and zealous correspondents. My job? Strip out the promo nonsense, verify what’s actually real, and decide which stories make the cut and which get tossed into the digital void. Outside the news filter bubble, I’m all in for quality sushi and helping raise funds for Ukraine’s ongoing fight against the modern-day axis of evil. Besides music I’m also an SEO and AI content flow specialist and have an interest in everything finance from stocks to crypto. There is music in everything!

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The Berlin-based dark electro act To Avoid have released their brand new album “All Gods Are Gone”. This new double album is out now via Belgium’s Alfa Matrix label.

“All Gods Are Gone” is available now in a double-CD digipak and as a download via Bandcamp.

The band mixes late ’80s EBM and ’90s melodic dark electro including elements from modern cross-genre influences. Thematically this release builds on their past explorations of dark themes—crime, corruption, and environmental destruction—delivered through hard-hitting EBM that will please fans of early Front 242, Skinny Puppy, Vomito Negro, and Grendel​.

The first disc offers 13 original tracks like “Trust”, “Fireball”, and “1989” (which got released as an EP earlier this year). Complementing these, the second disc features 14 remixes by a rather impressive lineup of electronic artists, including Haujobb, Portion Control, and Circumpolar.

Formed in 1998, To Avoid launched their debut album “Resurrection” in 2002, followed by “Passion and Pain” (2009). Following a period of hiatus, they returned in 2022.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

Chief editor of Side-Line – which basically means I spend my days wading through a relentless flood of press releases from labels, artists, DJs, and zealous correspondents. My job? Strip out the promo nonsense, verify what’s actually real, and decide which stories make the cut and which get tossed into the digital void. Outside the news filter bubble, I’m all in for quality sushi and helping raise funds for Ukraine’s ongoing fight against the modern-day axis of evil. Besides music I’m also an SEO and AI content flow specialist and have an interest in everything finance from stocks to crypto. There is music in everything!

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Berlin-based industrial band To Avoid recently released the single “Diatribe” and the “1989” EP ahead of their album “All Gods Are Gone”, out December 6, via Alfa Matrix. We now have more details on that new album.

“All Gods Are Gone” will be out as a double-CD digipak. While the first CD holds 13 tracks, the bonus CD features remixes by a rather impressive lineup, including Haujobb, Portion Control, Mildreda, Circumpolar, Kifoth, Sleepwalk, Severe Illusion, Ice Ages, Forgotten Sunrise, Object, Kalt, Gettner, Tension Control and Chrome Corps.

Thematically the album tackles dark themes such as crime, corruption, and environmental destruction.

You can pre-order the album via Bandcamp or order it on CD via the Alfa Matrix webstore.

Formed in 1998, To Avoid gained early recognition with their debut “Resurrection” (2002), followed by the albums “Passion and Pain” (2009) and recent singles such as “1989”. The new album continues their legacy of hard-hitting sound and thematic intensity, further solidifying their place in the global industrial music scene. Known for pushing the boundaries of dark electro since 2000, the band fuses late ’80s EBM with ’90s melodic dark electro, creating intense soundscapes. Read the review of ‘All Gods Are Gone’.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

Chief editor of Side-Line – which basically means I spend my days wading through a relentless flood of press releases from labels, artists, DJs, and zealous correspondents. My job? Strip out the promo nonsense, verify what’s actually real, and decide which stories make the cut and which get tossed into the digital void. Outside the news filter bubble, I’m all in for quality sushi and helping raise funds for Ukraine’s ongoing fight against the modern-day axis of evil. Besides music I’m also an SEO and AI content flow specialist and have an interest in everything finance from stocks to crypto. There is music in everything!

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Out now is a brand new Fatal Casualties new track, “Monomania“, which holds guest vocals by Gin Devo (Vomito Negro).

“Monomania” is the first track taken from the coming “Guest EP II” (release date to be announced). You can check out the track below.

Fatal Casualties will release 3 “Guest EP´s” in 2024 via the German label Minimalkombinat. The contributing guests on the first “Guest EP I” were: Dean Piavani (Portion Control), Stephen Mallinder (Cabaret Voltaire), Émelie Huard (Prosymna), Pelle Ossler and Mick Clarke.

3 of the songs from “Guest EP I” has been released earlier as videos:

About Fatal Casualties

Fatal Casualties is a Swedish experimental electronica band formed in Stockholm in 1986 by Stefan Ljungdahl and Ivan Hirvonen. Initially active from 1987 to 1991, they went on a long hiatus before reuniting in 2010. The band’s first official release was the EP “Paria” in 2012, following years of releasing demos and live performances.

The band’s music blends various electronic styles, often characterized by dark, cinematic atmospheres and experimental sounds. Their third album, “Filter”, released by Seja Records, exemplifies their evolution, incorporating ambient and slow rhythmic elements with an experimental edge.

Fatal Casualties have regularly collaborated with other artists, such as their work with Stephen Mallinder of Cabaret Voltaire and Dean Piavani of Portion Control. These collaborations feature prominently in their trilogy of EPs titled “Guest”, exploring themes of resilience and introspection.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

Chief editor of Side-Line – which basically means I spend my days wading through a relentless flood of press releases from labels, artists, DJs, and zealous correspondents. My job? Strip out the promo nonsense, verify what’s actually real, and decide which stories make the cut and which get tossed into the digital void. Outside the news filter bubble, I’m all in for quality sushi and helping raise funds for Ukraine’s ongoing fight against the modern-day axis of evil. Besides music I’m also an SEO and AI content flow specialist and have an interest in everything finance from stocks to crypto. There is music in everything!

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Genre/Influences: EBM.

Format: Digital.

Background/Info: I never heard of this American solo-project before although Nebulae Complex has been active since 2007. “Bryozoan Operator” features five songs.

Content: This work brings us back to good-old EBM and has a very explicit 80s touch reminding Portion Control.

+ + + : I like this rudimentary approach of vintage EBM which is mainly coming through at “Airroot” and “Bleachburn” which both are songs with potential.

– – – : The work however suffers from a lack of achievement. It might be voluntary to recreate the early spirit of 80s EBM but it isn’t accomplished as a ‘new’ release.

Conclusion: Nebulae Complex is an interesting project which I think has more potential than what came out on this EP.

Best songs: “Airroot”, “Bleachburn”.

Rate: 6.

Artist: www.facebook.com/NebulaeComplex Read the news on ‘Bryozoan Operator’.

Listen to “Bryozoan Operator”:

About Nebulae Complex

Nebulae Complex is an American solo project active in the music scene since 2007. “Bryozoan Operator” draws its themes from peculiar plants and deep sea life, building an aesthetic the project describes as an otherworldly yet familiar planetary landscape seen through remote sensing instruments. The EP is available digitally via Bandcamp.

Inferno Sound Diaries

I have been working for over 30 years with Side-line as the main reviewer. My taste is eclectic, uncoventional and I prefer to look for the pearls, even if the bands are completely unknown, thus staying loyal to the Side-Line philosophy of nurturing new talents.

www.side-line.com

Genre/Influences: Cold-Wave, EBM.

Format: Digital, CD, Cassette.

Background/Info: Alexander Donat strikes back with the second full length of his newest project Assassun. I got the opportunity to listen and review most of his productions he released under the Vlimmer moniker. Assassun is more Electro driven while the album has been inspired by people in Alexander’s daily life -himself included.

Content: The songs are short and explosive, raw and powerful featuring passionate English vocals. The tracks are carried by fat bass lines and supported with dark, electronic, atmospheres. Some passages remind me a bit of Portion Control. The work ends with a pretty minimal and somewhat Experimental cut.

+ + + : I like this project which without innovating deals with a very personal sound. There’s a late 80s touch running through the work and which is accentuated by the rough and unpolished sound production. On top of it all you’ll hear passionate vocals.

– – – : I noticed a very few unaccomplished cuts which sound a bit like early demo versions.

Conclusion: Assassun sounds pure underground and retro-like but is definitely a project I would recommend to 80s nostalgic fans.

Best songs: “Torpescence”, “Amniotic Concrete”, “At Gunpoint”, “Sun Gloating”, “Excavate”.

Rate: 8.

Artist: www.facebook.com/assassunband

Label: www.facebook.com/Blackjack.Illuminist

About Assassun

Assassun is the solo project of Berlin-based German musician Alexander Leonard Donat, who also records as Vlimmer and under the names Fir Cone Children, Distance Dealer, Leonard Las Vegas, Feverdreamt, Leonard Donat and Infravoids, and formerly played in Jet Pilot and Flight Recorder. Donat also runs Blackjack Illuminist Records, the Berlin label behind all of Assassun’s releases. The project debuted in March 2022 with the EP “The World I Will Leave”, followed a month later by the album “Sunset Skull”. “Chronic Quicksand Depression Morning” is Assassun’s second full-length, issued digitally and on CD and cassette; later albums include “Post-Climax” (2024) and “Retrofate” (2025).

Inferno Sound Diaries

I have been working for over 30 years with Side-line as the main reviewer. My taste is eclectic, uncoventional and I prefer to look for the pearls, even if the bands are completely unknown, thus staying loyal to the Side-Line philosophy of nurturing new talents.

www.side-line.com

Out via VUZ Records and Maneki Neko Tapes is “Dissolve Plus” by Portion Control. As you might remember, Portion Control released the “Dissolve” CD-Rom in 2004. This was a special release as it was a software that, 66 days after its installation, simply stopped working.

With the release of “Dissolve Plus”, these tracks are finally available again on CD, cassette (with a different track order) and as download.

Also added are some tracks from various releases, all out of print for quite some time, namely from the split CD-R “Solar Enemy vs. Portion Control”, the “Belgian Independent Music Compilation 3” CD, the “Stansted” EPCD and the download release “Continued Violence Download”. All in all 21 tracks.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

Chief editor of Side-Line – which basically means I spend my days wading through a relentless flood of press releases from labels, artists, DJs, and zealous correspondents. My job? Strip out the promo nonsense, verify what’s actually real, and decide which stories make the cut and which get tossed into the digital void. Outside the news filter bubble, I’m all in for quality sushi and helping raise funds for Ukraine’s ongoing fight against the modern-day axis of evil. Besides music I’m also an SEO and AI content flow specialist and have an interest in everything finance from stocks to crypto. There is music in everything!

side-line.com

Genre/Influences: Industrial, Minimal-Electro, EBM.

Format: Digital, CD.

Background/Info: German duo  Philipp Münch – Tim Kniep strikes back with a new album of their beloved Synapscape sonic brainchild. They accomplished ten new cuts.  

Content: Synapscape have experimented with an endless list of influences during their career. This album sounds a bit as summarizing this impressive career. The work became a melting pot between EBM, Industrial, Minimal-Electro/EBM and Experimental music. Some passages have been mixed with Acid sequences. You’ll notice vocals with harsh vocals next to instrumental cuts.

+ + + : The common thread between the diversified tracklist of this work is the global sound intelligence. Synapscape transforms genres like EBM and Industrial into a very own thing. It feels like they’ve put all these influences and styles into a personal sonic mould. Some passages remind me a bit of the EBM-style of Portion Control, but with this little extra Synapscape touch on top. The harsh, shouting, vocals inject extra power, but are totally matching with the sound.

– – – : The first half of the work is absolutely great, featuring a succession of brilliant songs while the second part is less punchy.

Conclusion: I’m not saying Synapscape caught me off guard, but each new album definitely features cool surprises. The creative mind of this duo has no limits and is the perfect equivalent of their talent.

Best songs: “Wastelands”, “Revive”, “Talk To Your Crow”, “Listen”.

Rate: 8.

Artist: www.synapscape.org / www.facebook.com/synapscape

Label: www.ant-zen.com / www.facebook.com/antzen.official

About Synapscape

Synapscape is the post-industrial and power noise duo of Philipp Münch and Tim Kniep, based in Bielefeld, Germany. The pair also record with Imminent as The Incredible Three.

The self-titled debut appeared on Ant-Zen in 1995 and every album since has come out on the same label: “Rage” in 1997, “So What” in 1999, “Positive Pop” in 2001, “Raw” in 2002, “Act!” in 2005, “Now” in 2007, “Again” in 2009, “Traits” in 2011, “Rhythm Age” in 2015, “Still” in 2018 and “A Journey Through Concern” in 2020.

Collaborative records include “Scenes From A Galton’s Walk” with Asche in 2006 and “The Humanoid Problem” with Imminent in 2017. “The Stable Mind” followed on Ant-Zen in 2022.

Inferno Sound Diaries

I have been working for over 30 years with Side-line as the main reviewer. My taste is eclectic, uncoventional and I prefer to look for the pearls, even if the bands are completely unknown, thus staying loyal to the Side-Line philosophy of nurturing new talents.

www.side-line.com

Genre/Influences: Electro-Wave, EBM, Electro-Ambient, Experimental.

Format: Digital, Vinyl.

Background/Info: This single is a split release between German project Thorofon and Eva|3 from the UK. Thorofon is a more familiar name and has already released an impressive discography.

Content: Thorofon has written a retro-EBM/Wave like track, which reminds me of Portion Control. The song by Eva|3 is an instrumental edit, which is mixing Ambient elements with Industrial sound treatments.

+ + + : I was impressed by the good-old Electro-Wave and EBM like “Devil’s Share” by Thorofon. It’s a well-crafted song with a great retro-like spirit and cool vocals on top. The vintage approach comes back on Eva|3 “Théorie: Redux”, which is mainly due to the magic of analogue gear.

– – – : Both songs are totally different from each other so it all depends of your personal taste, but I personally thing the Thorofon song is  a few levels higher than the one by Eva|3.

Conclusion: A good-old split 7”, which might become a kind of collector’s item within a few years!

Best songs: Thorofon: “Devil’s Share”.

Rate: (6).

Artists: www.facebook.com/Thorofon-125914984206296 / www.eva3.co.uk / www.facebook.com/eva3official

Labels:  www.ant-zen.com / www.facebook.com/antzen.official /

About Thorofon and Eva|3

Thorofon is a German post-industrial project with an extensive discography, while Eva|3 is a project from the UK. “La Théorie Du Diable” was released on 5 February 2021 through Ant-Zen (catalog act406), pairing Thorofon’s “Devil’s Share” with Eva|3’s “Théorie: Redux”. The single was pressed as a square 7″ lathe-cut clear vinyl limited to 50 copies, each with an individually printed acrylic-glass cover.

Inferno Sound Diaries

I have been working for over 30 years with Side-line as the main reviewer. My taste is eclectic, uncoventional and I prefer to look for the pearls, even if the bands are completely unknown, thus staying loyal to the Side-Line philosophy of nurturing new talents.

www.side-line.com

Genre/Influences: Techno-Body, Industrial-Techno, Dark-Techno.

Format: Digital, Vinyl.

Background/Info: Sonic Groove is celebrating its 25^th anniversary with a compilation featuring 12 tracks. Set up by Adam Mitchell –better known under the Adam X moniker, the American label –now based in Berlin (Germany) became a visionary company mixing Techno music with darker/underground genres like EBM and Industrial music.

Artists: The Source Experience, Max Durante, Orphx, Diagenetic Origin, Panacea, Meadon, Rhys Fulber & Portion Control, Crystal Geometry, Monolith, Adam X, Dasha Rush, Realmz.

Content: The compilation brings familiar projects from the label together; from ‘earlier’ artists such as Max Durante, Orphx, Diagenetic Origin, Dasha Rush and Realmz… to artists who joined Sonic Groove during the past few years like Rhys Fulber, Crystal Geometry, Maedon… The common thread between all artists is Techno music, which they each mixed with a darker influence. The most surprising track is a collaboration between Rhys Fulber (Frontline Assembly, Delerium, Conjure One ao) and Portion Control.

+ + + : This compilation first of all is a way to discover the great label roster of Sonic Groove while it remains one of the very few labels, which welcomed artists mixing Techno music with darker genres. Sonic Groove has been a pioneer and still remains a reference today. When you hear Rhys Fulber together with Portion Control composing a true Techno-Body-Music song with harsh vocals on top, you get an idea what this label stands for. So far I can see the featured artists have composed an exclusive song for this sampler, which makes it only more interesting. I have a preference for the Industrial-Techno style of Crystal Geometry (one of the newest projects on Sonic Groove), but I also have to mention the rough exposure by Diagenetic Origin, the Dark-Techno approach from Panacea and a more explicit track by Dasha Rush. Adam X remains another attention grabber and who better than the label owner he stands for the sound of his label: Industrial-Techno!

– – – : I don’t have real regrets, but some extra artists and tracks would have been cool.

Conclusion: This sampler serves as a perfect shop window to give you an idea about the sonic strength and visionary style of the label. I can only express respect for what this label has accomplished so far.

Best bands: Crystal Geometry, Rhys Fulber & Portion Control, Diagenetic Origin, Panacea.

Rate: (8½).

Label: www.sonicgroove.com / www.facebook.com/Sonicgrooverecords

About Sonic Groove

Sonic Groove is a techno, acid, industrial techno, EBM and experimental label founded by Adam Mitchell (Adam X) in New York City in 1995. The label was based in Berlin between 2007 and 2024 before returning to its original home of New York City. Vinyl pressings are manufactured at Record Industry (Netherlands) and distributed via Triple Vision.

The “Sonic Groove: 25 Years / 1995 – 2020” compilation marked the label’s quarter-century with twelve tracks from its roster, including a collaboration between Rhys Fulber (Frontline Assembly) and Portion Control.

Inferno Sound Diaries

I have been working for over 30 years with Side-line as the main reviewer. My taste is eclectic, uncoventional and I prefer to look for the pearls, even if the bands are completely unknown, thus staying loyal to the Side-Line philosophy of nurturing new talents.

www.side-line.com

Portion Control saw the daylight in 1979. Set up by Dean Piavani, Ian Sharp and John Whybrew the London (UK) based formation started releasing their early work on tape format. The band splitted in 1987 to move on three years later under the SOLAR ENEMY moniker. Core members Dean Piavani (vocals) and John Whybrew (music) reformed PORTION CONRTROL in 2002. The band belongs to the pioneers of electro-underground music. Often linked with EBM I think the band is much more than simply belonging to one genre. The influences are more diversified and that’s precisely what theband’s new album “Head Buried” (Progress Productions) reveals. I asked a few questions to John Whybrew.

(Courtesy by Inferno Sound Diaries)

Q: “Head Buried” is your first new studio album since “Pure Form” (2012). Did you expect a new album after such a long ‘break’ and what have been the triggers to compose new songs?

John: We were conscious that there had been a long gap since “Pure Form”, but we had built up a number of new songs, principally for live and the odd compilation. We took the decision to write a few new tracks and combine them into a mini album – hence “Head Buried”. There was no ‘trigger’ as such the timing just seemed to work. Our lifeblood is our new work and we are extremely lucky that these are accepted when we perform live. We are creative and inquisitive by nature and have always been interested in the development of VST effects and synths, although many aren’t suited to creating the darker electronic music genres or rely on loops and presets that can damage originality.

Q: When did you start composing the songs for “Head Buried”? What kind of album did you have in mind and was there any specific focus and/or concept/theme?

John: We don’t have specific album themes, just themes that arise and merge into the tracks as they develop. Lyrically Dean has total control and I have virtually no input, but we are aligned politically and philosophically. Once we have the music in bare bone form, Dean will add the vocals and then it is worked and shaped into the finished track. Often the vocals will drive ideas in the sound design. Tracks can change in tone and aspect completely and still our musical ineptness adds as much to the end result as anything else. Having worked together for so many years we know when a sound or sequence is right for PORTION CONTROL and with sound design being so important time isn’t wasted.

Q: I experienced some duality running through “Head Buried”; it features danceable songs, but still a very experimental side. Where does this duality comes from and tell us a bit more about the more experimental side?

John: We have always favoured more experimental electronic music it can be more satisfying with repeated plays as you hear all the nuances, but at the same time a good bass line and kick hasn’t lost its appeal. Unfortunately the experimental side seems to have diminished from the scene in general with a lot of cookie cutter stuff created. I guess it’s to maximise sales, which is understandable if your living is from your music. I also think YouTube is too blame with many electronic music tutorials treating music like photoshop or a science when it’s ideas that are most important. From our point of view we like the ambient stuff and it is important to our creativity. To nurture this aspect we are always looking for inspirational places to create. We first used this tactic on “Filthy White Man” where we used a caravan park in Peacehaven (near Brighton) as well as a chapel in Hertfordshire. We use laptops only, no messy midi cabling, we had enough of this in an earlier life, but our surroundings definitely have a bearing on creation. Sometimes a cosy familiar home studio can retard creation. As for the more regular PC tracks these can incorporated into our live sets with a healthy sprinkling of noise/ambience as well.

Q: Do you handle specific criteria and eventually references to say a song/album is finished? And is there a kind of self-criticism when you’ve achieved a new song/album?

John: For any release it’s a case of balance. It can take a long time for the tracks to evolve into finished pieces. If tracks are stalling I usually turn to sound design where I will bounce out samples in various versions for inclusion into material at a later date. Once a track has been finished and a rough mix achieved we will critique it.  

Q: The album was originally announced as a digital only (self)-release, but it seems that Progress Productions convinced you to release a CD format as well. We’ve to face reality, CD’s are no longer selling so I can imagine it must be a horrible thing to observe this decline! What are your thoughts about this (r)evolution?

John: We aren’t really bothered by the demise of CDs, we never liked the format anyway. We have always embraced changes, and have seen a lot through our existence. It is sad that small bands and independent labels have such a tough time making any money, particularly in our scene when all we are seeking is a modest profit. However, Bandcamp and a few other niche online sellers at least it ‘s possible for bands to self-publish and promote. We have learnt to take nothing for granted and that nothing stands still for long.

Q: I noticed the album is also released by Kinetik Records as cassette format. This is the way you originally started to release your early stuff in the 80s. More and more artists today release cassettes again –mainly as collector’s items, but what’s the real point here considering younger fans don’t even have a cassette player?

John: Cassettes were pretty influential to the early British Industrial scene with releases like ‘Rising From The Red Sands’ etc. They were cheap to produce and seemed quite neat. A certain ratios the superb ghost and the ballroom came in a green plastic pouch. Our own “Assault”-tape was a release we valued as much as any of the vinyls. I must admit we aren’t a bit interested in keeping old technology and haven’t owned cassette decks for many years. Kinetik released small amounts of vinyl and cassette versions, the vinyl seems to have sold out and the cassettes are still available so they probably are a bit ancient. We are planning our next release on Super 8…

Q: The world is actually going through the Covid-19 pandemic, which is also a real bad thing for the artistic life. Do you feel any impact and especially after having released a new album this year? And what are your thoughts about the Brexit and the consequences for your activities?

John: The pandemic has halted all live activity which is an important part of our scene. It also appears that it will take a while for this activity to resume which is understandable but unfortunate. It is a bad thing but the pandemic has impacted every aspect of life for all of us so it’s just a question of keeping safe until it eventually abates or is assimilated into everyday life.

As for Brexit, if and when it happens, I doubt it will mean anything in the context of bands and it has been such an exhausting topic.

Q: I can easily imagine you guys have seen it all, but do you still have challenges and topics you want to work on and realize? Can you look into the future?

John: We don’t have any challenges and consider ourselves in a good position. One ambition we had was to play in Japan, but this will likely go unfulfilled as we are doing absolutely nothing to realise it. Most importantly we have a planned series of downloadable EPs about to drop over the coming months. The first of these is called ‘SEED’ and contains 4 triple A tracks. The second is currently being worked on… we strongly believe that these allow fuller artistic control, and a quicker route to market than fastidiously working on a full length CD. We are proud “SEED” and it is available right now from ourselves or Bandcamp. Our thirst for creation and resolve to stay true to our sound hasn’t abated even over our protracted career.

Inferno Sound Diaries

I have been working for over 30 years with Side-line as the main reviewer. My taste is eclectic, uncoventional and I prefer to look for the pearls, even if the bands are completely unknown, thus staying loyal to the Side-Line philosophy of nurturing new talents.

www.side-line.com

Genre/Influences: EBM, experimental.

Format: Digital, CD, Vinyl, Cassette.

Background/Info: Portion Control is part of EBM history. Set up in 1980, the British formation became one of the electro-underground pioneers, a distant time when people didn’t even speak about EBM! “Head Buried” is the band’s first new album since “Pure Form”. The work was originally released by the band as a digital release, but Progress Productions convinced them to release a CD format. The Greek label Kinetik Records released the cassette edit.

Content: Portion Control remains a band without compromises. “Head Buried” is characterized by the easily recognizable EBM approach, the band has held onto since the 80s. It’s a powerful and well-crafted music featuring some modern treatments plus the unique timbre of the voice of Dean Piavanni on top. Together with the other core member John Whybrew, this album will get you into dance modus, but there also is a more experimental side. Some tracks indeed are more like instrumental intermezzos, featuring cinematic spheres and sound manipulations. Notice by the way the physical formats of the album feature one extra song (cf. “Telekinesis”).

+ + + : Portion Control always has been a band with an own style and a proper sound. This unique sound DNA is the red line throughout their discography and even if “Head Buried – 54 Pure Electronics” (the complete title) is their first new opus in nearly ten years; you immediately recognize the stamp of John Whybrew and dean Piavanni. It’s all in arrangements, but also in some of the bass lines and of course the vocals. I was impressed by “Rise Up”, which is a sexy, modern EBM composition accomplished with great sound effects. “Regime” is a ‘classical’ Portion Control song, but still a great one. There’s also something to say about “Regulation One”. “Ninth Child” is more progressive featuring cold grooves. The aforementioned extra cut “Telekinesis” is a noticeable final track for a new album, which will not disappoint the fans.

– – – : The more experimental cuts aren’t my favorites and will definitely not enter into history. It’s just that there are maybe too many songs in this vein on the album.

Conclusion: Portion Control has been always ahead of their time and this new work simply confirms this approach. Portion Control has inspired numerous great artists and still can inspire the further generations.

Best songs: “Rise Up”, “Telekinesis”, “Regime”, “Ninth Child”, “Drop02”.

Rate: (8).

Artist: http://portion-control.net

Label: www.progress-productions.com / www.facebook.com/progresspro

About Portion Control

Portion Control was founded in London, UK in 1979 by Dean Piavani, Ian Sharp and John Whybrew, releasing early work on tape format.

The band split in 1987, with Piavani and Whybrew moving on under the Solar Enemy moniker before reforming Portion Control in 2002. “Head Buried” is the band’s first new album since “Pure Form” (2012), released via Progress Productions with a cassette edition on Kinetik Records.

Inferno Sound Diaries

I have been working for over 30 years with Side-line as the main reviewer. My taste is eclectic, uncoventional and I prefer to look for the pearls, even if the bands are completely unknown, thus staying loyal to the Side-Line philosophy of nurturing new talents.

www.side-line.com

Genre/Influences: Dark-wave, new-wave.

Format: Digital, CDR, Vinyl.

Background/Info: American formation Eleven Pond saw the light of day in the 80s, released several works, went through different line-ups and finally split to reform again in 2011. They started to compose new songs, released a few more productions and finally joined hands together with Young And Cold Records. “Drive” was released in 2019. The digital edition features four extra songs (remixes).

Content: The 80s influence remains easily noticeable. The typical, deep bass lines and guitar playing reminding me of The Cure are quite typical elements reminding me of the golden decade of new/dark-wave music. Some synth arrangements are reminding me of New Order. “Drive” is not a 80s emulation; this band simply never lost the original spirit from that decade. Some songs are a bit more into minimalism while others reflect some melancholic mood. The digital edit features the original songs plus 4 remixes.

+ + + : Eleven Pond is not inspired by 80s music; they never stopped creating a similar new/dark-wave sound even more than 30 years after the original set up. The bass lines and guitar play both inject this particular dark mood of desolation into the songs. That’s why I like “Tangerine” and “Dreams Within A Dream”. But there’s also something to say about the more electro-driven “Only Time For Lust”. Among the remixes I especially want to mention the “Caveman Mix” of “Headlock”, which has something pretty Portion Control like.

– – – : The first part of the work sounds a bit hesitant, but the final part is absolutely worth a listen to.

Conclusion: If you suffer from 80s nostalgia and you like dark-wave music I can for sure recommend this album.

Best songs: “Tangerine”, “Dreams Within A Dream”,  “Only Time For Lust”, “Venus In Shells”, “Headlock – Caveman Mix”.

Rate: (7½).

Artist: www.facebook.com/ElevenPond

Label: https://youngandcold.de /

www.facebook.com/youngandcoldrecords

About Eleven Pond

Eleven Pond is a rock/wave band formed in Rochester, New York, in 1986. The band released the album “Bas Relief” that year before splitting up; founding member Jeff Gallea kept the name alive and reformed the project around 2012 with “Watching Trees”, followed by the “Wireform” album in 2016 and, on Young And Cold Records, “Drive” in 2019. A further album, “Love & Madness”, followed in 2021.

Inferno Sound Diaries

I have been working for over 30 years with Side-line as the main reviewer. My taste is eclectic, uncoventional and I prefer to look for the pearls, even if the bands are completely unknown, thus staying loyal to the Side-Line philosophy of nurturing new talents.

www.side-line.com

Circumpolar is a Swedish duo driven by Jonas Mattson and Patrik Wallin. They last year self-released their debut-EP “Until The End Of Time” and next got signed on Alfa Matrix, which re-released this work. The second EP “We Will Remain” was released nearly at the same time and revealed a more sophisticated sound approach. The intelligent sound treatments remind me a bit of bands such as Clock DVA, Haujobb and related formations. Circumpolar might be the next new sensation for all of those who like intelligent electronics!

(Courtesy by Inferno Sound Diaries)

Q: Circumpolar is a rather unknown name at the wider fields of electro-underground music so can you briefly introduce the band, the way you get contaminated by the ‘electronic virus’ and what were the original purposes when setting up Circumpolar?

Circumpolar: Circumpolar is a new Swedish dark-electro/wave act that consists of Jonas Mattsson and Patrik Wallin. We are old friends since way back in time. We started to make music together when we were about 18 years old, and then played in different bands for some years in the Northern part of Sweden. However, we never released any of that material on record. For years now we have been talking about getting back together again, and about two years ago we decided trying to make electronic music together again.

The purpose behind Circumpolar is to create interesting electronic music within our own conceptual format and sound, which hopefully will be enjoyed by people all over the world.

Q: The name of your band refers to astrology, but can you tell us a bit more about this name and the possible links with lyrical content and music style?

Patrik: The stars that circle around the celestial pole and never set below the horizon are called ‘circumpolarstars’. In ancient Egypt, the circumpolar stars in the Northern sky were called ‘jhmw-sk’, ‘the ones not knowing destruction’. The astronomical characteristics of these specific stars were used in numerous religious texts to express immortality and eternity, for example:

‘O uplifted one (i.e. the Pharaoh), being great among the circumpolar stars. You have not perished, you star of eternity’ (a citation from the so-called Pyramid Texts, 2300 BC)

I studied a lot of ancient history at university, and I have a PhD degree in Egyptology. Sometimes I use the imagery and concepts of life/death and space/time from ancient Egyptian religion in my lyrics.   

Q: Referring to the music style and/or the ‘sound’ properly speaking, I experienced your work as a fusion between different genres and influences; EBM, IDM, ambient, dark-electro… How do you perceive your own sound? Can you tell us a bit more about potential sources of inspiration? References? And how did the song writing happened?

Circumpolar: Bands like Skinny Puppy, Front 242, The Klinik, Twice A Man, Kraftwerk, The Neon Judgement and Portion Control have always been sources of inspiration to us. Further, The Fields Of The Nephilim, The Sisters Of Mercy, Swans, The Cure, Joy Division, Rome and Dead Can Dance are bands that we both like a lot.

Both of us are still buying lots of records and we constantly discover new electronic and dark-electro artists. There is so much great new music within our genre yet to discover.

We like to think that we somehow have created mix between EBM, dark-electro and dark wave/goth. However, this was not the intention when we started the band, it just happened.

The process of creating new songs usually starts with an instrumental loop or just single sample, which we successively develop into a song.

Q: You last year self-released the debut EP “Until The End Of Times” -which got next re-released on Alfa Matrix, plus another EP “We Will Remain”. Can you briefly analyze both EP’s? Was there a particular focus in writing and production? And how did you get the deal with Alfa Matrix?

Circumpolar: The first song we recorded as Circumpolar was “The Rain Will Burn” from the first EP, and then we realized that we had created a musical concept and sound that we really liked. After that moment, it was very easy to continuing writing new songs. 

On the “Until The End Of Time”-EP the foundation of our sound was built, whereas on the “We Will Remain”-EP the sound and concept evolved into something that will be even more present on our future releases.

We sent the songs from our first EP along with the songs to the “We Will Remain”-EP to about 15 different record labels. We got some offers, but when we got a positive response from Alfa Matrix we were overwhelmed.  

Q: I think there’s an interesting evolution in writing and production between both EP’s; “We Will Remain” being definitely more elaborated and subtle, reminding me to bands such as Haujobb, Mentallo & The Fixer and Clock DVA. What does it say about your approach, studio equipment and your own evolution as musicians?

Circumpolar: On the second EP we have worked more with the vocals, and experimented a bit more with reverb, delay and other effects, trying to create a more dynamic and atmospheric experience. The structures of the songs are also a bit different compared to the first EP. Further, we spent much more time on mixing and mastering.

We have bought a lot of new gear since we recorded the first EP, for example a Korg Minilouge XD, the fantastic Strymon Big Sky Reverb, and some Roland drum machines.

Q: I think you’re back again in studio, so I can imagine there’s an album in the pipeline? What brings the future and what might we expect regarding topics such as image, social media activity and live performances?

Circumpolar: For the moment, we are recording new songs for a forthcoming album release. We are constantly producing loads of loops and outtakes, but now we have selected about nine songs out of that material to be finalized for an album.  

It is quite possible that there will be some social media activities prior to our next releases, perhaps some live performances from the studio…

Yes, we will definitely play live in the future.  

Inferno Sound Diaries

I have been working for over 30 years with Side-line as the main reviewer. My taste is eclectic, uncoventional and I prefer to look for the pearls, even if the bands are completely unknown, thus staying loyal to the Side-Line philosophy of nurturing new talents.

www.side-line.com

Genre/Influences: Electro-pop, minimal-pop.

Background/Info: CrackDown is a Danish electro-pop duo driven by Lasse Mønsted and Kim Holm. They both were still involved with Snow In April while Kim Holm was also a member of the minimal duo Holm/Mirland.

Content: They already released a few productions are now striking back with this EP featuring 3 new cuts plus 3 remixes. The songs are clearly driven by electro-pop music, which has something atypical and even a bit solemn (especially the debut song). There also is a strong atmospheric layer recovering the songs.

The remixes of the title song have been accomplished by Portion Control, kETvEctor (Justin Bennett also did the mastering) and The Eldridge Experience).

+ + + : The most noticeable aspect of the production is the high-tech sound production. The sound reflects impressive technological skills, which are mainly coming through at “LSDevil” and the title song. It’s not easy to describe this band, but there clearly is a very personal electro-pop approach. The remixes are absolutely amazing; Portion Control injected extra power, kETvEctor transposed the title song into darkness and bombast while The Eldridge Experience accomplished the most danceable and still most minimal-like remix.

– – – : The title song is not my favorite cut from the EP and I definitely prefer the remixes.

Conclusion: CrackDown brings us pop from another dimension. I can’t say that “Time” is a masterpiece, but it’s a technological tour de force!

Best songs: “LSDevil”, “Time – Robotic Stalker Mix by The Eldridge Experience”, “Time – Golden Golum Mix by Portion Control”.

Rate: (7).

Artist: www.facebook.com/CrackDown.dk

About CrackDown

CrackDown is a Danish electro-pop duo from Aarhus, formed by Lasse Mønsted and Kim Holm. Both were previously active in the duo Snow In April, and Holm separately recorded a series of EPs and an album as Holm/Mirland with producer John Mirland, who later said in a Side-Line interview that he met “Kim Holm (currently of Crackdown)” in 2010 and the pair worked together for several years.

“Time”, reviewed here, features remixes by Portion Control, kETvEctor and The Eldridge Experience, with mastering by Justin Bennett.

Inferno Sound Diaries

I have been working for over 30 years with Side-line as the main reviewer. My taste is eclectic, uncoventional and I prefer to look for the pearls, even if the bands are completely unknown, thus staying loyal to the Side-Line philosophy of nurturing new talents.

www.side-line.com

The 4th edition of the W-Festival will take place from 15th until 18th August 2019 in Waregem Expo, Belgium. About 70 new wave, EBM, industrial, post-punk, synth-pop and eighties bands are featured on 3 stages.

This year the line-up includes: The Stranglers, Echo & The Bunnymen, Killing Joke, Nitzer Ebb, And One, VNV Nation, Apoptygma Berzerk, Peter Hook & The Light, Blutengel, New Model Army, She Wants Revenge, Lebanon Hanover, Portion Control, Tyske Ludder, Mesh, Whispering Sons, Kaelan Mikla, Collection d’Arnell-Andréa, DaGeist, Pink Turns Blue, Red Zebra, Siglo XX, Merciful Nuns, Then Comes Silence, The Human League, Jimmy Somerville, Lene Lovich band, Blaine L. Reininger plays Tuxedomoon, Nik Kershaw, Howard Jones, Tony Hadley, Schmutz, Allez Allez and more!

On the camping area are a lot of special availabilities like B and Bee, Luxury Lodge and WaveTents. Other extra’s on the festival are silent disco, outdoor quiet zone, wellness, merchandise and more!

Tickets and VIP-tickets can be ordered here.

Following the releases and shows honouring the 25th anniversary of Apoptygma Berzerk’s debut album “Soli Deo Gloria”, the Norwegian electronic-rock outfit presents “SDGXXV”, available on CD, double-vinyl, and cassette editions.

Re-imagining “Soli Deo Gloria” was not an easy task. Groth and co. looked for artists who would not simply provide remixes, but, rather, re-conceived versions that go down to the roots of what made the original Apop record so special. The band looked to old friends such as Cronos Titan, but also commissioned music from a new breed of artists who are changing the landscape today.

The team who worked on this album includes Steven R. Sellick, Ancient Methods, The Invincible Spirit, Blackhouse, Clock DVA, Substaat, Naked Lunch, Prurient feat. Maniac, Mortiis, Codex Empire, Portion Control, Bal Paré, Atropine, Monster Apparat, Beranek and Erik Wøllo.

The release comes out in various versions which can be ordered here: CD Digipak / Tape / Cassette / MC / Two different DOUBLE-VINYL editions.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

Chief editor of Side-Line – which basically means I spend my days wading through a relentless flood of press releases from labels, artists, DJs, and zealous correspondents. My job? Strip out the promo nonsense, verify what’s actually real, and decide which stories make the cut and which get tossed into the digital void. Outside the news filter bubble, I’m all in for quality sushi and helping raise funds for Ukraine’s ongoing fight against the modern-day axis of evil. Besides music I’m also an SEO and AI content flow specialist and have an interest in everything finance from stocks to crypto. There is music in everything!

side-line.com

Genre/Influences: EBM.

Background/Info: “Ultranoia” is the debut album of Damage Control. Set up by Australian artists Bill Barsby and Damian Davis plus Markus App (Germany) and Jason Podmore (UK), we might speak about an international collective. The album got mixed and mastered by Chris Peterson (FLA, Will, Noise Unit, Öhm, Decree ao).

Content: Damage Control sounds inspired by EBM. It’s not the hard-core EBM approach, but an intelligent and sophisticated composition, which might remind you of bands such as In Strict Confidence, Skinny Puppy and Portion Control. There’s a real fascinating mix, which is maybe due to the different origins of the band members.

“Ultranoia” is mixing danceable- and powerful cuts together with more evasive and somewhat soundtrack-orientated songs. The vocals are passionate and in total harmony with the dark sound creation.

The final song is a remix by Leather Strip.

+ + + : Damage Control didn’t spare any effort to accomplish a real masterpiece. The songs are intelligent and well-crafted, but still revealing a mature and outstanding production. The mixing of Chris Peterson is for an important aspect here. The songs mix power and a great sound creation plus appropriated vocals. But “Ultranoia” is not only a technically outstanding album, but also feature many terrific songs. The sound of Damage Control also inspired Claus Larsen who made a great remix of “Hate Crime”.

– – – : I don’t see any negative point! “Ultranoia” is maybe not the most accessible EBM format, but EBM is much more than simple 4×4 structures!

Conclusion: Damage Control took me by surprise. This band has accomplished a         real masterpiece, which will be for sure become one of my favorite EBM albums of 2017. Respect guys!

Best songs: “Reasons”, “Hate Crime”, “Ruined”, “World In Decline”, “Trauma”, “Hate Crime – Leather Strip Remix”.

Rate: (9).

Band: www.damagecontrolofficial.com / www.facebook.com/damagecontrol

Inferno Sound Diaries

I have been working for over 30 years with Side-line as the main reviewer. My taste is eclectic, uncoventional and I prefer to look for the pearls, even if the bands are completely unknown, thus staying loyal to the Side-Line philosophy of nurturing new talents.

www.side-line.com

It’s now 27 years ago that Dirk Ivens (the legendary singer of The Klinik) took the world by surprise unleashing the self-titled debut album “DIVE”. The sound revealed a heavy, industrial and unpolished production mixed with  charismatic vocals. This work was the debut of a successful career featuring numerous great albums and essential songs. The music remained dark and industrial, but still featuring electronic treatments. But after the “Behind The Sun”-album (2004) the fans had to wait for 13 years to get new studio material. “Underneath” has been released on Out Of Line and is featuring good-old guest contributor Ivan Iusco (Nightmare Lodge and owner of Minus Habens Records) and Rafael M. Espinosa (Geistform) who already collaborated on “Behind The Sun”.

You can order the latest Dive releases right here on vinyl.

(by Inferno Sound Diaries)

Q: Did you ever thought to come back with a new Dive-album and what was the ‘click’ to start working again on new stuff?

Dirk: . After the definitive chapter to stop The Klinik from my side and the decision to take a long break with Absolute Body Control after the intensive touring, I suddenly realized I had all the time of the world to work in all quietness and peace on a new DIVE album. People asked me for years about new material and I realized it was more than a decade ago since the last album “Behind The Sun”.

Q: What kind of album did you’d in mind (sound- & lyrical wise) when starting the composition of “Underneath”?

Dirk: The ingredients are always the same; dark atmospheric electronics with a haunting voice. Of course there was a lot happening in the world during the last decade. We got confronted with terrorism, which is heavy cutting in the minds of Western people. The world will never be the same as we knew it and I try to capture that image and feelings also in my lyrics.

Q: You asked Ivan Iusco and Rafael M. Espinosa to help a hand. What’s the real impact of both musicians on “Underneath”, which according to me became your most accomplished album ever?

Dirk: As a non-musician I like to work together with other people otherwise every album would sound like the first DIVE record. With Ivan I used to work a lot in the past and with Rafael I collaborated on the last one. This time I asked them both to send music in the style that would fit in the DIVE concept, we discussed about the tracks and made changes where needed, I wrote the lyrics and did the singing. Beside that I also composed a few tracks and this way of working is perfect because this brings variety in sound and structures and keeps it very interesting. On stage DIVE is and will always be a one man project, but on recordings I always worked together with others.

Q: “Underneath” also sounds as a refreshing work and a kind of antidote to all dark-electro and industrial-like bands which all sound pretty similar to each other. What’s your perception of the ‘scene’ today?

Dirk: I don’t listen that much to other electronic bands because there is not much development in that genre, everything has been already done thousands times before. Originality is the keyword, bands like Twice A Man or Portion Control are still making excellent albums, but most of the younger generation sounds like a copy of Nitzer Ebb or DAF, really not my thing. For the “Underneath” album I went to a factory and recorded the banging noise on my discman, just like during the old days. So, be creative instead of using all the same sounds.

Q: I noticed there’re 27 (!) years between your self-titled debut-album and “Underneath”. How would you analyze the evolution of Dive throughout the years and what does it mean to you as an artist/performer?

Dirk: The very first DIVE gig was indeed in 1990, it’s unbelievable how time runs fast. For me music is the red wire in life, I feel like a fortunate person who could do musically what I wanted to do with all of my projects. I have seen a lot of technologic changes, from recording on two track tape desks to digital with all formats in between. The world changed and so do I, my wish is to continue another 3 years and celebrate 30 years of DIVE on stage, a nice way to end this story, right?

Courtesy by Inferno Sound Diaries

Inferno Sound Diaries

I have been working for over 30 years with Side-line as the main reviewer. My taste is eclectic, uncoventional and I prefer to look for the pearls, even if the bands are completely unknown, thus staying loyal to the Side-Line philosophy of nurturing new talents.

www.side-line.com

Read the review of ‘Protectorate’.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

Chief editor of Side-Line – which basically means I spend my days wading through a relentless flood of press releases from labels, artists, DJs, and zealous correspondents. My job? Strip out the promo nonsense, verify what’s actually real, and decide which stories make the cut and which get tossed into the digital void. Outside the news filter bubble, I’m all in for quality sushi and helping raise funds for Ukraine’s ongoing fight against the modern-day axis of evil. Besides music I’m also an SEO and AI content flow specialist and have an interest in everything finance from stocks to crypto. There is music in everything!

side-line.com

Genre/Influences: Dark-electro, minimal-electronics, EBM.

Background/Info: This album was released during the first half of 2015, but is an irresistible piece of music by the Dortmund (Germany)-based Echo West. “Pagan City Ghosts” is their 7^th album to date and the 2^nd in the “Pagan City”-trilogy, which started with “Pagan City Gods”.

Content: Dirk Torben Klein is a talented, but often underestimated sonic craftsman who brings vintage electronics back to life. The vintage electronic treatments bring us back to the early years of electronic music reminding me of an imaginary hybrid between Absolute Body Control, Portion Control and Fad Gadget. “Pagan City Ghosts” is awakening old electronic spirits of the 80s made by rhythm box and icy noise manipulations. The songs have been accomplished by freaky sweeps and multiple effects.

The production of the vocals is another ingredient reminding me of the 80s. The echoing and somewhat sterile vocals match with the icy sequences. Echo West is not exactly composing ‘feel-good’ music and yet it sounds delightful.

The sound formula is quite easy, but efficient. “Pagan City Ghosts” reveals a succession of great compositions and will definitely appeal for all 80s dark-electro lovers. Notice by the way that this work also features a remix of “Are We City Humans”. The original version originally appeared at the “Pagan City Gods”-album.

+ + + : The analogue sound sculptures are absolutely well-crafted while the album reveals several outstanding songs.

– – – : I can’t explain why such a genius band has never gain more recognition!

Conclusion: “Pagan City Ghosts” smells like an unknown treasure that has been finally introduced to the world.

Best songs: “Hospital Of Ghosts”, “Heartbeat Of Life”, “False Illusions”, “Are We City Humans – Re-mix”, “Emergencies”.

Rate: (8).

Band: www.echo–west.de / www.facebook.com/EchoWest.Musick

Label: www.darkvinyl.de / www.facebook.com/darkvinylrecords

Inferno Sound Diaries

I have been working for over 30 years with Side-line as the main reviewer. My taste is eclectic, uncoventional and I prefer to look for the pearls, even if the bands are completely unknown, thus staying loyal to the Side-Line philosophy of nurturing new talents.

www.side-line.com

In 1980 Portion Control, one of the biggest and most underground and influential electropunk/industrial/EBM acts of the UK was formed in South-London. Founding member John Whybrew (also known from the side-project Solar Enemy) explained to us which gear the band used and abused to create their typical sound!

SL: How long ago did you buy your first keyboard ever? Which technology did it use (MIDI, 3.5″ floppy disks,…) and do you still own it?

JW: First ever synthesizer was an ARP Axxe from Chase Musicians in Charlton Street North London. It was a huge amount of money, monophonic or maybe duophonic and came with a pad of A4 patch sheets you had to use to mark all the knob and slider positions. The first thing I did was get the patch sheets photocopied so I wouldn’t run out. The manual came with schematic diagrams and sample patches. To set-up a patch would take maybe 3 minutes, and of course with no memory absolutely nothing was saved. However the actual sound-quality was very good and in some respects comparable to today – which is pretty remarkable. We also had an Apple II computer based Greengate DS:3 sampling and sequencing system, allowing us utilise sampling at its infancy, albeit with mixed results. We knew at the time that we stood on the threshold of an important time of technology. The Greengate DS:3 couldn’t map across keys and had a tiny memory although basic samples could be saved to disk. The sequencing part was a bit like a primitive tracker and without mathematic degrees we struggled … but it was great to use a basic sampler and record the results to tape. The Akai S900 then Akai S950 and finally the Akai S1000 HD replaced the Greengate DS:3 as sampling had become so important to our progression.

SL: Which computer(s) and software do you currently use in your (home)studio?

JW: We have always used Atari computers followed by pc’s for our audio making (apart from the Apple II, running Greengate DS:3). Focusrite Saffire PRO 24 was a big favourite in the early days. Now we use Bitwig Studio and Presonus Studio One 3 as well as Ableton occasionally. We always buy high-end quiet pc’s to make sure all our playback is glitch free.

SL: Can you describe all synth gear and hardware you use nowadays? Which piece is the most valuable for you?

JW: Since 2004 we have only used software. Soft synths we favour are: Reaktor 5, Serum 64, FM8, Cakewalk Z3TA+2, Spectrasonics Omnisphere 2, Spectrasonics Trillian and Vengeance Producer Suite Phalanx (sampling duties). Effects include everything by Audio Damage and D16, Omnicide, RP Distort and Guitar Rig 5. The computer sound module is currently Focusrite Scarlett 6i6 with Genelec monitors and a Novation 25SL MKII MIDI controller pretty simple set-up, but allows for deep sound design.

SL: When performing live, which keyboards and software do you use on stage?

JW: We cannot play keyboards so sequence our music live, feeding individual channels to a Zoom R16 digital mixing desk. This way we can balance a mix to suit the venue. We also use VJ software to trigger short looping video clips for our backdrop projections, which are a very important part of our set-up.

SL: According to your opinion, which are the most legendary synths ever produced?

JW: In the ’80s when we utilised them we loved the Roland TB-303, Roland TR-909 Drumcomputer, Moog Rogue (“I Staggered Mentally”), Roland Juno-6 and most importantly the Roland MC-202 (“Step Forward”). Our early recordings were often in London studios so we would utilise whatever the studio had, which allowed us to experience the Yamaha DX7, Moog Prodigy, Roland Jupiter-8, Sequential Circuits Pro One, Movement drumcomputer, etc.

SL: And which are according to you the biggest synth artists/bands ever?

JW: Throbbing Gristle, Tangerine Dream, Metabolism.

SL: Share with us the worst case scenario that ever happened to you live on stage or in the studio!

JW: Live we used to use a combination of a hard disc multichannel recorder and a laptop to sequence the audio and trigger the video clips. We had a Yamaha AW16 that streamed from a hard drive and if Dean stomped about and the stage was springy I could see the hard drive struggling to keep consistent playback. It skipped a few times over the years but now we use a Zoom 16 track with solid-state memory. It also defaults to battery power if the mains trips. Our laptops are also solid-state now and don’t rely solely on power. Given the very variable situations we often find ourselves in need to be prepared.

SL: The unavoidable question: do you prefer analog or digital synths more? And what’s your opinion about the virtual analog concept?

JW: Analog emulations, although we use FM synthesis and pure digital as well. A good cold digital bass line with analogue emulated drums are perfect! What’s the point of struggling with older analogue synths that cannot save patches, drift out of pitch and have no sync options? No fun in our opinion. When we bought our Wellcome in 2004 we had e-mails from people refusing to believe it was created purely with plug-in synths. That was in 2004, look at todays soft synths, such as UK FXpansions Strobe2 and Xfers Wavetable Synth Serum – these are simply amazing and packed with features such as appegiators, sequencers and multiple effects … and cost a fraction of the price of hardware.

SL: Isn’t the digital technology evolving too quick and becoming too complicated for artists nowadays?

JW: Not evolving too quickly, just presenting too many sounds/options and possibilities. Nowadays you have to be a sound designer, musician, engineer, producer and tea boy.

SL: How will the future of creating electronic music look like?

JW: This is hard to say. Almost all non-guitar music is electronic. I’m not sure a pure electronic band has a stance now? Apart from Kraftwerk who produce what we conceive as futuristic electronic music, although this appears retro now …? It’s a bit like Blade Runner – time has overtaken many aspects of the film. Is sampling considered electronic music if it conveys analogue instruments? I honestly don’t think anyone cares if a band’s ‘electronic’ or even quite what this means … Currently there seems to be a move away from the some what sterile programming of music using a mouse and keyboard. Interfaces such as machine and countless launchpads are being released … for pc these aren’t interesting, they are another box to rig up and imply you can input via rhythmic programming, we aren’t musicians so for us the mouse is still the best tool.

It’s International EBM-day tomorrow and the Belgian label is celebrating this all week long. From today on everyone using the EBM242 coupon code on the label’s online webstore and the label’s Bandcamp page will get 25% off the normal price.

In the label’s CD/DVD webstore the discount applies from a minimum order of 20 Euro and does not include products released in 2016 (not that this should be a problem since it includes hundreds of other new releases, from Alien Vampires, The Psychic Force, over Star Industry to Front 242 and Acylum). In the Bandcamp store it counts on all products.

International EBM-day refers to the date of 24/2 (February 24th) which has a clear Front 242 connotation. Since Front 242 is considered as THE cult EBM band, 24/2 has quickly been adopted as such.

Electronic body music, EBM or Industrial dance emerged in the early 1980s. The genre’s early influences range from industrial music (Throbbing Gristle, Cabaret Voltaire), European synthpunk (DAF, Liaisons Dangereuses, Portion Control), and pop-oriented electronic music (Kraftwerk). The style is characterised by hard and often sparse danceable electronic beats, clear undistorted vocals, shouts or growls with reverberation and echo effects, and repetitive sequencer lines. Typical EBM rhythms are based on 4/4 beats, mainly with some minor syncopation to suggest a rock music rhythm structure.

Although EBM is mainly linked to Front 242 the term electronic body music was coined by Ralf Hütter of the German electronic band Kraftwerk in 1978 to explain the more physical sound of their album “The Man-Machine”.

Oh, and expect a special announcement tomorrow…

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

Chief editor of Side-Line – which basically means I spend my days wading through a relentless flood of press releases from labels, artists, DJs, and zealous correspondents. My job? Strip out the promo nonsense, verify what’s actually real, and decide which stories make the cut and which get tossed into the digital void. Outside the news filter bubble, I’m all in for quality sushi and helping raise funds for Ukraine’s ongoing fight against the modern-day axis of evil. Besides music I’m also an SEO and AI content flow specialist and have an interest in everything finance from stocks to crypto. There is music in everything!

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ArtOfFact Records is on a new reissue spree of Front Line Assembly releases to celebrate the band’s 30th year anniversary. Below are the 3 reissues that the label presents now and which you can purchase here (for the North American market) and here (for the EU market).

1. “Fallout” double vinyl featuring bonus tracks

The original remix album, the second for FLA, came hot on the heels of the “Artificial Soldier” full-length. The band commissioned remixes by a who’s who of hot industrial and EBM talent, including Icon of Coil’s Sebastian R. Komor, Combichrist, Covenant, Portion Control, DJ? Acucrack, and more. Additional remixes from FLA’s circle were added by Greg Reely, Jeremy Inkel, and Dan Kearley. And the album is rounded out by 3 non-album tracks that appear here for the first time.

The limited edition record will be released on standard black vinyl (available here), and a limited edition half-half effect with white / toxic blue will also be pressed (available here). In case you want both versions, then you should place your order here. EU-orders can be placed right here.

Check the remastered tapes below:

2. “Re-Wind” double vinyl featuring bonus tracks

This first remix album was released as a stacked double-CD in 1998. “Re-Wind” was a 14-track release that featured the talents of Front 242, Collide, Tim Schuldt, Kalte Farben, Eat Static, Cydonia, and Finitribe on remix duties. An additional 7 remixes were executed by Front Line Assemmbly themselves, resulting in a 14-track document which is now available on double vinyl.

The limited edition record will be released on standard black vinyl (available here), and a limited edition yellow-black splatter version (available here). In case you want both versions, then you should place your order here. EU-orders can be placed right here.

Check the remastered tapes below:

3. “Artificial Soldier” double vinyl

Ten years ago, Front Line Assembly released “Artificial Soldier” on the dawn of their 20th year anniversary. This year marks 30 years of Front Line Assembly and finally sees this album available on vinyl.

The album features two collaborations by Front 242’s Jean-Luc de Meyer who contributes vocals to “Future Fail”, and by Covenant’s Eskil Simonsson who contributes both vocals and keys to “The Storm”.

The double limited edition vinyl will be released in a gatefold sleeve complete with restored Dave McKean artwork. Collectors will be treated to three versions of the record: an outside-inside effect with a deep yellow outside surrounding a metallic silver-grey inside version (100 copies and available here), a cherry-coke red version (200 copies and available here) and a standard black edition (available here). In case you want all 3 versions, then you should place your order here. EU-orders can be placed right here.

Check the remastered tapes below:

4. All in one

For the die-hard fans, you can also buy ALL versions of the Front Line Assembly “2016 – 30th anniversary” vinyl series in one shot. You will get:

• 2 versions of “Re-Wind” (Black, Splatter)
• 2 versions of “Fallout” (Black, Half-Half)
• 3 versions of “Artificial Soldier” (Black, Cherry Cola Red, Inside-Outside)

You will also get download codes for these albums.

Side-Line also covered Front Line Assembly’s ‘Commitment to Complications’.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

Chief editor of Side-Line – which basically means I spend my days wading through a relentless flood of press releases from labels, artists, DJs, and zealous correspondents. My job? Strip out the promo nonsense, verify what’s actually real, and decide which stories make the cut and which get tossed into the digital void. Outside the news filter bubble, I’m all in for quality sushi and helping raise funds for Ukraine’s ongoing fight against the modern-day axis of evil. Besides music I’m also an SEO and AI content flow specialist and have an interest in everything finance from stocks to crypto. There is music in everything!

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Genre/Influences: Electro-pop, new-wave, EBM.

Bands: Psyche, Chris & Cosey, Ministry, Carlos Peron, Dark Day, Severed Heads, Fad gadget, Killing Joke, Klaus Schulze, T.A.G.C., Peter Godwin, Portion Control, Grauzone ao.

Content: This is a real particular and we might say conceptual compilation, but still a part of the Belgian and especially Antwerp history. “Liaisons Dangereuses” was a radio broadcasting in Antwerp during the 80s. The broadcasting was presented by Sven Van Hees (who became a recognized and praised DJ/producer) and Paul Ward. Their main aim was to introduce the audience with certain underground dance-music, which was not played on national radio broadcasts. If you got the opportunity to see the great movie/documentary “The Sound Of Belgium”, which is all about the history and evolution of electronic music in Belgium, you for sure remember to have seen an interview with Sven Van Hees in it and some old images from this broadcast.

I think we might say it all is about pioneers and visionary people who had understood that even the underground electro scene featured great, danceable music. Sven Van Hees who compiled this sampler selected 38 songs. This is a great track list, which will for sure bring you back into the good-old spirit of the 80s and mainly new-wave music composed by electronics. It also was a pleasure to rediscover somewhat forgotten bands and songs.

The 1st disc is an invitation to rediscover the early work of legendary names like Psyche, Chris & Cosey, Ministry, Carlos Peron, Dark Day, Vicious Pink, severed Heads, Savage Republic, Fad Gadget, O Yuki Conjugate, Informatics, Section 25 and even Killing Joke. We all will find our favorites, but I have a little preference for the classical Fad Gadget’s anthem “State Of The Nation”. Other essential songs are “Proximity Switch (Accidents In Paradise)” from Informatics and “Looking From A Hilltop” from Section 25. It also was pure fun to rediscover the somewhat unusual sounding “Turn To red” from Killing Joke.

This compilation doesn’t feature the darkest and most tormenting electronic forms like The Klinik, Front 242, The Neon Judgement, DAF, Skinny Puppy ao, but typical 80s bands dealing with great analogue treatments and some danceable vibes for alternative clubs.
The 2nd disc features a new selection of great bands and songs so it was a total pleasure to rediscover T.A.G.C., Kissing The Pink, Peter Godwin, All systems Go, Carlos Peron (again), Portion Control and Grauzone.

Grauzone’s “Film 2” remains to me a real cult classic of the electro-wave movement. Kissing The Pink’s “Big Man Restless” was for me one of those ‘forgotten treasures’ which I haven’t heard in years, but when hearing the first notes of the great electro tune running through the song I immediately felt like I was 30 years younger. “Big Sex” from T.A.G.C. is another essential cut while the somewhat tribal like “Crash Bang Wallop” of All Systems Go reveals a different style.

Sven Van Hees did an excellent job with this compilation. As some of the master recordings weren’t even available and he had to go back to the original records and remove the typical vinyl noises. “Liaisons Dangereuses” later on evolved into house, new-beat and acid music, which could be an interesting concept for a 2nd volume of this series.

This is an essential compilation, which also brings me back to all the local radio broadcasts dealing with alternative music and, which was during the 80s a real source to discover new music!

Conclusion: This is not just a compilation bringing old 80s new-wave tracks together, but an electronic legacy that has without a shadow of a doubt inspired numerous artists, producers and DJ’s during the next generations. But the main strength of all those bands is that their sound still has this magical touch, which is an ingredient ‘classical’ dance music has never had.

Best bands: Fad Gadget, Grauzone, Informatics, T.A.G.C., Kissing The Pink, Dark Day.

Rate: (DP:8½)DP.

Label: www.universalmusic.be / www.facebook.com/universalmusicbe

Inferno Sound Diaries

I have been working for over 30 years with Side-line as the main reviewer. My taste is eclectic, uncoventional and I prefer to look for the pearls, even if the bands are completely unknown, thus staying loyal to the Side-Line philosophy of nurturing new talents.

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Genre/Influences: New-wave, post-punk, electro-rock.

Content: The “Metamorphosis”-album was originally released in 2007 as a CD by the Polish label Big Blue Records. It’s a kind of ‘best of’ album revealing 11 songs taken from the wide discography of this legendary UK band.

The album now has been re-released on vinyl, which progressively has become quite a familiar formula to please all nostalgia of the 80s. The album features exactly the same songs, but the track list is a little bit different.

This album is an opportunity to get back to the early sound of the band and songs like “Morphine” (opening the album) and “Desolation Railway”, which both reflect the good-old wave-rock of the 80s. The production sounds a bit raw and rather unpolished, which brings us right away in the 80s spirit.

Another main song from that decade was the cover version of Suicide’s “Rocket USA”, which sounds like an offspring of punk and shoegaze. It’s a particular song and I have to be honest that it was a bit hidden in a distant corner of my mind, but it’s a well-crafted version.

The last song (cf. “Achilles Heel) of the A-side was originally released in 1990 and sounds like a sonic bridge between the raw and post-punkish 80s and the more rock-minded period of the 90s. This song is characterized by a somewhat funky touch.

Among the songs featured at the B-side I was a bit surprised that some later songs that were released on the “Zenith”-album (2004) like “Metropolis” and “Mercury” that mainly caught my attention. I think there’s a better balance here between guitar and electronics while “Mercury” reminds me a bit of early Portion Control.

Another noticeable song again concerns a cover version. The song “Human Fly” entered into history as one of the most famous ‘hits’ of The Cramps, but here again Venus Fly Trap did a quite cool job although I prefer their cover of “Rocket USA”.

The fans of the band will for sure have noticed that most of the songs selected for this album were originally released as single/EP so this is an opportunity to get them all on vinyl format.

Conclusion: This vinyl doesn’t bring anything new expect its format and I know that more and more music lovers are actually collecting vinyls. So in the end the circle is round and Venus Fly Trap is back releasing on vinyl.

Best songs: “Rocket USA”, “Metropolis”, “Mercury”, “Achilles Heel”.

Rate: (Elise Din:7)Elise Din.

Band: www.spiralarchive.com / www.facebook.com/thevenusflytrapuk

Label: www.retinalrecords.co.uk / www.facebook.com/retinalrecords

Inferno Sound Diaries

I have been working for over 30 years with Side-line as the main reviewer. My taste is eclectic, uncoventional and I prefer to look for the pearls, even if the bands are completely unknown, thus staying loyal to the Side-Line philosophy of nurturing new talents.

www.side-line.com

And the limited editions keep on coming. Here’s one from Portion Control – which just like Numb’s will be sold out in no time. The “Unrest in the grime” vinyl/CD holds a selection of outtakes and unreleased demos from the UK electronic cultband. The release is a collectors limited edition of 500 hand-numbered vinyl copies (including a CD), with no re-press. Copies can be ordered right here.

The 9 tracks included on this gem are “Pancreas”, “Unrest in the grime”, “High rise”, “Claustrophobia”, “Hey hey trip”, “Victory”, “Rogue pressure”, “Punch” and “New sun”.

Order now or you will never have the chance again!

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

Chief editor of Side-Line – which basically means I spend my days wading through a relentless flood of press releases from labels, artists, DJs, and zealous correspondents. My job? Strip out the promo nonsense, verify what’s actually real, and decide which stories make the cut and which get tossed into the digital void. Outside the news filter bubble, I’m all in for quality sushi and helping raise funds for Ukraine’s ongoing fight against the modern-day axis of evil. Besides music I’m also an SEO and AI content flow specialist and have an interest in everything finance from stocks to crypto. There is music in everything!

side-line.com