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Portion Control
Crop

Sigsaly Transmission Media

Posted: Thursday, December 10, 2009
By: Ilker Yücel
Editor

In the age of the internet, the debate continues as to just how necessary it is for an artist to sign to a record label. What better exposure can one hope for than the global market that the internet affords? Since the early '80s, the members of experimental group Portion Control have skated the edge of the underground to search for better avenues to promote their music, all the while maintaining a prolific pace since the band's reemergence in 2005. However, even with five new releases, remixes, and a box set of the band's early albums, all available via the internet, Portion Control remains a group more heard of than actually heard, lacking the promotional vehicle that a record label provides; that is, until now. Signing to Sigsaly Transmission Media, Portion Control now gives us Crop (as in "The cream of"), a two-disc compilation of new material and some of the best tracks from the band's 21st century albums.

Kicking off the previously released material are the hard beats, synth noise, and industrial loops of "Hardman" and "Global," not only setting the stage for Portion Control's brand of electro/punk, but also revealing to newcomers just where renowned groups like Front Line Assembly, Depeche Mode, and Nine Inch Nails got much of their early ideas. Songs like "Blood Rushed to Head" and "Chew You to Bits" will likely put many in mind of early Front 242, indicating where Portion Control got the tag of EBM, although the "Onion Jack" segues and "Sickman" demonstrate the group's propensity for pure electronic experimentation, full of odd structures, chaotic rhythms, and plenty of noisy soundscapes that can be rather confounding to those without an ear for the bizarre. However, with plenty of other tracks from those five albums that weren't included, some might question the validity of the second disc as the material is rather sparse; these four tracks total 15-and-a-half minutes. Indeed, "Brain Scraper Death Dive," the NTRSN version of "Defend," and "Amnesia09" showcase the band's danceable rhythms and scorching bass lines, all topped off by vocalist Dean Piavani's gritty but sparing vocals, while "Witness/Transmission Intro_01" is a short vignette of dark industrial ambience. As a short EP of new material, it's a nice enough listen in its own right, and to include it with Crop helps to give the collection more than the veneer of a "best of" collection.

Credit should be given to Portion Control not only for the group's far-reaching influence in the underground electronic scene, but for the perseverance Piavani and John Whybrew to continue their excursions into experimental audio for what is coming up to 30 years. Always treading the fine line between widespread accessibility and esoteric obscurity, the release of Crop on Sigsaly Transmission Media should help to boost this already renowned act's profile to a new audience for many years to come.