Portion Control – Wellcome

An act come back from the dead. Years ago, three gentlemen from England formed one of the most seminal, influential and formative electronic acts of all time: Portion Control. Their works inspired Skinny Puppy, Front Line Assembly and even Clock DVA. Their albums charted a bizarre course of art-derived madness coupled with an astounding ear for innovation.

Portion Control folded right near the height of their career due to a lot of things, but most people feel it was their label at the time who kept pressuring the boys to deliver more commercial, chart-friendly work. A band at odds with the times and with a lot of their contemporaries, they re-emerged in the 90s under the name Solar Enemy. The same three fellows, but with a much more accessible sound. In 1994, the English label Music from the Empty Quarter released a retrospective disc of their Portion Control days entitled The Man Who Did Backwards Somersaults with some questionable liner notes by Mr Bill Leeb.

Silence has engulfed them ever since.

Earlier in the year, the band announced they were due to release a new album. Bang. Right back at work after years apart. This double album is truly a revelation. Brunt sequences, epic soundscapes, mind-numbing perfection - amazing work. The tracks flow in and out of one another with effortless grace. Well-Come is a very welcome listening experience from beginning to end. The willingness to experiment and not be confined by formulas are the hallmarks of these visionaries.

Discarding trends (as always), Portion Control show once more just what electronic music is all about. Just when you think you've heard it all, these elder statesmen show up alive and kicking with vitality. Listen up.

Reviewed 2004