Portion Control are a British electronic and industrial band from South London, formed in 1979. The original incarnation of the group existed until 1987; after a brief incarnation as Solar Enemy, they reformed in 2002.

The band pioneered the use of sampling and were acclaimed for their use of the Apple II computer based Greengate DS3 sampling and sequencing system. They have been cited as an influence on Front Line Assembly, Skinny Puppy, Orbital and Nine Inch Nails.

History

Portion Control formed in 1979 with a line-up of Dean Piavani, Ian Sharp and John Whybrew. The band took the name "Portion Control" from Whybrew's time in catering school, presuming it to be not particularly pretentious or associated with a particular style.

The trio's first release, the cassette-only A Fair Portion (including Andy Wilson of the Passage on bass), was issued in 1980 by Ladelled Music, followed by three further cassettes on In Phaze Records, Gaining Momentum and Private Illusions No 1 (both 1981) and With Mixed Emotion (1982). These early cassette releases were a highly DIY affair, featuring hand-drawn art by band members, direct recording to cassette recorders, and some of the earliest affordable electronic instruments such as the ARP Axxe synthesizer and Roland CR-78 drum computer. The album marked the beginning of the band's underground recognition and was noted for its use of the distinctive Roland TB-303 With the release in 1984 of Step Forward, the band branched into a more melodic sound, earning them a supporting role in Depeche Mode's tour that same year.

By the late eighties, the band was introduced to music manager Tom Watkins who signed the band and arranged a deal with London Records. They began work on a new album and single and enlisted producer Arthur Baker for a remix. But, as the work began to culminate, the label "went cold," offering an objection to the "gruffness of Dean's vocals" and the relationship effectively ended, leaving the band confused over two years of wasted time.

Solar Enemy

In the aftermath of the debacle with London records, the band contemplated a name change as a means of deflecting over two years of apparent inactivity. At the same time, Gary Levermore of Third Mind Records, who had previously desired to sign Portion Control to his label, took advantage of the opportunity. The band rebranded as Solar Enemy and almost immediately released a single, "Techno Divinity." Along with the rebrand, the sound of Solar Enemy was significantly different than Portion Control, with less emphasis on the vocals and "harshness" that characterized the latter.

Influences and style

While the band played alongside and associated with many early industrial bands such as SPK, Chris & Cosey, and 23 Skidoo, they consider their earliest influences as punk rock and post-punk bands like Wire and The Pop Group. The band's early sound consisted of a mixture of analog synths including Roland and Moog keyboards, mixed with software and modular samplers including the Apple II-based Greengate DS:3 and the Akai S-series samplers. After reforming, the band went entirely digital, using software synths and midi controllers to replicate the analog feel of their earlier work.

Author S. Alexander Reed, in his book Assimilate: A Critical History of Industrial Music, said that Portion Control's early sound "blends innocuously with the moodier moments of Cabaret Voltaire and Throbbing Gristle", and at times "demonstrated a gift for gritty, teethgrinding distortion, not unlike Esplendor Geometrico".

Legacy

Portion Control have been cited as an influence on numerous industrial and electronic music bands including Skinny Puppy, Orbital and Nine Inch Nails.

  • Filthy White Guy (2006, self-released)
  • Onion Jack IV (2007, self-released)
  • Slug (2008, self-released)
  • Violently Alive (2010, Sigsaly Transmissions)
  • Pure Form (2012, Other Sounds)
  • Unrest in the Grime (2014, Minimal Maximal)
  • Head Buried (2020, self-released)

Singles

  • "Across the Fence" flexi-disc (1981, In Phaze Records)
  • "Raise the Pulse" 7"/12" (1982, Illuminated Records)
  • "Rough Justice" 12" (1984, Illuminated Records)
  • "Go-Talk" 12" (1984, Illuminated Records))
  • "The Great Divide" 7"/12" (1985, Rhythmic Records)

EPs

  • Dining on the Fresh cassette-only (1981, In Phaze Records)
  • Surface and Be Seen 12" (1982, In Phaze Records)
  • Hit the Pulse 12" (1983, In Phaze Records)
  • Purge 12" (1986, Dead Man's Curve)
  • Code 11 digital (2003, self-released)
  • Stansted 7"/CD (2005, self-released)
  • SEED EP1 digital (2020, self-released)
  • SEED EP2 digital (2021, self-released)
  • SEED EP3 digital (2021, self-released)