Years active 1980–19872002–present | Associated acts Solar Enemy | |
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Labels Third Mind, Dead Man's Curve, Illuminated Records, In Phaze Records, www.portion-control.net Website www.portion-control.net Past members Ian Sharp (1980–1987)Ian Hicks (2002–2006) Albums I Staggered Mentally, Violently Alive Members John Whybrew, Dean Piavani, Deadstock, Ian Sharp Similar Front Line Assembly, Klinik, Absolute Body Control, Nitzer Ebb, SPK | ||
Portion Control is a British electronic and industrial band from South London. The band calls its music style electropunk or hard rhythmic electronics. They have been name checked by Depeche Mode, Skinny Puppy, Front Line Assembly, Orbital, The Prodigy, and others. The band pioneered the use of sampling and used, to great effect, the Apple II computer based Greengate DS3 sampling and sequencing system.
Contents
History
Portion Control first formed in 1980 and the original incarnation of the group existed until 1987. They released a variety of seminal recordings on a variety of indie labels, some self-produced but mainly on Illuminated Records, as well as Rhythmic Records and Dead Man's Curve. In 1984 the band supported Blancmange on their UK and European tour. In early 1987 Portion Control joined the management roster of Tom Watkins and signed a record deal with London Records and promptly vanished. In 1990 they changed name to Solar Enemy. After releasing 2 albums, SE broke up in 1993. Portion Control weren't seen again until 2002 when fansite 319 Online announced a resumption of activities by the band resulting not long after in a free downloadable software demo featuring graphics, a rare remix of an old track, and samples of new material. Nothing else was released by them, however, until early 2004 with the release of the critically acclaimed double album Wellcome (the title inspired by the work of Sir Henry Wellcome).
Since then Portion Control have been active with concert and festival appearances as well as multiple releases on a variety of formats.
Singles
EPs
Albums
Software releases
Compilation albums
Live albums
Session tracks
Recorded for a January 1984 Peel Session show.
Recorded for a June 1985 Janice Long show.
Songs
Raise the PulsePurge · 1986
Chew You to BitsLive in Europe · 1988
Havoc ManStep Forward · 1984