PORTION CONTROL HAVE A NEW FLOPPY DISC. THEY PROGRAMME RICHARD NORTH.
SOFTWARE SHOT KERSTIN RODGERS

At the turn of last year Portion Control brought out the strangest electro-dance disc I've heard.

Not being a great fan of what is, to me, a tedious and predictable format, 'Raise The Pulse' grabbed my attention by virtue of its lush electronic rhythms and the gruffest, punkiest vocals this side of Conflict. The record has spirit, a power to move both the feet and heart: "Are you a man who will say NO!" Punk-Funk-Disco? What are these people playing at?

I half imagined that the band would look like studious spikey-tops - their heads full of synthesisers and revolution, perhaps. But in fact the group - Ian (keyboards), Dean (vocals) and John (keyboards) - turn out to be three mild-mannered boys whose burning passion in life happens to be software, and neither punk nor funk has anything to do with it.

"We're just a heavy beat electronic band" says John, and that's good enough for me.

Portion Control started up in 1980 influenced, apparently, by new-wave 'experimentalists' Wire. Choosing synthesisers instead of guitars because they couldn't handle all those strings (ah, the same old story), the group started mucking about on the fringe of the electro-avant-garde, dominated at that time by the likes of Cabaret Voltaire. From time to time they'd put out a tape of heavy dub monochrome noise (very CV) and play the odd alternative gig. "Alternative Knebworth", supporting 23 Skidoo and 30 similar bands was one of them.

They were, simply, a garage electronic band who copied their heroes in the same way that a garage punk band would have copied the Pistols.

The turning point for Portion Control seems to have been the release of their first LP 'Hit The Pulse', in early 1983. A touch of originality here, a bit of spontaneity there and hey presto we had something worthwhile at last. "On that LP we actually wrote songs instead of the rhythmic collages that Cabaret Voltaire were doing," affirms Dean.

Illuminated Records picked up on the promise and the first single for them was the aforementioned 'Raise The Pulse' - a single that was, incidently, voted into the 'prime time slot' at the Camden Palace. "We've always been interested in dance music," offers John. "It didn't come through before because we were limited by our equipment."

To bring history up to date, the new single 'Rough Justice' is a similar slice of electro-thump but with horns on. The TKO Horns, who've played with The Bureau and Dexys, to be exact. Really the single, marks the end of one stage of the band's career: the progression from an uninspired copyist group to a flowering, enthusuastic musical unit is complete.

"There's this computer game where you have to form a band and take it as far as you can," gushes John, the fanatical software addict. "There are hazards like getting a manager called Larry Stitch-You-Up or Fred No-Good. The band can do a world tour and earn, perhaps 25p. We love it!"

The next stage beckons. May all their troubles be little ones.

© New Musical Express 1984

Digital assistance and credit: Simon Dell <simon@stroppy.demon.co.uk>